The best things to do in London
With its 27 million yearly visitors, London is a top tourist destination. The city has many sightseeings that should be visited. Its outstanding architecture and English lifestyle make it an amazing place to visit. Let's discover the best things to do and see in London, the capital of England.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey is a Gothic church in Westminster, London. The traditional place of coronation, wedding ceremonies and burial of the monarchs of Great Britain. Westminster Abbey was founded on the site of old churches in 1065 by Edward the Confessor. All the following kings of England decorated and expanded the abbey. Until now, the coronation throne of wood, made especially for Edward the First in 1300, is located in Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey is still the main church of the country and holds regular church services, which anyone can join.
Big Ben
The Clock Tower of Westminster Palace is one of the main attractions of London and in the whole of England. Big Ben is the name of a tower given to a massive bell inside a clock tower that weighs more than 13 tons. Each dial of Big Ben is seven meters in diameter, and the minute hands have a length of 4 meters 20 centimeters and a weight of about 100 kilograms. The height of the tower is 96 meters, inside it, there is a narrow spiral staircase of 334 steps. The clock was launched on May 21, 1859, and is still one of the largest watches in the world. Tourists and ordinary visitors cannot climb the Big Ben tower for security reasons. But from time to time, representatives of the press and important guests of Great Britain have the opportunity to visit the tower. But even important guests must climb the stairs on foot, as there is no elevator in the tower.
Downton Abbey
Filming of the popular English TV series “Downton Abbey” takes place in Highclere Highclere Castle. The luxurious castle in Berkshire was selected as the main locale since it perfectly matched the scenario. The castle was built at the end of the XIX century in the Anglo-Italian style for the Duke of Carnarvon. It still belongs to his family. Even the owners of this huge mansion do not know how many rooms there are in this building. In fact, only the first two floors are used. The castle library contains more than 5,650 books. Highclere Castle is located near London and is surrounded by a large and beautiful park. It was created by the famous 18th-century landscape gardener Lancelot Brown. The main attraction of the park is a grove of Lebanese cedar which is now more than 250 years old. The castle is open to tourists and fans of the series “Abbey Downton” can visit it for a fee.
Windsor Castle
The Windsor Castle has been the resident of British monarchs for more than 900 years. It is also considered to be the largest and oldest residential castle in the world. The residence of the English monarchs is located in Berkshire not far from London. It is situated on the top of a hill with a beautiful view of the River Thames. Windsor Castle is the main home of the royal family, but most of the building is now open to tourists. You can get here in about 40 minutes from London by car or by bus. Like Buckingham, Palace has a royal guard.
Buckingham Palace
One of the few existing royal palaces in the world today is Buckingham Palace. This is the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen in London. The palace and its garden occupy an area of 20 hectares, there is a police station, two post offices, a hospital, a pool, a bar. In the palace itself, there are 775 rooms, among them is the official office of the Queen. The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace is one of the most recognizable ceremonies in the world. Many tourists come to see this spectacle. It starts at 11:30 and lasts 40 minutes. By the way, this is one of the few things to do in London for free. The Queen’s Gallery is also open to visit. Her Majesty's personal collection has works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Rubens, Van Dyck, Vermeer, as well as Faberge eggs and a large collection of drawings by Leonardo.
London Eye
The London Eye is the highest Ferris wheel across Europe, located on the south bank of the Thames between Westminster and Hungerford Bridges. Its height is 135 meters, and the diameter of the wheel is 120 m. From its top point, visitors can enjoy the best view of London. London Eye is also the most popular tourist attraction in London and the UK. Every year over 3.5 million people visit the London Eye.
London City Tour
London is a large metropolis and tourist center. There are dozens of attractions that are worth visiting. If you do not have much time, one of the best ways to explore London is a guided city tour. According to your preferences, you can choose a walking tour with a visit to the old town and the Tower of London, a bus tour or a private tour by car. During a sightseeing tour, you will see such sights as St. Paul's Cathedral, Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern Art Gallery, The Monument to the Great Fire of London, London Bridge, Bank of England Museum, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Parliament Square, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey and others.
Tower Bridge
London’s most famous bridge, Tower Bridge, is an easily recognizable bridge in the center of the city that connects the two banks of the Thames. Over 400 workers worked on the bridge construction for 8 years. The opening took place on June 30, 1894, at this event was attended by the Prince of Wales Edward and his wife Princess Alexandra. Its main difference from the rest of the London bridges is that it is movable and it is the lowest one located above the Thames. The length of the Tower Bridge is 244 meters and the height of the two support towers is 65 meters.
British Museum
The British Museum is the central historical and archaeological museum of Great Britain and one of the largest museums in the world. It was founded in 1753. Its exposition occupies 94 galleries, the total length of which is 4 km. The museum's collection tells of two million years of human history in different parts of the world. It includes thousands of famous works of art and architectural monuments. Entrance to the museum is free. Interesting fact: six cats officially work in the British Museum to catch rats.
Markets
London is also famous for its markets, where you can buy literally everything. The first one on the list is the Borough Market. This is the most popular, tourist and crowded market. Here you can taste delicious food, drink coffee or try British beer. However, prices in the Borough market are a bit high compared to the others. Lovers of antiques need to visit Portobello Road. It is a very picturesque street with colored houses along the road. There is antique furniture, clothing, books, accessories and much more. Also in the shops of Portobello Road, you can buy souvenirs that are a bit cheaper than in the center of London.
