London is the biggest city, and the capital of the United Kingdom. The city lies in South- East England, on both sides of the Thames. Administrative London is divided in tw city of London, and Greater London, which contains 32 boroughs. The London Region is totally 11 427 km², and has over 12 million inhabitants. London is one of the greatest cities in the world. London has everything! London is the city both for the poor and the rich, for the successful and the failed. London is the boring city, but also the exiting city. Shortly: London is THE city!

 

London is one of the world's metropolitan areas. It is a great industrial city, an international centre of finance, and a huge port. There are several different things to experience in London. You can go to musicals, visit theatres, explore the shopping possibilities, go to nice pubs and restaurants and choose between a big variety of tourist attractions.

 

London!

 

A map over London.

 

 

BIG BEN

 

Big Ben is one of London’s most famous landmarks. Most people convey the name to the tower and the dial, but the name is actually referring to the bronze- clock itself inside the tower.

The clock is named after Sir Benjamin Hall who was responsible for the clock being put on place in 1858. Big Ben is a part of the Parliament building.

 

             

 

 

 BUCKINGHAM PALACE

 

Buckingham Palace is the residence of the royal family. The palace was the residence of the purchased by George 3. and rebuilt by John Nash.

It wasn’t before 1837 that Queen Victoria chose it for her home.

Since then, the British royal family has lived here.

There is no access to the private apartments, but visitors may tour the State Rooms, including the Throne Room, Picture Gallery and State Dining room. These rooms are opulently decorated with some of the finest pictures, tapestries and works from the royal collection.

Every day at 11.30 a.m., at the gates of Buckingham Palace, you can see the Changing of the Guards.

 

 

 

The British royal family. Most of them live on Buckingham Palace.

 

 

THE TOWER OF LONDON

 

The Tower of London was first built in 1078 by William the conqueror who was tragically killed by Walter Tyrell in a haunting accident in the New Forest. During the history the Tower has been a palace, prison, treasury, zoo and arsenal.

The magnificent Crown Jewels are kept here.

The tower is known for the handsome Beefeaters (!) and its famous ravens. The ravens have had their wings cut so they can’t fly away. The Britons believe that the country will o under if the ravens leave the tower.

 

The Tower is known to be the most haunted place in Britain…

A number of ghosts are ostensible haunting the Tower. Among them Thomas a Becket, Edward 5. and his 9 years old brother Richard), Countess of Salisbury and Queen Anne of Boleyn.

Salt Tower is the most haunted part of the tower. Here dogs are refused to enter, and even Yeoman Warders are unwilling to visit after nightfall!

The Tower of London! 

 
Crown Jewel  

 

 A guard outside The Tower.

 

 

MADDAM TUSSAUDS

 

This is an old and well-known wax- museum in London, where you can find a bunch of wax figures of old and new celebrities. Here are kings and presidents, actors, and other artist. In the ground floor you can experience the less pleasant Chamber of Horrors. Here are well-known murders and murderers modelled together with more or less unpleasant execution methods. This world known museum is well worth a visit.

 

One of the modelled celebrities and his wax- figure.

 

 

ROCK CIRCUS, LONDON PAVILION

 

The subdivision of Madam Tussauds where everything treats of pop/rock. You get some headphones and enter the gallery. Different artists play the music, and the story gets told while you pass.

At the end you gets to a show with wax- robots “alive”. This is pretty special.

 

 

HIGHGATE CEMETERY

 

This famous cemetery is not for the shy! It has been used in several horror- and Dracula movies because of the atmosphere with overgrown, old tombstones. Karl Marx, and other celebrities are buried here.

 

 

THE BROADER CENTRE

 

This big shopping centre on Piccadilly Circus contains loads of shops and restaurants. Out of the shops are there also many other interesting things. It is possible to record your own music video. You choose the melody, and mime the song, while you get filmed and mixed

With loads of effects. Here is the possibility for those who want to practice to be a star. You can also tape a cassette.

 

You can take “old- fashioned” photographs, where you borrow costumes from the last century.

IMAX3D is the new big on Trocadero. This type of movie distinguishes oneself with a giant screen, showing effect full movies. They are building a new, giant, IMAX cinema in London, next to the Shakespeare Globe Centre. On Trocadero you can also find big areas with playing- machines, simulators and an appliance where you get hoisted high up in the air, and then “dropped “ to the ground.

 

 

MUSICALS

 

London is known for its variety of musicals. Many of the persons who have been in London have visited on of the musicals running.

These musicals are very popular, and some of them have been running for more than twenty years!

“Mamma Mia!”, “Cats”, “Les Miserables”, “Starlight Express”, “Chicago”, “The Lion King”, “Witches of Eastwick”, “Saturday Night Fever” and “Phantome of the Opera” are some musicals, which are running now.

                 

 

 

 

ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

 

This is Sir Christopher Wrens` famous cathedral, build after model of the Peter-church in Rome. St. Paul’s are known for its enormous acoustics, and its whispering- gallery. If you whisper something at one side of the dome, it can clearly be heard at the other side, about 30 meters away. This is also the church where Charles and Diana married.

 

 

PLANET HOLLYWOOD

 

Planet Hollywood is a café near Piccadilly Circus. Planet Hollywood restaurants have been established in over 50 towns around the world.

London was the fourth.

Some of the partners are Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Demi More and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 

 

The dress Judy Garland wore in “The Wizard of Oz” is part of the collection in the café.

It’s a noisy place, and film clips showing constantly on one of the café’s giant screens. The service is fast once you get your table.

The star owners do often step outside and chat with the queues.

Celebrities known to drop in are Elton john, Melanie Griffith, Glen close, John McEnroe and Eddie Murphy.

 

 

THE DOUBLE- DECKERS

One of the things people

connects to London is the

red Double Deckers. Taking those

busses is a nice way to get a sight- seeing

and explore the city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LONDON ZOO

 

London Zoo lies in Regent’s Park, it’s a 36-acre conservation centre, which houses more than 350 species. London Zoo’s animal collection includes invertebrates, reptiles, fish, birds, and small and large mammals such as lions, tigers, gorillas, elephants, giraffes, rhinos and bears.

Web of lives is an exhibition about the variety of life on earth, housed in the Millennium Conservation Centre at London Zoo. The exhibition brings together interactive activities and animal displays.

 

Some of the animals you can see in London Zoo.

 

 

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

 

One of the greatest achievements of Edward the Confessor, who ruled England from 1042 to 1066, was the construction of Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey, built in the Norman style, was built to replace the Saxon church at Westminster. Edward determined that the Minster should not be built in London, and so a place was found to the west of the city. The Westminster Abbey was consecrated on 28 December 1065, but Edward could not attend due to illness.

He died few days later, on 5 January 1066.

He was buried in a shrine before the High Altar in his new church.

The royal coronations take place here. Most recently the funeral of Princess Diana was held at the Abbey in September 1997.

Westminster Abbey is an Anglican church.

 

 

 

 

 

LONDON EYE

 

This is the world’s largest observation wheel, stretching 135 meters up in the air. Here you can take a 30-minute, slow moving “flight” over London. It offers fine views over the capital, west looking down on the nearby Houses of Parliament, north across to Buckingham Palace, over to Canary Wharf in the east. On a really clear day Windsor Castle 25 miles away can be seen. The wheel has 32 capsules, each accommodating 25 people. The Eye opened to visitors early in 2000, but has already proved itself to be a popular London tourist attraction.

 

 

 

 

TRAFALGAR SQUARE

 

Trafalgar Square is one of the most famous squares in the world.

The square was developed in the late 1820s and is said to be named at the suggestion of William 4. to commemorate the English victory at Trafalgar in 1805, in which Admiral Nelson was killed.

The design of the square is attributed to Nash.

 

 

The four huge Bronze Lions at the base of the Nelson’s Column were modelled by Landseer and cast by Marochetti in 1867. Below the lions are scenes from the naval battle at Trafalgar depicted. The monument is decorated each year on 21st October, the anniversary of the battle.

 

Nelson’s Column is a tribute to England’s hero at the Battle of Trafalgar. The 17 foot high statue of Nelson was designed by Baily in 1843. It stands on a 172 foot fluted granite column designed by Richard Railton in 1841.

 

 

 

 

THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

 

'The Mother of all Parliaments' more properly called the Palace of Westminster. The original palace dating back to the times of Edward The Confessor was burnt down in 1834, leaving only Westminster Hall and one of the Towers the Jewel Tower remaining. Westminster Hall itself is a particularly fine example of a medieval hall, over 240 long, accessible to the Public only with Guided Tours. Public Access is also available to the Public Galleries. The liveliest debates are during Prime Ministers Question Time. The Gothic masterpiece that are the present Houses of Parliament, were constructed between 1840 and 1888.

 

The house of Parliament.

 

 

WEMBLEY STADIUM

 

Wembley Stadium is renowned over the world to be the number one place for sporting and entertainment events.

Over the years, it has seen many great matches and unforgettable spectacles.

From the 1948 Olympic Games to Euro '96, Wembley Stadium has hosted many of the world's major sporting events.

Above all else, Wembley`s place in history has been secured by its role as venue of the FA Cup Final.

That first final, between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United, has gone down in the history books as the `White Horse Final`.

There have been many famous finals since then- from the one in which Stanley Matthews appeared in 1953, to the north-London showdown in 1991 where Paul Gascoigne was taken off with a crippling injury after just 15 minutes.

The fastest ever goal in a final was scored by Chelsea's Roberto di Matteo in 1997, where he took just 43 seconds to hit the back of the net against Middlesborough.

 

 

 

LONDON’S HISTORY

 

London was founded by the Romans in AD 43, and was called Londinium. In AD 61 the town was burnt down, and when it was rebuilt by the Romans it was surrounded by a wall.

That area within the wall is now called the City of London.

When William the Conqueror conquered England in 1066 he made London his base. He built the Tower of London and was crowned at Westminster Abbey.

During the Middle Ages many churches and monasteries were built. Merchants and craftsmen lived inside the City walls and worked in particular areas. During the Tudor period (16th century) London became an important economic and financial centre. The Londoners of the Elizabethan period built the first theatres.

1666 was the year of the Great Fire of London, which destroyed most of the city. After the fire many buildings were rebuilt in a much safer way. During the Victorian period (19th century) London was one of the most important centres of the Industrial Revolution and the centre of British Empire. Today London is a cosmopolitan city and its population is almost  7 000 000.