Drawbridge over the River Thames, designed by architect H. Jones and built at the end of the XIX century. The structure consists of two powerful "Gothic" towers 64 meters in height, connected by galleries and hanging spans. Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable symbols of the capital of Great Britain, although initially the people of London considered it ugly and ridiculous. There is a museum on the top floor of one of the galleries.

The fortress, standing on the north bank of the Thames, is more than 900 years old. The Tower is known as a prison for nobles and prisoners of royal blood. From time to time it became the residence of monarchs. At various times, the famous humanist Thomas More, the wives of Henry VIII Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn, the "bloody" Queen Mary Tudor and many others visited the castle. Only in the middle of the XX century, the Tower ceased to function as a prison.

One of the largest attractions of this type in Europe. The height of the structure is 136 m., which approximately corresponds to a 45-storey building. The wheel is installed on the banks of the Thames, with a view of the whole of London. Passengers can be accommodated in one of 32 enclosed capsule cabins, which symbolize 32 urban areas. A full turn is made in half an hour. The attraction was opened in 1999.

The Royal Palace, the official residence of the ruling dynasty in London. There are about 800 rooms in the building, around the perimeter of 20 hectares there is a whole "city" for the internal use of royals: a hospital, a police station, a post office, a restaurant. The palace was built for the Duke of Buckingham in the XVIII century, but was bought by King George III. It became the official residence after the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne.

The place where the British Parliament has been sitting since the XVI century. The palace stands on the banks of the Thames in the heart of the capital. Since the XI century, English kings have settled here. For many centuries, the facade of the building was rebuilt, updated, new buildings were added. Tourists can only get inside during the summer parliamentary holidays. Big Ben is the bell of the famous clock tower on the territory of the Palace of Westminster, more often the whole tower is called that, along with the famous clock face. The tower was built by architect O. Pugin in 1859, the height of the structure reaches 96 meters. Since 2012, Big Ben has been officially renamed Elizabeth Tower in honor of the reigning queen.

Another royal residence, the smallest of all the palaces belonging to the ruling family. The building was built in the XVII century . for the Earl of Nottingham, but King William of Orange bought it and made it his summer country estate. Kensington Palace (rather a mansion compared to other royal palaces) is located in one of the western districts of London. Nowadays, the Duke of Kent and Gloucester's families live there.

The main church of Great Britain, not only an important religious center, but also the place of coronation and burial of British monarchs. The abbey was founded by Edward the Confessor at the beginning of the XI century. It acquired its modern appearance in the XV century. Since Harold II, all the kings of Great Britain have been crowned here. The abbey is open to tourists, classical music concerts and exhibitions are often held here.

Anglican Church standing on Ludgate Hill. Since the early Middle Ages, Christian churches have been built in this place. The last Catholic cathedral fell into disrepair after the reforms of Henry VIII, only ruins remained on the top of the hill. In the XVII century. the construction of a completely new cathedral began according to the project of Sir Christopher Wren. Many iconic personalities of British history are buried in the temple: W. Churchill, Admiral Nelson, A. Fleming and others.

The famous square in the central part of London, the symbol of the city beloved by tourists and the place where the British "zero kilometer" takes place. Numerous holidays and festivals are organized here, and the main Christmas tree of the country is installed in winter. The square appeared in 1820 on the site of the old Whitehall stables. The place is named after the victory of the British in 1805 in the naval battle of Cape Trafalgar.

One of London's most famous shopping streets. More than 100 million people visit it annually. First of all, visiting the street is interesting to everyone who follows fashion and loves shopping. In a relatively small space (the length of Oxford Street is only 2.4 km.) there are more than 500 shops, including boutiques of world brands, large family supermarkets and shops with mass-market goods.

The street got its name from the lace collars that Robert Baker sold. Previously it was called Portuguese. Piccadilly is known for the fact that for more than 300 years the richest and most notable representatives of the world's "elite" have settled here: bankers, stars, members of powerful financial clans. Here are the most expensive and luxurious mansions, hotels and apartments.

The street gained popularity due to the fact that part of it was immortalized on the cover of the album "The Beatles" (the album was called "Abbey Road"). There was also a record company where the famous band recorded their songs. A few decades later, fans continue their pilgrimage to Abbey Road. Beatlemans are breathlessly photographed in "the very place" that is depicted on the cover.

A structure made of metal and glass structures in the modern center of London, shaped like a cucumber (Barcelona also has such a tower). The building is used as the headquarters of the Swiss Reinsurance company. The tower was built from 2001 to 2004 by architect Sir N. Foster. $400 million was spent on the construction. The height of the structure reaches 180 meters and contains 40 floors.

A high-rise building built for the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games. The structure is a glass pyramid resembling a piece of ice with a height of 310 meters (72 floors). Inside there are offices, hotels, recreation areas, private apartments. Tourists tend to get into the skyscraper on the observation deck, located at the level of the 70th floor, from where you can admire London lying in the palm of your hand.

The main historical and archaeological museum of the country, one of the largest in the world. There are about 100 exhibition halls in the building, where exhibits from all over the world – former colonies of the British Empire - are presented. There are also ancient Egyptian and antique artifacts. Many countries demand that the exhibits be returned to their homeland, as it is believed that they got into the British Museum in a not entirely honest way.

The largest museum in the country, where more than 2000 samples of Western European paintings have been exhibited since the XII century. The gallery was established in 1839, and since then the collection has been constantly replenished. Like many similar places, it is impossible to get around the museum in one visit, you will need to return to it several times to look at all the expositions. You can also listen to audiobooks and lectures about art at the London Gallery.

The underground bunker from which Churchill and his entourage ran a military company during the Second World War. Its construction was completed shortly before the start of the war. In 1989, Margaret Thatcher inaugurated the bunker for inspection by everyone. Equipment, personal belongings of the country's leaders, photos and documents were left inside as exhibits. The museum is located under the Treasury Building, next to the Palace of Westminster, is a branch of the Imperial War Museum.

The world's largest museum of design and decorative and applied arts. It was opened a year after the 1851 World's Fair, as the event turned out to be very successful. The "Museum of Products" – as the collection was originally called – was renamed in honor of Queen Victoria and her husband Albert in 1899. The royal couple provided comprehensive assistance in replenishing the collection, consisting of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, medieval rarities, fabrics and theatrical props.

Opened in 1881, the exposition was based on the collection of the Natural History Department of the British Museum. The total number of exhibits exceeds 80 million (botany, zoology, mineralogy, paleontology). Many can be touched with your hands and studied, there are information stands in different languages. The most impressive hall is the central one: authentic dinosaur skeletons are installed in it in full growth.

A branch of the most famous wax museum in the world (there are branches in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, New York, Copenhagen). Maria Tussauds inherited wax figures from her teacher Curtis and gradually supplemented the collection with new characters. Until 1835, she toured all over England like circus performers, then opened a permanent exhibition at the insistence of her sons.

The house museum of the popular detective at 221b Baker Street. It was here that, according to the idea of the writer Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson rented rooms. The building was purchased by the society of fans of this literary work. The museum was opened relatively recently — in 1990. The rooms have recreated the atmosphere exactly corresponding to the author's description of A.K. Doyle.

A contemporary art gallery that attracts millions of tourists every year. It is considered one of the largest in the world. The collection is made up of works from the period of the beginning of the XX century to the present day. The modern building opened to the public in 2000. It consists of seven floors, each of which has its own exposition. The museum is located in a rebuilt building of a former power plant.

One of the most prestigious opera venues, where the best performers and orchestras strive to get to. Before the construction of the modern building in 1858, there were two theaters on this site, which burned down in fires. Previously, all theatrical genres were staged at Covent Garden, but later he began to specialize only in musical performances: operas, oratorios, ballets, concerts.

A concert hall resembling the Roman Colosseum, where a variety of events take place from musicals and award ceremonies to charity receptions. The hall was built in the period 1867-1871. according to the idea of Prince Albert. To recoup the construction costs, the creators sold tickets to future events that gave them the right to visit the Albert Hall for 999 years. Some still go to the gym using these tickets.

The theater, created with the participation of the great playwright W. Shakespeare at the end of the XVI century. Almost all of the author's works were staged here, but the building lasted only 14 years and was destroyed by fire. The rebuilt theater existed until 1642 (then the troupe was dissolved by order of the Puritan government, and two years later the building itself was demolished). The modern "Globe" is a reconstruction based on fragments found at excavations.

A city park, where it is always crowded and lively. Tourists come here to see with their own eyes the personification of democracy "Speakers' Corner", where everyone can express any thoughts. However, it is impossible to use microphones, so you will have to strain your larynx. Hyde Park is a typical English landscape park with fountains, figuratively trimmed trees and neat lawns.

It is part of the "green belt" of central London. From different sides, the oldest park in the British capital is bounded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Buckingham and St. James's Palaces. There used to be swamps here, which were drained and a canal was laid. The design, imitating the Gardens of Versailles, did not last long: the territory was planted with trees, and the pond became the main waterway. To the north is the Mall – a street for ceremonies with the participation of the royal family.

In the first half of the century before last, it became necessary to create a network of cemeteries in London. The former ones belonged to churches and were already filled. The Highgate Cemetery plan was completed in 1839. The architecture of the buildings and mausoleums is colorful, most of the tombstones are in the Victorian style. The sites under the names "Egyptian Street" and "Lebanese Circle" are particularly distinguished. The most famous burial is the grave of Karl Marx. There is a lot of wild greenery on the territory, from flowers to large trees.

The river artery of the capital, crossing the entire city and passing through its central part. Perhaps this is one of the most popular rivers in the world, passing within the city limits. Largely due to the possibility of navigation on the Thames, London began to develop as an industrial, and later a financial center. Back in the days of the Roman Empire, there was a port here. The Thames is an independent attraction visited by millions of tourists.

A railway junction in central London. It was built by architect W. Henry in the XIX century. The station building is a typical example of the Neo-Gothic style typical of the Victorian era. Trains from continental Europe and from neighboring counties arrive here. A single architectural ensemble of red brick, together with the train station, makes up the five-star Renaissance Hotel.

The famous and even legendary stadium among football fans, the symbol of England football. For the first time its gates were opened under King George V in 1923, in the same year the FA Cup was played at the stadium. By the 60s of the twentieth century, Wembley became the main football arena of the country. In addition to the games, concerts of Madonna, Michael Jackson, Metallica, Oasis, AC/DC and other world stars took place here.

A real "mecca" of fashion fans and shopaholics, one of the three most visited London attractions. Harrods occupies 18,000 m2, 300 shops selling everything in the world are located on its territory. Here shopping is elevated to its highest degree. The building itself is distinguished by the luxury of interior decoration and the monumentality of architectural forms.

Every weekend, the Camden market, divided into segments, is visited by about 100 thousand people. The market is open on weekdays, but some points are closed most of the week. Some sellers rent shops, others are located in tents or in the open air. It sells original gifts, clothes, things from independent designers. In addition, there are pubs and restaurants on the main street.

It is located in the Notting Hill area (West London). There are ruins of antique gizmos, second-hand clothing stores side by side with expensive boutiques. At the market you can buy unusual clothes, vintage interior items and furniture, interesting souvenirs made by hand. Many people come here not for shopping, but for a special atmosphere of antiquity, history and strong traditions.

Recognizable symbols of the British capital all over the world. Previously, booths were used for their intended purpose, but with the invention of mobile communications they became just cultural objects (some have mini-libraries). The red bus became the prototype for a tourist bus in almost all world capitals, its model was invented in Britain in 1956.