Big Ben and Houses of Parliament
The second impression, which came directly after the beavers fur on the guards hat is the round clock towering above the Thames.
The Big Ben is the name of the 14 tons weight bell, which chimes quarters and hours hanging just under the clock mechanism.
Several galleries are opened inside Houses of Parliament allowing the visitors to look down at the chambers of House of Lords and House of Commons.
Westminster Abbey
The first building has been designed for Benedictine monks, who came to London in 10th century.
The order has been disbanded in half of 16th century, but the Westminster Abbey avoided demolishing and still witnesses the coronations of kings and queens of England, held here since 1066.
Buckingham Palace
Every day thousands of tourists walk around the big square outside the main entrance, making numerous photographs, scare the pigeons, and glaze into the palace’s windows
in hope to see the glimpse of the Queen, or her family, who and about 50 members of the staff live in Buckingham. The royal banner hanging above the front windows shows the presence of the Queen in her residence. When the Queen is not there, the tourists can only count on the Changing of the Guards, which takes places everyday at 11.30.
Tower of London
Probably even more famous than Buckingham, the old medieval residence is still covered with the mist of the famous prisoners and executions, which took place inside Tower of London.
Leaving the horrifying stories apart to see is the Royal Armoury and Royal Treasury with real insignia of past and present rulers including 12 crowns and the coronation sceptre with famous diamond Star of Africa .
British Museum
One of the most important museums of the world features items collected by the discoverers during their 18th and 19th centuries voyages.
To see are the mummies, Elgin’s marbles found in Athens, the mummified skin on the 2 000 years old Man from Lindow, and the delicate pages of Lindisfarne Gospels.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Originally set as the museum of crafts aimed to introduce the students to the designs representative for different cultures, Victoria and Albert museum hosted the big collection of the items gathered from different countries of former British Empire. Nehru Gallery features the biggest collection of Hindu art outside of India. Besides of Commonwealth treasuries, the museum exhibits the vast Oriental art items from China,Korea and Japan. Worth noticing are the porcelain collection and the old music instruments. The British paintings collection presents the works of Constable.
National Gallery
The leading art museum in the world exhibits over 2200 European painting masterpieces. To mention are drawing by Da Vinci, Baptising of Jesus by Piero della Francesco, works of Velasquez and Constable, Turner also Renoir and other Impressionists.
Greenwich
Who in he school wandered about what is all the Latitude and Longitude stuff for, can check the in Old Royal Observatory which displays the history of time measurement.
The famous Greenwich Meridian starts from here.
Madame Tussaud’s
Everyone who didn’t make the photo with the Queen has the ultimate chance to do it in the most famous wax figures cabinet in the World.
One can have a chat with Lenin, Shakespeare or Martin Luter King almost at the same time. The Madame Tussaud’s gallery features also figures of the present top politicians, Hollywood stars, and rich and Famous from all over the world.
The London Eye
Tired of walking all over numerous tourist attractions. Jump into the big wheel and see al the important sights around the centre of historical London, while sitting comfortably in the capsule. The wheel makes the full circle within 30 min giving enough time to admire marvelous city panorama from the height up to 135 m.
[ photo courtesy of johannes pape]
