LONDON LONDON IS THE CAPITAL CITY OF ENGLAND AND OF THE UNITED KINGDOM SITUATED ON THE THAMES RIVER,THE LARGEST CITY IN BRITAIN AND ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN THE WORLD FUN FACTS ABOUT THE RIVER THAMES • THE THAMES IS BOTH TIDAL AND NON-TIDAL, DEPENDING WHICH SPOT YOU’RE LOOKING AT – IT BECOMES TIDAL AFTER TEDDINGTON LOCK. • THE RIVER IS HOME TO OVER 119 SPECIES OF FISH, AS WELL AS OTTERS, VOLES, AND EELS. • THE THAMES PATH IS 184 MILES LONG, WHICH MAKES IT THE LONGEST RIVER WALK IN EUROPE. THE RIVER ITSELF IS 215 MILES LONG. • THERE ARE MORE THAN 80 ISLANDS IN THE THAMES. • THERE ARE OVER 200 BRIDGES THAT CROSS THE RIVER – THE FIRST WAS BUILT BY ROMANS. TRAVEL AROUND LONDON • BIG BEN AND DOUBLE DECKER BUS • YOU SHOULD NOT DRIVE A CAR IN LONDON - YOU WILL REACH ON FOOT FASTER. FAMOUS BLACK TAXIS AND RED BUSES, COMBINING THEIR EFFORTS WITH THE SUBWAY, WILL TAKE YOU TO ANY PLACE. METRO STATIONS ARE MARKED WITH RED-BLUE CIRCLES. THERE ARE 11 LINES IN THE LONDON UNDERGROUND, PAINTED IN DIFFERENT COLORS ON THE SCHEME. THE ENTIRE NETWORK OF UNDERGROUND LINES IS DIVIDED INTO 6 ZONES (ZONE 1 IS THE CENTER OF LONDON). THE FARE DEPENDS ON HOW MANY ZONES YOU CROSS, AND CAN BE QUITE HIGH. IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE SEVERAL TRIPS, BUY A ONE-DAY TRAVELCARD (ONE DAY TRAVELCARD), ON WHICH YOU CAN TRAVEL WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS ON THE BUS, TRAIN AND SUBWAY IN • IN THE BRITISH CAPITAL YOU WILL FIND TRACES OF ALL HISTORICAL ERAS. WESTMINSTER ABBEY, ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL, BUCKINGHAM PALACE, THE BRITISH MUSEUM, THE NATIONAL GALLERY, TRAFALGAR SQUARE AND MANY OTHER PLACES ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF TOURISTS. • BUCKINGHAM PALACE BUCKINGHAM PALACE - THE RESIDENCE OF THE BRITISH MONARCHS IN LONDON. TODAY ELIZABETH II LIVES AND WORKS THERE. LIFE IS IN FULL SWING IN THE PALACE: RECEPTIONS AND EVENTS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE ARE TAKING PLACE. THE REST OF THE ROYAL FAMILY GUARDS GUARD - THEIR BRIGHT RED OUTFITS ARE VISIBLE FROM AFAR. • TRAFALGAR SQUARE IS LOCATED IN THE HISTORIC CENTER OF LONDON, IN WESTMINSTER. IN TERMS OF POPULARITY AMONG TOURISTS AND SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE BRITISH THEMSELVES, THIS OBJECT IS COMPARABLE TO THE RUSSIAN RED SQUARE. NOT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, BUT CERTAINLY MAJESTIC AND SPACIOUS TRAFALGAR SQUARE IS MULTIFUNCTIONAL: THEY REST HERE, GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE WORKS OF CLASSICAL AND MODERN ART, WATCH SPORTS AND FILM PREMIERES, CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR, ORGANIZE RALLIES AND PROTESTS. • ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL - A HUGE CATHEDRAL IN LONDON, TOPPED WITH A DOME, DEDICATED TO THE APOSTLE PAUL, IS THE SEAT OF THE BISHOP OF LONDON. THE CATHEDRAL IS LOCATED AT THE TOP OF LADGATE HILL, THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE CITY. • MORE THAN 300 LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN IN LONDON. SO WHEN YOU ARE IN LONDON, THE CHANCES OF FINDING SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS YOUR CHANGE IS REALLY HIGH UP THERE. • BIG BEN IS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF EUROPE TOURISM. BUT CONTRARY TO POPULAR • PERCEPTION, (HOLD YOUR BREATH), BIG BEN IS NOT THE TOWER, IT IS THE BELL INSIDE IT. WE BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW IT BEFORE.
