Реферат на тему "Sights of London"

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth. It is located near Green Park. When the Queen is in the residence, the Royal Standard flies over Buckingham Palace.

There are 775 rooms where members of the Royal family and their servants live. There are also rooms for guests. There are offices, on-site post and even swimming pool in the palace.

Throughout the year right in front of Buckingham Palace the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard takes place, attracting a lot of tourists.

The Tower of London

The Tower of London is one of the main London's places of interest. It is located on the north bank of the River Thames and is one of the oldest buildings.

At different times the Tower was used as a royal residence, fortress, prison, mint and, even, zoo. Today the Tower of London is the place where the Crown Jewels are kept.

Every day its doors are open for tourists. A few black ravens live on its territory. The walls of the Tower are still guarded by palace guard in historical outfits.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is located in the centre of London. It was named after the victory in the Battle of Trafalgar. In the centre of the square there is Nelson's column with four lions at the bottom of it.

There are beautiful fountains in the square. Some famous buildings, such as the National Gallery, St. Martin-in-the-fields and Admiralty Arch, are also located there.

The square is the place where a lot of different events and celebrations are held.

Hyde Park

Hyde Park is a big park located in central London. Today it is a popular place for meetings, celebrations and festivals.

The park is known for its artificial lake Serpentine where it is allowed to swim. There is a gallery, a museum and several sculptures on the territory of Hyde Park.

During the Olympic Games 2012 Hyde Park was the place where some competitions were held.

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral is located at the highest point of the City of London, Ludgate Hill. The Cathedral was seriously damaged during the Great Fire of London. It was redesigned by Christopher Wren, a famous architect.

There are three Galleries and 17 bells in the Cathedral. The largest bell is called Great Paul.

The British Museum

The British Museum is one of the largest museums in the world. It was founded in the XVIII century and in the XIX century it was already divided into different departments.

The museum houses large collections of artefacts representing different cultures of the world, both ancient and modern.

So, there is the Department of coins and medals, the Department of prints and drawings, the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan and many others.

The London Eye

The London Eye is one the largest Ferris wheels in Europe. Unforgettable views of the city open from its height of 135 metres.

The wheel consists of 32 air-conditioned capsules which symbolize 32 boroughs of London. The London Eye rotates with the speed of 0,9 km/hour. The ride takes 30 minutes. The wheel looks like a big bicycle wheel.

Oxford Street

Oxford Street is a lively shopping street located in the centre of London. There are hundreds of shops in this street. The street is 1,9 km long. It is one of the busiest commercial streets in Europe.

During Christmas time Oxford Street is decorated with lots of lights and garlands making it one of the most popular destinations for tourists.

Westminster

Westminster is a historical area of central London with several famous landmarks.

Westminster Abbey, a Gothic church, is located there. The church is a traditional place of coronation and burial site for all British kings and queens.

Not far from the church there is the Palace of Westminster which is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Big Ben

Big Ben is the name of the Great bell of the clock at the Palace of Westminster. Nowadays this name mostly refers to the clock and the clock tower.

In 2012 the tower was renamed to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen and is now officially known as the Elizabeth Tower.

The height of the tower is 96,3 metres. Big Ben is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom.