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London offers many different sightseeing venues. Below is a sampling of what I think are a few of the must-sees that every first time tourist should check out.
The British Library houses some of the most famous, and oldest, literary works from all over the world. Perhaps the most famous book in the Library is the Gutenberg Bible - the first ever book printed in Europe using moveable type. Other items in the library include: the Shakespeare First Folio; Gandharan Buddhist Scrolls (the oldest surviving Buddhist texts); The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (earliest known history of England written in English); the Magna Carta; the only surviving medieval manuscript of Beowulf (regarded as the most important poem in Old English and the first great English literary masterpiece); an autographed manuscript of "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte; and a manuscript of the lyrics of 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The Library also contains a rare and extensive collection of historical maps. The British Museum is comprehensive in its collections of artifacts from around the world. These collections include sculptures, textiles, graphic arts, money, pottery, paintings, jewelry, and prints. Some of the most famous pieces you can view in the museum are: the Rosetta Stone (used to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs into Greek); the Vindolanda tablets , (the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain); painted pottery from Mesopotamia; Egyptian mummies; the bust of a statue of pharaoh Ramesses II made around 1270 B.C.; Parthenon Sculptures (also known as the Elgin Marbles); and Roman coins and helmets. You could spend an entire day in the museum and still not see everything. Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. It evolved from a town house that was owned from the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Dukes of Buckingham. Today it is The Queen's official residence. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are opened to visitors on a regular basis. Since 1660, Household Troops have guarded the Sovereign and the Royal Palaces. The Queen's Guard usually consists of Foot Guards in full-dress uniform of red tunics and bearskins. The Changing of the Guard takes place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 every day in summer, every other day in winter, and lasts about 45 minutes. The New Guard marches to the Palace from Wellington Barracks with a Guards band, the Old Guard hands over in a ceremony during which the sentries are changed and then returns to barracks. The New Guard then marches to St James's Palace leaving the detachment at Buckingham Palace. Covent Garden is a shopping and entertainment complex in central London. In the Shopping Hall, you will find 120 craftsmen selling their original handmade arts and crafts, ceramics, hand made knitwear, pottery, silk screen printing, new age clothing, etchings, chinese art, hand made house plaques & house signs, heraldry, coat of arms, hand painted crests & shields, board games, enameling, jewelry, wooden toys, goldsmiths, doll houses, silversmiths, crystal, hobo dolls, calligraphy, laceware, mohair sweaters, and lots more. Take an entire day to wander aimlessly through the area, looking for souvenirs, as well as watch the fascinating array of outside entertainers vying for a shilling or two. My favorite part of Covent Garden? The 3 story Dr. Martens store! The original Globe Theater was built in 1599 on the south bank of the Thames. Unfortunately, it burned down in 1613. This site is now marked by a plaque in a wall. The new Globe Theater was built close to the original site, and is as accurate in its structure, architecture, and aesthetic design as possible. Watching a play in this open theater is definitely an experience one will remember, even if you're not a fan of Shakespeare. Harrods, perhaps London’s most famous department store, is named after Charles Henry Harrod, who opened a family grocers shop on the site in 1849. The shop has grown to become a byword for expensive and glamorous shopping, priding itself on its motto Omnia Omnibus Ubique, meaning ‘All things, for all people, everywhere’. Bought by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al Fayed in 1985, the eye-catching seven-storey building, which is illuminated by 11,500 light bulbs each night, contains over 300 departments selling luxury items, from furniture and ladies fashion to polo mallets and wax coats for dogs. One department not to be missed is the world-famous Food Halls. In 1997 a memorial is erected inside the store to Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed, son of Mohammed Al Fayed, who were killed in a car crash in Paris. The Houses of Parliament, otherwise known as The Palace of Westminster, stands on the site where Edward the Confessor had the original palace built in the first half of the eleventh century. In 1547 the royal residence was moved to Whitehall Palace, but the House of Lords continued to meet at Westminster, while the House of Commons met in St. Stephen's Chapel. Ever since these early times, the Palace of Westminster has been home to the English Parliament. The magnificent Gothic Revival masterpiece you see today was built between 1840 and 1888. The two imposing towers, well known landmarks in London, are the clock tower, named after it's thirteen ton bell called Big Ben, and Victoria tower, on whose flag pole the Union Jack flies when parliament is sitting. Sometimes called the Millennium Wheel, it is the first-built and largest observation wheel in the world, and has been since its opening at the end of 1999. Designed by architects David Marks and Julia Barfield, the wheel carries 32 sealed, air conditioned, passenger capsules attached to its external circumference. It rotates at a rate of 0.26 meters per second so that one revolution takes about 30 minutes to complete. The wheel does not usually stop to take on passengers; the rotation rate is so slow that passengers can easily walk on and off the moving capsules at ground level. It is, however, stopped on occasion to allow disabled or elderly passengers time to alight safely. Structurally the Eye resembles a huge spoked bicycle wheel. It is a great way to see the views of London. One of the funkiest (and sometimes creepiest) places in London, Madame Tussauds knows people, a lot of people. This museum offers a large collection of life-like wax figures. The list of people immortalized is long and includes such noted figures as: Adolf Hitler, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Diana, Princess of Wales, George W. Bush, The Hulk, Julia Roberts, Lance Armstrong, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson , Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Pope John Paul II, Bill Clinton, Ben Franklin, and of course, Shakespeare. If you're really brave, check out the Chamber of Horrors; this part of the exhibition includes some victims of the French Revolution and also newly created figures of murderers and other criminals. The National Gallery is small compared to other great European museums; it houses just over 2,000 paintings. The Gallery contains masterpieces from every school of western European painting, ranging in date from the early mid-thirteenth century to early decades of our own. The Gallery has 4 main wings: Piccadilly Circus is a famous traffic intersection and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster. Built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly (the "circus" refers to "circular open space at a street junction"), it now links directly to the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue as well as the Haymarket, Coventry Street and Glasshouse Street. Its proximity to major shopping and entertainment areas, its central location at the heart of the West End, and its status as a major traffic intersection have made Piccadilly Circus a busy meeting point and a tourist attraction in its own right. It is renowned for its video display and neon signs mounted on the corner building on the northern side, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue known as Eros (strictly, The Angel of Christian Charity which would be better translated as 'Agape'). It is surrounded by several noted buildings, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theatre. The present Cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710 (the original was destroyed by fire). It was in the Cathedral that Sir Winston Churchill's funeral was held, as well as the royal marriage of Princes Charles and Lady Diana. What to see in the Cathedral: the dome (one of the largest cathedral domes in the world); the High Altar; the Whispering Gallery (where a whisper against its walls is audible on the opposite side); and the Crypt (where people such as John Donne, Sir Christopher Wren, and the Duke of Wellington are buried). And, if you have the stamina, take the stairs (over 300) up to the top and outside. You get an unrivaled view of London from the top of St. Paul's Cathedral. The Tower's impressive history began in the reign of William the Conqueror with the building of the White Tower. It began as a palace and a fortress; it later became a prison. Walking along Water Lane, you can see Traitor's Gate where many famous prisoners entered the Tower for the last time. Today, there is a sign marking the Scaffold Site where seven famous prisoners lost their heads (including two wives of Henry VIII) in a private execution. Tower Hill is where most executions took place. The Tower has also been the home of the Crown Jewels since the 14th century. One interesting fact: legend has it that Charles II was told that if the Ravens ever left the tower, the monarchy would fall; so he ensured that a limited number would be kept there permanently. To this day, the Ravens still can find a home within the walls of the Tower. Next to the Tower of London, is the majestic Tower Bridge. Many who come to the Tower of London often wait a long time to see the roadway raised to allow an ocean-going ship to enter the Pool of London. Although the two bascules which carry the roadway each weigh over 1,000 tons, they can be raised in under two minutes. The Bridge was built between 1886 and 1894 to link the southeastern suburbs with the city and eastern London. Established in 1852, The V&A has a huge range of collections of European, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Islamic decorative arts. It has galleries for sculpture, glass, jewelry, church plate, armour, weapons, costume, textiles, musical instruments, wrought iron, stained glass, metalwork, ceramics, furniture, architecture, photography, British watercolor artists and much more. One of the most famous London landmarks, Westminster Abbey holds the distinction of being the coronation church of all the crowned sovereigns since William I in 1066. Building of the present church began in 1245; in 1698 Sir Christopher Wren undertook the restoration work. What to see in the Abbey: the rose window upon entering the church; the tombs of such nobility of Elizabeth I, Mary I, Henry VII, Oliver Cromwell, Mary Queen of Scots, Henry V, Edward I, Richard II; in the Poet's Corner (perhaps my favorite part of the church), such famous writers as Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser, Robert Browning, Ben Johnson, and Charles Dickens are buried here; the Coronation Chair (all sovereigns of England since 1308 have been crowned in this chair). The Abbey is an amazing structural sight to see. Take your time walking through to really capture the history and architectural splendor it offers. |
