Explore London's Historic Attractions
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Tatiana ȚenuExplore London's Historic Attractions
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London the gateway to UK
FRUMUZACHI ANASTASIA
LONDON
London is the capital and largest city[d] of both England
and the United Kingdom, with a population of 8,866,180
in 2022. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in
Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million.
London stands on the River Thames in southeast
England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down
to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for
nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre,
the City of London, was founded by the Romans as
Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The
City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London,
has been the centuries-long host of the national
government and parliament. London grew rapidly in the
19th century, becoming the world's largest city at the
time. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has
referred to the metropolis around the City of London,
historically split between the counties of Middlesex,
Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which since 1965
has largely comprised the administrative area of Greater
London, governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater
London Authority.
TOURIST PLACES IN LONDON
The Tower of London
Officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a
historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England.
It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separated from the
eastern edge of the square mile of the City of London by the open space known as
Tower Hill. It was founded toward the end of 1066 as part of the Norman
Conquest. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by
William the Conqueror in 1078 and was initially a resented symbol of oppression,
inflicted upon London by the new Norman ruling class. The castle was also used as
a prison from 1100 (Ranulf Flambard) until 1952 although that was not its
primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence.
As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric
rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion,
mainly under kings Richard I, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th
centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite
later activity on the site.
Buckingham Palace
Is a royal residence in London, and the administrative
headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom.
Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at
the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has
been a focal point for the British people at times of
national rejoicing and mourning.
Originally known as Buckingham House, the building at
the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built
for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site that had
been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was
acquired by George III in 1761 as a private residence for
Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen's
House. During the 19th century it was enlarged by
architects John Nash and Edward Blore, who constructed
three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham
Palace became the London residence of the British
monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.
THE British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to
human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury
area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million
works is the largest in the world. It documents the story
of human culture from its beginnings to the present.
Established in 1753, the British Museum was the first
public national museum to cover all fields of knowledge.
In 2023, the museum received 5,820,860 visitors, an
increase of 42% from 2022. It was the most popular
attraction in the United Kingdom according to the
Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.
Hyde Park
Hyde Park is a 350-acre (140 ha), historic Grade I-listed urban
park in Westminster, Greater London. A Royal Park, it is the
largest of the parks and green spaces that form a chain from
Kensington Palace through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park,
via Hyde Park Corner and Green Park, past Buckingham Palace
to St James's Park. Hyde Park is divided by the Serpentine and
the Long Water lakes. The park was established by Henry VIII in
1536 when he took the land from Westminster Abbey and used
it as a hunting ground. It opened to the public in 1637 and
quickly became popular, particularly for May Day parades.
Major improvements occurred in the early 18th century under
the direction of Queen Caroline. The park also became a place
for duels during this time, often involving members of the
nobility. In the 19th century, The Great Exhibition of 1851 was
held in the park, for which The Crystal Palace, designed by
Joseph Paxton, was erected.