Destinations / The best sightseeing places to visit in the U.K. / London-one of the world's leading destinations

  

About London

 London is one of the most beautiful and one of the largest cities in the world as well as one of the oldest cities in Europe. London is a city which was never planned. It has accumulated and it has everything a visitor might want to find. It is certain that a foreigner might be initially bewildered by his first sight of London as it has thousands of places to offer. But it is not unlikely to be disappointed. This might happen only because of the noise and of the over-larged, over-crowded buildings. The city contains a rich, beautiful architecture, it has a wonderful history, charming parks, incredible museums with numbers of architectural works of the first importance, amazing restaurants but also a myriad of places of quiet , rather melancholy beauty for lovers of the past. These are most often unexpected. London is a mixture of very old, not so old and new. In London one can find almost every variety of architecture, ranging from a piece of old Roman wall to the most modern buildings such as the Bank of England. The three most famous buildings of London are: ‘’ Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral. There are few medieval churches which escaped the Great Fire of 1666 and a great numbers of buildings from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many of London’s popular sights and attractions are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

History

 London is more than two thousand years old. It were the Romans who built London in 43 A.D. during the invasion led by Emperor Claudius. We can still see the remains of the Roman Wall in the centre of the city. The Roman invaders found the river Thames narrow and they built a bridge. They found a Celtic settlement known as Londinium which later turned into a sizeable part and an important trading centre. The city was attacked several times by the 1960 and a significant part of it was on fire. The Romans rebuilt the city for several years and soon it became one of the major places. London is an ancient city. But it is also a living city constantly developing. It is always interesting for tourists to take a trip along the Thames by boat as it gives a striking panorama of London. The best way to see the city quickly is from the top of London Routemasters. Routemaster is the name for the classic red London bus which serves the public to show the city for more than 50 years. They are a classic British design and an important symbol of London and of England’s heritage. It is said that there is not only one London but there are several Londons. London is not one city that has steadily become larger through the centuries, but it is a number of cities, towns and villages that have grown together to make one vast urban area. London has a population of about nine million people. Every year London attracts lots of tourists. The river Thames divides London into two parts known as the north bank and the south bank, but London consists of three parts. The first is the City of London. It is about 1 square mile and it is the heart of the business and financial life of the country. Here are situated the Bank of England and the Stock Exchange. The West End of London can be associated with wealth, luxury and goods of high quality. In this area we can find the best cinemas and hotels and the largest department stores. In the West End is Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s residence, The Palace of Westminster, the University of London and many museums including the British Museum. There are also many theatres, cinemas and concert halls, famous shops and beautiful parks. The East End of London is unattractive but it is very important for the country’s commerce. Here we can see a lot of old houses built in Dickens’ time.

Modern London

 London dominates British life. It is the home of the nation’s commerce and finance, the main centre of its legal system and the press. It has the largest university and the greatest possibilities for entertainment and for sport. Every year London attracts lots of tourists. Many London’s attractions are world-famous. The most famous place for shopping in London is Oxford Street, but this is not the only shopping centre. The Londoners and the tourists also enjoy the popularity of Bond Street in Mayfair and Knightsbridge which houses the famous shopping centre ‘’ The Harrod’s.” Fashion stores can be found in Mayfair, on Carnaby Street in Soho and on the King Road Street in Chelsey. London is a modern city where you can find plenty of restaurants on any taste. The most expensive are in Westminster and in Soho. There are restaurants all over the city. They are specialized in traditional food of different nation. The most famous are the Chinese restaurant in London’s Chinatown and Bangladesh on Brikleyn street. One of the most famous places in London is Soho - a small area where bars, restaurants, pubs and shops are concentrated. There are also here many hotels and nightclubs.

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