London: unique sights of the British capital

London is famous not only for its red telephone booths and double-decker buses. This city with a long history is striking in its elegance and restraint. Modern buildings here are in perfect harmony with ancient architectural complexes, which are saturated with the spirit of conservatism and built in strict English traditions. It is simply impossible to get around all the places important for the city in one day, so tourists are advised to stay in London for at least 1 week. What sights of the British capital should be seen?

Tower Bridge

The drawbridge over the Thames, built in the 19th century, consists of two 64-meter-high Gothic-style towers, which are interconnected by galleries and spans. The bridge is one of the symbols of the city, although initially the inhabitants of London called it ridiculous and even ugly. A museum is open in one of the towers.

Big Ben

Another no less famous symbol of London. This is the name of the clock tower located on the territory of the Palace of Westminster. The 96-meter building was built in 1859. And in 2012 it was officially renamed in honor of the British Queen. Now this is Elizabeth’s Tower.

Tower of London

The tower located on the banks of the Thames is 900 years old. This place is better known as a prison in which noble persons were kept, among whom were Anna Boleyn, Thomas More, Catherine Howard, Maria Tudor and other no less famous historical figures. Periodically, the castle housed the residence of the ruling monarchs. Tower lost functions of the prison less than 100 years ago.

Buckingham Palace

Today it is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain. The palace consists of 800 rooms, and around it there is a whole "city" with an area of ​​20 hectares, in which there is a hospital, restaurant, post office, police station and other buildings intended for use by the royal family. The palace was built in the XVIII century by the Duke of Buckingham, but later it was sold to King George III. The palace became a royal residence under Queen Victoria.

Westminster Palace

Since the 16th century, British parliamentarians have been sitting in this building. And before that, since the XI century, there was a residence of the ruling monarchs. The building is located in the heart of the British capital, on the banks of the Thames. Over the entire period of its existence, the building has been rebuilt many times, updated and overgrown with new buildings. The last time the Palace of Westminster was reconstructed after a fire in the 19th century. For tourists, the attraction is open only in the summer, when the country's parliament leaves for the summer holidays.

Kensington Palace

Another residence of the royal family. This palace is the smallest of those belonging to the ruling dynasty. It was built for the Earl of Nottingham in the 17th century, but was later bought by King William of Orleans, who used it as a summer estate.

Westminster Abbey

This church is the main religious center of the country and the place where the British monarchs are crowned and buried. In the XI century, the abbey was founded by Edward the Confessor. The form in which we can see the building today, it received in the XV century. The first king to be crowned within its walls was Harold II. After that, all the rulers ascended the throne here. Today, the abbey often hosts various exhibitions and concerts of classical music.

St Paul's Cathedral

The attraction is located on the hill Ladgate Hill, where since medieval times Christian churches were built.After the reforms carried out by Henry VIII, the cathedral fell into decay and only ruins remained in its place. But in the XVII century it was decided to rebuild it again. Many prominent British were buried on the territory of the temple, including Admiral Nelson, Winston Churchill, Alexander Fleming and others.

Oxford Street

The most famous street in the British capital. First of all, it attracts fashionistas and shopping enthusiasts. Huge shops, supermarkets and boutiques of world brands are located here.

Trafalgar Square

The square is another symbol of London and the place where the “zero kilometer” passes. At Christmas, the main Christmas tree of the country is being established on Trafalgar Square. In addition, various festivals and celebrations are regularly held here. It appeared on the site of the Whitehall stables in 1820.

Piccadilly Street

This street got its name thanks to the lace collars that Robert Baker sold here. Before that, it was called Portuguese. Representatives of the world elite who settled here 300 years ago brought fame to this street. It is on Piccadilly where the most luxurious mansions and expensive hotels are located.

Skyscraper Shard

The construction of the 310-meter glass pyramid was dedicated to the 2012 Olympics. The building houses private apartments, hotels, offices and recreation areas. And from the observation deck, located on the 70th floor, you can see all of London.

British museum

The main historical and archaeological museum of Great Britain and one of the largest in the world. The British Museum consists of more than 100 exhibition halls, which collect exhibits from around the world, where at different times there were English colonies. In addition, there are antique and ancient Egyptian artifacts.

National Gallery of London

In the country's largest museum, at least 2000 paintings are stored from the 12th century to the present. The gallery was opened in 1839, and its collection is constantly updated with new copies. Due to so many expositions, it is not possible to get around them all at once. The London Gallery invites its guests to listen to lectures on art.

Sherlock Holmes Museum

It is located on Baker Street, where, according to the plan of Conan Doyle, the famous detective rented a room. Today this building was bought by fans of the detective and in 1990 a museum was opened within its walls. The whole situation here corresponds to the author's description.

Madame Tussauds museum

This is one of the branches of the museum, which collects wax figures of famous people. Some figures were obtained by Maria Tussauds from her teacher. And many were made by herself.

Royal Theater Covent Garden

The best orchestras and performers want to get to this one of the most famous world opera sites. The modern building was built in 1858 on the site of two theaters destroyed by fire. Initially, performances of different genres were staged on his stage, but later he retrained and now you can only see ballets here, listen to operas and orchestra concerts.

Albert hall

The building of the concert hall was built in the form of the Roman Coliseum. Charity receptions, award ceremonies and musicals are held here. The building was built in 1871 by Prince Albert. In order to recoup all the construction costs, it was first decided to sell tickets, which enabled their owners to attend all the concerts that will be held in Albert Hall over the next 999 years. Therefore, even today you can meet visitors who come here precisely for those tickets.

Hyde Park

This London park is always crowded. This place attracts tourists with the opportunity to see the “Speakers Corner”, in which everyone can express their thoughts without fear. The only limitation that exists is that you cannot use a microphone.

St Pancras Station

Built in the 19th century in the very center of the capital, the railway station is an example of the neo-Gothic style that is characteristic of the Victorian era. Trains from all over Europe arrive at the station.

This is only a small part of the sights of London, which clearly demonstrates the beauty and grandeur of the city. Walking along its streets, it can be noted that the British incredibly value their history and try to preserve their heritage for future generations.