13 London and Washington, D.C.

Saint Paul's Cathedral is the second most important church in London and one of the largest cathedrals in the world. In its present form the building started to come into being in the end of 11th century. Due to the thorough rebuilding, nothing is left of the original structure. The Present cathedral, by Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1713. Many famous historical persons are buried here and there are memorials to many great artists. A whisper made against the wall of the Whispering Gallery is clearly audible on the opposite side.

The National Gallery is in Trafalgar Square. It houses paintings by nearly all the great European artists and a large collection of British paintings and sculptures. It is situated inside a building dating back to 1838. Soon, however, the building was not sufficient and needed to be enlarged. The works of the world master painters are kept here - Rembrandt, Rubens, etc. Madame Tussauďs Wax Museum is an attraction for tourists. It contains wax statues that portray the most prominent people from all over the world including historical and present-day celebrities, royalty, stars of entertainment and sport, politicians and statesmen.

The British Museum is the largest museum in the world. It has the biggest collection of all kinds of animals and minerals.

Downing Street 10 is the official home of the British Prime Ministers. It is an office for the prime minister, a meeting place for the Cabinet, a venue for state events and a home for the prime minister's family. While in office, prime ministers traditionally live with their families in Downing Street in the private flat on the second floor. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lives in the larger flat above Numbers 11 and 12, which has more room for his family.

There are many more interesting sights: Piccadilly Circus - the centre of theatre land and the city' s nightlife with a lot of neon lights; the Royal Albert Hall - for conferences, indoor sports, balls, pop concerts and classical concerts; Hampton Court - before a royal residence, now occupied mainly by royal pensioners, many gardens and maze; Regenť s Park - with London ZOO, beautiful gardens and botanical gardens, open-air theatre; Regent Street - one of the most popular shopping streets in the world; Covent Garden ­shops and market, souvenirs, the Tate Gallery - art exhibitions, art collections; St. James' s Palace; Whitehall; the Royal Exchange - now only insurance transactions, Lambeth palace - seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury; the Guildhall - the City' s seat of government.

Other touristic places

• Brick Lane – this was the main location for the brick kilns which helped rebuild the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666. Nowadays, Brick Lane lies at the heart of the Bengali community, and each step is accompanied by the smell of the spices from the numerous cafes and restaurants.

• British Library – After fifteen years of problems and millions of public money spent, the library finally opened its doors to the public in the spring of 1998. The sheer number of books inside will take your breath away. This is actually the largest library in London.

• Canary Wharf – It is situated in East London. The most famous building is Cesar Pelli`s landmark tower, officially known as One Canada Square, which is one of the highest buildings in Europe. It is the world`s first skyscraper to be clad in stainless steel. Canary Wharf includes major banks, law firms, news media and service firms.

• Cleopatra’s Needle – It is an original Egyptian obelisk situated at the Thames Embankment. Cleopatra’s Needle was made in Egypt 1460 BC and brought to London from Alexandria by sea in 1878, to commemorate the British victory over Napoleon.

• Covent Garden – the area used to be for years a market centre for fruit and vegetables. That was closed in 1974 and for a while it looked as if the developers would move in on this prime central real estate and demolish it all for unwanted new office blocks. These plans collapsed and now we have the elegant old market hall, and shops, restaurants and arts-and-crafts stalls. It has become one of London’s major tourist attractions, which now boast some of the trendiest clothes shops, cafes and restaurants in London.

• Chinatown – It is located in between Leicester Square and Shaftesbury Avenue. You can find there a lot of ethnic shops, cafes and restaurants.

• Greenwich area – The most famous thing about London Greenwich is the Old Royal Observatory from where time all over the world is measured. Another delightful sight for your eyes is the world’s last surviving tea clipper, Cutty Sark. Among the historical sights that await you are Sailors` bunks, old cutlery, and dolls dressed as people.

• London Bridge – One of the most famous bridges in Capital. The first London Bridge was built by Romans almost 2,000 years ago. In Roman times the River Thames in central London was three times wider than it is today. Although the bridge has been rebuilt many times over the centuries it has never moved far from the site chosen by the Romans for the first ever bridge. Following the 1136 destruction of London Bridge, it was proposed to replace the timber bridge with a permanent stone construction. The construction of the new bridge took 33 years. In 1970, London Bridge was sold to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, as an even larger bridge was needed, and the bridge that we see today was finally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 March 1973. Today we have 12 "central" public bridges: Albert Bridge, Battersea Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Chelsea Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, London Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Tower Bridge, Vauxhall Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge.

• Nelson’s Column – It is one of London’s best-loved monuments. It commemorates the one-armed, one-eyed admiral who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, but paid for it with his life. The acanthus leaves of the capital are cast from British cannons, while bas-reliefs around the base – depicting three of Nelson’s earlier victories as well as his death aboard HMS Victory – are from captured French armaments.

• OXO Tower – An old power station that was converted into a meat-packing factory in the 1930s. Today, OXO Tower contains flats, workshops and shops and one of the best restaurants in London. Every Christmas there is a long, long waiting list to book a table just so that you can enjoy the magnificent view over the Thames.

• Piccadilly Circus – During the weekend this place is absolutely packed with people. Nightlife is in abundance here, especially with nightclubs, MGM Cinema, local pubs and bars.

• Windsor castle – is located just outside of London and is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. It has been the official residence of the British sovereign for over 900 years.

• Camden Market

• London Eye