2_London_and_other_interesting_places_in_the_UK

2) London and other interesting places in the UK

London is a capital city of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It’s the largest city in Great Britain and one of the largest cities in Europe. London is situated in the south-east of England and it lies on the river Thames. The city has over 7 million inhabitants and it’s divided into the City of London with capital C and 32 districts.

The city of London has existed for almost 2,000 years. The Romans built the small town of Londinium in about AD 47, shortly after they invaded Britain for the second time.

London is perhaps the most cosmopolitan city in the world. Almost 2.3 million of the city’s people were born abroad, and Londoners speak a total of more than 300 different languages.

Now, I would like to tell something about the transport in London. One of the famous and most used means of transport is the underground. London’s underground train system is the oldest in the world. There are 11 different lines with 268 stations and it’s called The Tube. The transport in the city is also done by the buses, famous red double-deckers, or by the typical London taxis. They are all black and often called cabs. In London, there are also five international airports. The biggest and busiest one is Heathrow.

Nowadays, London is one of the most visited cities in the world. Tourists attractions are found mainly in central London.

One of the most famous monuments is surely the Tower of London. Its construction was started by William the Conqueror. It was used in the past as a fortress, a prison and a place of executions. Nowadays, it’s a museum and the crown jewels are placed there. The well-known guards of the Tower are the Beefeaters in their typical black and red uniforms. There exist also a legend about the ravens living in the Tower. According to this legend, if they fly away, the United Kingdom will fall. So the ravens have their wings cut and can’t fly.

Close to the Tower, we can find the famous bridge - the Tower Bridge. This bridge on river Thames has special mechanism inside which allows to open it to let the big and high ships go through. Today it opens as often as five times a day.

Another famous monument is the Palace of Westminster, also called the Houses of Parliament, which is the seat of the British Parliament. In the past, it was also the seat of the head of the state. The part of the building is the clocktower, often miscalled the Big Ben, but Big Ben is actually the bell inside the clocktower.

Next to the Palace of Westminster, there is a famous gothic cathedral - the Westminster Abbey. It’s one of the most important historical buildings in London, because it’s the traditional place where the monarchs are crowned and also buried after their death.

These days the seat of the Queen Elizabeth II. is the Buckingham Palace. This Palace is the official royal residence since 1837, when the Queen Victoria started her reign. At the square in front of the Palace, there is a Victorian monument built in honor to this monarch.