LONDON
Quarters
Soho is in the heart of London´s West End. A popular image of it is as an area of strip clubs, sex shops, peepshows and porno
cinemas. Berwick Street is home to a fine market and a lot of great music shops as well as the Raymond Revuebar. There are
many cafes and restaurants and it has long been famous as a centre for eating out.
Chinatown is a business centre for the Chinese people throughout the whole of Britain. There are a lot of raestaurants
offering Chinese national dishes. Two beautiful Chinese gateways, situated at each entrance into Gerard Street, mark the heart
of Londons´s Chinatown.
The City of London is the comercial, financial and business centre of London. It´s a tiny place, only about 2 1/2 square
kilometres in area and with about ten thousand permanent residents. There are for example the Bank of England, Lloyds of
London (insurance company), Stock Exchange or Royal Exchange. The City is not all modern. It was rebuilt after the Great
Fire of London in 1666 a many of its finest buildings were designed by Christopher Wren. Many churches have stood to this
day. We can also find The Monument and St. Paul´s Cathedral here.
East End
Greenwich is a very interesting and beautiful part of London with 2 royal palaces (Eltham Palace, Greenwich Palace), 2
royal dockyards, Wren´s magnificent Royal Hospital for Seamen and the Royal Military Academy. It is now the home of the
Royal Arsenal and the Royal Artillery in Woolwich; and the Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the
Royal Observatory in Greenwich. We can see the Meridian Line at Old Royal Observatory. There are many parks (Greenwich
park) and open spaces.
Squares
Trafalgar Square is one of the most famous squares in London with the Nelson´s Column, National Gallery, fountains and
lots of pigeons.
Leicester Square is a centre of entertainment. It´s particularly famous for its cinemas. The statue of Charlie Chaplin was
unveiled in 1981.
Russel Square
Parliament Square
Piccadilly Circus - Statue of Eros
Streets
Baker Street is famous for its Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Bond Street is one of the oldest streets in London. It´s known as New Bond Street and Old Bond Street. Bond Street was
founded by Sir Thomas Bond in 1686 and is renowned for its art galleries, antiques and jewellery shops as well as exclusive
fashions and luxury goods. The famous auction house, Sotheby´s (No.35) was founded in 1744. Asprey´s (No.34) is a treasurehouse of rare and beautiful things from quality lether goods to fine jewellery and antiques. Among noted residents of Old Bond
Street have been Stern Laurence (No.41 British writer, born in Ireland in 1713), Sir Thomas Lawrence (No.24 British scholar
and soldier, born in 1888) and Boswell James (Scottish author and lawyer, born in 1740). In New Bond Street lived Jonathan
Swift (Irish satirist, born in 1667), Horatio Nelson (No.147, British admiral), and Lady Hamilton (No.150, Nelson´s mistress,
born in 1765).
Brick Lane lies in the heart of the East End. It´s been the home of refugees and immigrants first of all from France, later
from Central and Eastern Europe, and most recently from the Indian subcontinent. We can see shop signs in foreign languages,
bright coulours of the windows, Indian musical films on video, and racks of exotic herbs, spices, fruit and vegetables. There are
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many restaurants serving curry (spicy dish), kebab (grilled meat), tandori and other delicious dishes. Shops are are full of good
things you´ve never heard of, like halwa, sandesh or gulab jaman.
Carnaby Street is one of the well known street in West End. It´s only a hundred metres long and not more than 7-8 metres
wide. There are fine shops selling a wide range of goods. Most displays have the notice: Special offer - buying at sale price.
Charing Cross Road
Fleet Street. Most national newspapers are concentrated around this street.
Oxford Street is one of the best-known shopping streets in London. It´s renowned for its fashionable clothes and shoe shops
and large department stores such as Selfridges, Marks and Spencer, John Lewis.
Regent Street and Piccadilly are a busy streets running from Piccadilly Circus.
The Strand, there is the Bush House, the home of the BBC World Service.
The Mall
Victoria Embankment
Whitehall is the street of government offices.
Museums and Galleries
National Gallery houses the colection of Western painting from the 13th to 20th centuries. The National Gallery is in
Trafalgar Square.
Tate Gallery. The national collection of British painting and 20th century painting and sculpture is here.
British Museum houses major archeological and etnographical collection including the Elgin Marbles from the Pantheon
of Athens, together with collections of prints and drawings, coins and medals.
British Library. Important manuscripts are printed books including the Gutenberg Bible, First Folio Shakespeare, and
authors´original manuscripts, can be found here, in the British Library which is closed to the public except for those wishing to
take part in a conducted visit to the Reading Room.
Victoria and Albert Museum, known to all as the V&A, is the largest decorative arts museum in the world. The
museum was opened in 1857. The museum is named after Queen Victoria and her husband Albert of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, who
was interested in science and industry. However objects were accumulated, a very big building was needed to contain this fastexpanding collection. Aston Webb won the competition and the foundation stone of the new building, which was opened in
1909 by King Edward VII, was laid by Victoria. The 145 galleries of the museum are grouped into 10 departments: Sculpture,
Ceramics, Furniture and Interior Design, Indian, Library, Metalwork, Far Eastern, Print Drawings, Photograph and Paintings,
Textiles and Dress and Theatre.
Sherlock Holmes Museum . 221b Baker Street is the world´s famous address because of its long association with the
great detective invented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street from
about 1881 - 1904. 221b was on the first floor of a lodging house, the landlady of which was a Mrs. Hudson. There were 17
steps from the ground floor hallway to the 1st floor study which Holmes and Watson shared. Holmes´s bedroom was at the
back, next to the study. Doctor Watson´s bedroom was on the 2nd floor next to Mrs. Hudson´s room. These rooms are used
today as exhibit rooms with a number of books, paintings, photographs and newspapers of the period and a magnificent bronze
bust of Mr. Holmes.
Madame Tussaud´s - wax portraits of famous and infamous world figures are on display.
Bank of England Museum were opened in the main building in Threadneedle Street in the City of London. It traces the
history of the Bank of England from its foundation by Royal Charter in 1694 to the high-tech world of modern banking. There
are gold bars, dating from Roman times to the modern market bar, and a unique collection of banknotes, as well as a display of
the Bank´s silver plate. The Museum has a developing Education Service.
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Natural History Museum. Fossils and examples of living plants and animals, minerals, gems, rocks and meteorites can
be found here.
Science Museum shows exhibits outlining the history and development of science and industry - from veteran cars, trains
and aeroplanes to the exploration of space and the development of computers.
The London Dungeon. Deep in the heart of London, buried beneath the paving stones of historic Soutwark, lies the
world´s most chillingly famous museum of horror. The London Dungeon brings more than 2,000 years of gruesomely authentic
history vividly back to life ....and death.
Imperial War Museum. This award-winning museum on conflict since 1914 contains thousands of imaginatively
displayed exhibits, from art to aircraft, from Utility clothes to U-boat. We can walk through the Trench Experience and share
the dramatic Blitz Experience complete with sounds and smells of London during an air raid.
HMS Belfast is the Europe´s last surviving big-gun armoured warship of the Second World War. Seven decks excitingly recreate what life on board a warship was really like, from action stations on the Bridge to cramped conditions endured by the
sailors who lived and worked in her.
Cabinet War Rooms lie in the basement of a government building in Westminster. They served as the nerve centre of
Churchill´s government during the fight against Nazis and are preserved just as they were in the Second World War. We can
see for ourselves where the progress of the war was charted and where some of its most crucial decisions were taken.
Duxford Airfield. This former RAF Battle of Britain fighter station now houses the finest collection of historic millitary
and civil aircraft in the country, from the legendary Spitfire to the supersonic Concorde. We can see the stunning new American
Air Museum and experience history in the air at Duxford´s airshow.
London Transport Museum is in the heart of Covent Garden. There are many photographs and posters, historical trams,
trains, cars and buses, original artefacts and working models. We can meet characters from the past there and try bus and tube
simulators, too.
Theatres, opera houses and concert halls
There are about 100 theatres in the capital.
Royal National Theatre is on the South Bank of the Thames.
Globe Theatre - in 1989 some of the reamains of the Globe Theatre, where William Shakespeare acted, were excavated on
the South Bank. A modern reconstruction of the Globe Theatre is in progress.
Royal Opera House - The Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet, which rank among the world´s finest companies, perform at
the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Royal Festival Hall is in central London on the South Bank.
Barbican Hall and the Royal Albert Hall where the Promenade Concerts better known as „The Proms“ are given by
the BBC every summer. The eight-week series is the largest and most ambitious music festival in the world.
Bridges
Blackfriers Bridge
Chelsea Bridge
Lambeth Bridge
London Bridge
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Tower Bridge - there are several exhibitions in the two main towers which give an insight into its history. The bridge can
open in the middle to allow tall ships through.
Vauxhall Bridge
Waterloo Bridge
Westminster Bridge
Churches
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Abbey is the oldest Roman Catholic church in England. Many English kings and queens have been crowned
and buried here since William the Conqueror in 1066. Famous British writers, scholars, dramatists and poets are buried in
Poets´ Corner.
St. Paul´s Cathedral is the famous building designed and rebuilt by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire in 1666. Wren
lived to see its completion in 1708, when his son placed the last stone in position. The cathedral has witnessed many historical
events and became a symbol of London´s resistance to the Blitz during the Second World War, when it survived repeated
bombing. On a more peaceful note, i t was the scene of Prince Charles´ wedding to Princess Diana.
St. Martin-in-the Fields Church, Trafalgar Square is frequently used for musical performances. The catacombs under
the church have been used as a shelter for homeless people.
St. Mary-Le-Bow Church built over a 900-year-old crypt, is the one defining the true Cockney who must be born within
the sound of its famous Bow Bells.
Palaces
Buckingham Palace is the London home of the Queen. When Her Majesty is in residence, the Royal Standard is flown
from the flagstaff. Since 1993 parts of the Palace have been opened to the public, including the Queen´s Picture Gallery. The
changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace is a popular event and so is the mounted ceremony at Horse Guards in Whitehall,
the street of government offices.
The Tower of London is the place where Crown Jewels are kept. It was built by William Conqueror in the 11th century. It
was once a royal palace, then a prison. It was occupied as a palace by kings and queens until the beginning of the seventeenth
century. It was the custom for the monarch to lodge in the Tower before his or her coronation, and to ride in procession to the
Palace of Westminster through the historic City of London. It is a museum now and famous for the Bloody Tower, White
Tower, Traitors´ Gate, the ravens, Crown Jewels, the Armouries and the Yeoman Warders. The ravens form part of the
Tower´s history as well. Legend says that without them the Tower will fall and the Kingdom with it. The Constable of the
Tower, nowadays a high ranking army officer who holds the position for five years, is one of the oldest offices in the country,
dating from eleventh century. Day-to-day duties, however, are performed by the Resident Governor, supported by exservicemen Yeoman Warders. The 37 Warders, the Beefeaters, have their origin in the yeomen Henry VIII left behind in the
Tower when he gave it up as a permanent residence. One of their main functions nowadays is to help and guide visitors. The
Ceremony of the Keys takes place nightly when the Chief Yeoman Warder locks the main gates.
Kensington Palace is still home to many members of the present Royal Family. The history of Kensington Palace goes
back to 1689 when the newly crowned William III and Mary II commissioned Christopher Wren to convert Nottingham House
into a royal palace. Kensington palace was a scene of such events as the death of George II and the birth of Queen Victoria.
The guided tour of the palace includes the splendid Cupola Room where Victoria was baptised and the wonderfully restored
King´s Gallery with its fine collection of seventeenth century paintings.
Lambeth Palace
The Banqueting House is all that survives of the great Palace of Whitehall which was destroyed by fire in 1698.
Featuring a spectacular ceiling by Rubens, comprising nine massive canvasses, the Banqueting House was also the site of the
beheading of Charles I in 1649.
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Hampton Court Palace has been home to some England´s greatest Kings and Queens. It´s set in sixty acres of beautiful
riverside gardens. We can visit the Royal Courts, the Chapel Royal, the King´s Apartments or William III´s Private Study and
learn about the etiquette and customs of Tudor nobles and Georgian courtiers from knowledgeable guides dressed in period
costume.
Other places of interest
No.10, Downing Street has been the official residence of the Prime Minister since 1715.
The Houses of Parliament on the left bank of the Thames were rebuilt in the Gothic style (1840 - 1857) on the site of the
old Palace of Westminster which was destroyed by fire in 1834. One part of the original building - Westminster Hall dating
from 1097 - is still here.Visitors can go to both the House of Lords and the House of Commons to hear debates from the
Visitors´ Gallery.
Big Ben is the bell of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. It was made in 1858 and called after Sir Benjamin Hall,
one of the ministers, who was a very tall and stout man called Big Ben by people. Each of the four faces of the clock is over
seven metres in diameter. The tower is 97 metres high.
Dickens House in Doughty Street is the place where the world famous novelist worked on Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist
and Nicholas Nickleby during his two years here.
Horse Guard´s Parade - popular mounted ceremony at Horse Guards in Whitehall.
Royal Court of Justice
Marble Arch. Nash´s Marble Arch stands behind Hyde Park, at the junction of Park Lane and Oxford Street. Only the
Royal Family and the Royal Horse Artillery may go through it.
Barbican Centre is a complex in London which comprises a few high buildings with lots of flats. This area had been
damaged by bombing during WW II and in the 1960s a housing estate was built up on the spot. There are many trees, green
lawns within the area as well as an artificial pond and beautiful fountains and a waterfall. People like to decorate their balconies
with flowers. As well as flats, the Centre also houses theatres, cinemas and other cultural venues. It is worth seeing this part of
London even though Londoners do not like it very much.
The Old Royal Observatory, from where Greenwich Mean Time is taken, stands in Greenwich Park overlooking the
river Thames. You can stand with one foot in the East and one in the West astride the Greenwich Meridian and set your watch
every day at 1 p.m. precisely by the falling timeball.
New Scotland Yard is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police. Scotland Yard gained its name from Scottish kings
who used the palace when visiting London.
Bush House, the home of the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) World Service, is in the Strand.
Thames Flood Barrier. Ten movable steel gates protect the city from floods. It´s a monument of our era.
London Zoo is in Regent´s Park.
London Aquarium with thousands of fascinating creatures is between Westminster Bridge and Jubilee Gardens.
Markets
Camden Market is one of the biggest markets in London. The original site was by a lock on the Regent´s Canal but the
market has spread over a huge area that includes the surrounding streets and old railway warehouse. We can find all kinds of
things there. There is one street full of stalls selling fruit and vegetables. There are books, music things for the house,
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restaurants, cafes, and snack bars selling food from many countries. There are two or three buildings completely full of
antiques, clothes and jewellery.
Covent Garden, once a famous fruit and vegetable market, has now been restored to make an elegant covered shopping
area. The open-air fruit and vegetable market was moved to south of the city to prevent the passage of huge delivery lorries
blocking the streets of the centre, and to reduce congestion and pollution.
Smithfield market
Petticoat Lane market
Memorials
Albert Memorial
The Monument was designed by Christopher Wren to the memory of the Great Fire of London. A great column is 202 feet
(about 65m) high, the exact distance from its base to where the baker´s shop stood. We can climb it up to get a fine view of the
City. There are 311 steps.
Nelson´s Column
Queen Boadicea lived in the Celtic period. She was the queen of a Celtic tribe. When the Romans invaded Britain,
Boadicea started fighting them. In AD 61 she led her tribe against the Romans. Boadicea was a very good fighter. She nearly
drove the Romans from Britain and she destroyed London, the Roman capital before she was defeated. Then she killed both
herself and her children with poison rather than be the slaves of the Romans. We can find a bronze statue of Queen Boadicea
near The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. It´s on the left side of Westminster Bridge.
Nelson´s Column in Trafalgar Square commemorates Admiral Nelson. The column is 184 feet high.
Parks and gardens
Hyde Park is one of the best known places in London. In the middle of the park is a fine old building - a stables - the sort of
luxury accommodation that was built for horses in the last century. Hyde Park was originally a hunting forest belonging to
Henry VIII. Now we can swim or row on the Serpentine Lake or go horseriding in Rotten Row. Some people can also picnic in
the park, if the weather is nice, some can play frisbee or badminton. On Speakers´ Corner at the north-east corner of Hyde
Park, it is traditional for anyone to stand up and address their audience on any topic.
Regent´s Park contains London Zoo.
St. James´ Park
Kensington Gardens. Hyde Park together with Kensington Gardens are the largest green areas in central London.
Kew Gardens in Surrey contains the Royal Botanic Gardens which are world famous for their plant collections. There is
also the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
Transport
London Underground, often called the Tube, is the quickest and easiest way to get around central London. Parts of the
system are very old, the first line opened in 1863.
Double Decker Buses are typical London´s buses. They are red.
Taxis are a very popular means of transport.
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Railway stations - the main railway stations in central London for travelling outside the city are Victoria, Paddington,
Euston, Waterloo, King´s Cross/St Pancras and Liverpool Street.
Airports - London has three main airports: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. Heathrow is the world´s busiest airport.
Gatwick is used for many chartered „holiday“ flights.