2. ÍNDEX
1. A small introduction of London
2. What to see and what to do in London
3. The British Museum
4. The National Gallery
5. Victoria & Albert Museum
6. St Paul’s Cathedral
7.The Tower of London
8. Westminster Abbey
9. Buckingham Palace
10. Houses Of Parliament
11. Trafalgar Square
12. Royal Observatory of Greenwich
13. London Eye
14. Covent Garden
15. Parks
3. 1. A small introduction of London
(I)
London is the biggest city in Britain.
Over 7 million people live and work in London.
London is also one of the most important cities
in the world.
It is a centre for business and tourism.
4. 1. A small introduction of London
(II)
During 2012, it was an Olympic year for London.
London got almost 300000 foreign visitors and
almost 600000 visitors from the UK.
2012 was an important year for the Queen
Elizabeth II because it was her Diamond Jubilee
(60th anniversary of her accession to the throne)
5. 2. What to see and what to do in London
(I)
There are many exciting things to do in London.
There are a big number of museums and
monuments that you must visit in the city.
Some of them are a must-see, like the National
Galery, the British Museum, Buckingham
Palace, the Houses of the Parliament, the Tower
of London or the two temples more emblematic
in the city: St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster
Abbey.
7. 3. The British Museum
It is one of the largest museums
in the world.
There are thousands of exhibits
and over five km of galleries.
The museum has regular
special exhibitions such as
ancient Roman and Greek art,
the Egyptians and the Anglo-
Saxons.
World-famous objects such as
the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon
sculptures, and Egyptian
mummies are visited by up to 6
million visitors per year .
8. 4. The National Gallery
It is the most famous art gallery in London.
It is in Trafalgar Square.
It has many famous paintings like “Samson and
Delilah” by Rubens, “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh,
“Venus and Mars” by Botticelli or “Self Portrait at
the age of 34” by Rembrandt
9. 5. Victoria & Albert Museum
It is the greatest museum of art and
design in the world.
It has got the largest dress collection in
the world.
As an art museum you can find furniture,
carpets, ceramics, sculture and jewellery.
10. 6. St Paul’s Cathedral (I)
It is one of the great churches in
London.
It was built in 604, was burned in
675, and was rebuilt but the
Vikings demolished it in 962.
After the fire of 1087, a church
was built in Norman style but it
was burned during the Great Fire
of 1666.
The current church was built by
Sir Christopher Wren.
11. 6. St Paul’s Cathedral (II)
In the crypt are the tombs of the
Duke of Wellington, Churchill or
Fleming.
The main attraction is the Dome
that it was decorated by James
Thorhill.
It has hosted major events such
as Churchill’s funeral, Charles &
Diana’s wedding, the 80th
anniversary of the Queen
Elizabeth II or the century of the
Mother Queen.
12. 7. The Tower of London
It was built by William I the
Conqueror.
This tower has been a fortress, a
royal palace, a refuge, a prison
and nowadays is the home of the
Crown Jewels.
The Beefeaters are the ceremonial
guardians of the Tower of London.
In principle they are responsible for
looking after any prisoners in the
Tower and safeguarding the
Crown Jewels but in practise they
act as tour guides and are a tourist
attraction in their own right.
13. 8. Westminster Abbey (I)
A legend says that in 616 a sanctuary was founded in
this place and it was known as Thorn Island.
In 960 Benedictine monks came to this site establishing
a tradition of daily workship.
The Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066
and is the final resting place of 17 monarchs.
14. 8. Westminster Abbey (II)
You can find the tombs of Charles Darwin,
Isaac Newton or David Livingstone.
In the Poets’ Corner Jane Austen,
Shakespeare, Handel or T.S. Elliot are
honored
15. 9. Buckingham Palace (I)
Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and
London residence of Her Majesty The Queen. It is one of
the few working royal palaces remaining in the world
today.
During the summer, visitors can tour the 19 State
Rooms, which form the heart of the Palace. These
magnificent rooms are decorated with some of the
greatest treasures from the Royal Collection, including
paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto.
16. 9. Buckingham Palace (II)
Changing the Guard or Guard Mounting is the process
involving a new guard exchanging duty with the old
guard.
The Guard that looks after Buckingham Palace is called
The Queen's Guard and is divided into two
Detachments:
the Buckingham Palace Detachment (responsible for guarding
Buckingham Palace)
the St James's Palace Detachment (responsible for guarding St
James's Palace).
All the guards taking part in the ceremony are dressed in
traditional red tunics and bearskin hats, and the
ceremony is set to music.
17. 10. Houses of Parliament (I)
The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place
of the House of Commons and the Houses of
Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the
UK.
It lies on the Middlesex bank of the River
Thames in the City of Westminster, in central
London.
After being the primary London residence of the
Kings of England, it served as the home of
Parliament which had been meeting there since
the 13th century, and the seat of the Royal
Courts of Justice. Sir William Wallace was
judged here.
18. 10. Houses of Parliament (II)
The Clock Tower was built by Charles Berry in
1858.
Inside the Clock Tower (320 ft=98 m) you can
find the most famous clock face and chimes in
the world, Big Ben which is the name of the
biggest bell (13.5 tons)
19. 11. Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is home to
Nelson's Column, iconic stone
lions, the famous Fourth Plinth
and a lot of pigeons.
It's a must-see destination for
visitors to London. You'll often
find cultural events,
performances, shows and other
special activities going on in the
square by the fountains.
At Christmas you'll find the
biggest Christmas tree in
London, an annual gift from the
city of Oslo.
20. 12. Royal Observatory of Greenwich
The Greenwich Meridian Line, Longitude 0°, is the centre
of world time, defined by transit instrument and line
across the Royal Observatory courtyard.
Endorsed by international agreement in 1884 as the
Prime Meridian of the world, it attracts visitors from
around the globe to stand astride the line that divides
East and West.
You can see the 17th century rooms occupied by the first
Astronomer Royal, the observation room with its early
Tompion clocks and displays on the development of
improved navigation at sea that led to Britain’s
leadership in world exploration and trade for several
centuries.
21. 13. London Eye
The London Eye is a giant Ferris
wheel situated on the banks of
the River Thames. The entire
structure is 443 ft (135 m) tall
and the wheel has a diameter of
394 ft (120 m).
It is the tallest Ferris wheel in
Europe, and the most popular
paid tourist attraction in the UK,
visited by over 3.5 million people
annually.
You can see 40 km in all
directions.
22. 14. Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a world famous district,
unequalled in its mix of shops, restaurants,
history, entertainment and culture.
In the 1600’s, Covent Garden was a fruit and
flower market but now you can buy clothes and
antiques there, visit the cafes and bars or see
circus and street performances.
23. 15. Parks (I)
The most famous parks, near central London,
are Hyde Park, Regent’s Park and St James’s
Park. They are all royal parks.
In Hyde Park you can find Speakers’ Corner.
Every Sunday since 1866 a range of different
speakers gather at Speaker's Corner to air their
views and the tradition continues today.
Speaker's Corner is situated in the top right
hand corner of Hyde Park opposite Marble Arch.
24. 15. Parks (II)
Many famous figures have spoken at Speaker's
Corner including Karl Marx, Lenin, William
Morris, George Orwell and Lord Soper.
Regent’s Park is very beautiful. It is home to the
London Zoo. There is an open-air theatre there.
You can watch Shakespeare’s plays there in
summer.