10 Famous Sights in London

Készítették: Sipeki Márk, Gulyás Miklós

1. Palace of Westminster

Built: Middle agesDemolished: 1834 (due to fire)Rebuilt: 1840-1870

The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Commonly known as the Houses of Parliament after its tenants, the Palace lies on the Middle bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London.

The Palace of Westminster features three main towers. Of these, the largest and tallest is the 98.5-metre Victoria Tower.At the north end of the Palace rises the most famous of the towers, the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben. At 96 metres, it is only slightly shorter than the Victoria Tower but much slimmer.The shortest of the Palace's three principal towers (at 91 metres ) the octagonal Central Tower stands over the middle of the building, immediately above the Central Lobby.

2. Buckingham Palace

Built: 1703

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and principal workplace of the monarchy of the United Kingdom.

Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing.

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site which had been in private ownership for at least 150 years.

In front of the Palace, is the principal façade, the East Front; originally constructed by Edward Blore and completed in 1850. It acquired its present appearance following a remodelling, in 1913, by Sir Aston Webb.

3. Tower Bridge

Built: 1886–1894

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London which crosses the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name, and has become an iconic symbol of London.

The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge on the landward sides of the towers.

The bridge is 244 m in length with two towers each 65 m high, built on piers. The central span of 61 m between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 86 degrees to allow river traffic to pass.

4. Tower of LondonBuilt:White Tower: 1078Inner Ward: 1190sRebuild: 1285Wharf Expansion: 1377–1399

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.

The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite.The castle was used as a prison from 1100 (Ranulf Flambard) until 1952 (Kray twins), although that was not its primary purpose.

Today the Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. Under the ceremonial charge of the Constable of the Tower, it is cared for by the charity Historic Royal Palaces and is protected as a World Heritage Site.

5. London EyeBuilt: 1999-2000

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. Also known as the Millennium Wheel, its official name was originally the British Airways London Eye, then the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, and since January 2011, the EDF Energy London Eye.

The entire structure is 135 metres tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres. It is currently Europe's tallest Ferris wheel, the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3.5 million visitors annually, and has made many appearances in popular culture.

When erected in 1999 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel, until surpassed first by the 160 m Star of Nanchang in 2006 followed by the 165 m Singapore Flyer in 2008 and lastly the 167.6 m High Roller in 2014. Supported by an A-frame on one side only, unlike the taller Nanchang and Singapore wheels, the Eye is described by its operators as "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel„.

6. Piccadilly CircusBuilt: 1819

Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly. In this context, a circus, from the Latin word meaning "circle", is a round open space at a street junction.

Piccadilly now links directly to the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue, as well as the Haymarket, Coventry Street (onwards to Leicester Square), and Glasshouse Street. The Circus is close to major shopping and entertainment areas in the West End. Its status as a major traffic junction has made Piccadilly Circus a busy meeting place and a tourist attraction in its own right.

The Circus is particularly known 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 of Eros. It is surrounded by several noted buildings, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theatre.Directly underneath the plaza is Piccadilly Circus tube station, part of the London Underground system.

7. London UndergroundBegan operation: 10 January 1863The London Underground (also known as the Tube or simply the Underground) is a public metro system serving a large part of Greater London and parts of the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.The system serves 270 stations and has 402 kilometres of track, 55% of which is above ground.

The network incorporates the world's first underground railway, the Metropolitan Railway, which opened in 1863 and is now part of the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines; and the first line to operate underground electric traction trains, the City & South London Railway in 1890, now part of the Northern line.

The network has expanded to 11 lines, and in 2012/13 carried 1.23 billion passengers.As of 2012, 91 per cent of operational expenditure is covered by passenger fares. The Travelcard ticket was introduced in 1983 and Oyster, an electronic ticketing system, in 2003.London Underground celebrated 150 years of operations in 2013, with various events marking the milestone. Today in general, the term 'Tube' embraces the whole Underground system, not just the lines that run in deep-level tunnels.

8. St. Paul’s CathedralBuilt: 1675-1720

St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in 604.

The present church, dating from the late 17th century, was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. Its construction, completed within Wren's lifetime, was part of a major rebuilding programme which took place in the city after the Great Fire of London.

The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London, with its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, dominating the skyline for 300 years. At 111 m high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1962, and its dome is also among the highest in the world. In terms of area, St Paul's is the second largest church building in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral.

9. British MuseumBuilt: 1823-1838

The British Museum is a museum in London dedicated to human history and culture. Its permanent collection, numbering some 8 million works, is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence and originates from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.

The British Museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building.

Until 1997, when the British Library (previously centred on the Round Reading Room) moved to a new site, the British Museum housed both a national museum of antiquities and a national library in the same building. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and as with all other national museums in the United Kingdom it charges no admission fee, except for loan exhibitions.

10. Number 10 Downing StreetBuilt: 1682-1684

10 Downing Street, also known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now invariably held by the Prime Minister.

Situated in Downing Street in the City of Westminster, London, Number 10 is one of the most famous addresses in the world. Over three hundred years old, the building contains about one hundred rooms. There is a private residence on the third floor and a kitchen in the basement.

The other floors contain offices and numerous conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the Prime Minister works, and where government ministers, national leaders and foreign dignitaries are met and entertained. There is an interior courtyard and, in the back, a terrace overlooking a garden of 2,000 m2.Adjacent to St. James's Park, Number 10 is near to Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the British monarch, and the Palace of Westminster, the meeting place of both houses of parliament.

Quiz

• 1. The Palace of Westminster has three towers. Which is referred to as the „Big Ben”?– a. Victoria Tower– b. Elizabeth Tower– c. Central Tower

– Correct Answer: b. Elizabeth Tower

Quiz

• 2. What is the name of the principal façadein front of the Buckingham Palace?– a. West Front– b. East Front– c. South Front

– Correct Answer: b. East Front

Quiz

• 3. How many metres tall are the two towers of the Tower Bridge?– a. 61 m– b. 65 m– c. 86 m

– Correct Answer: b. 65 m

Quiz

• 4. The Tower of London was used as a prison from 1100 until …?– a. 1752– b. 1852– c. 1952

– Correct Answer: c. 1952

Quiz

• 5. How tall is the London Eye?– a. 135 m– b. 160 m– c. 165 m

– Correct Answer: a. 135 m

Quiz

• 6. When was Piccadilly Circus Built?– a. 1718– b. 1819– c. 1920

– Correct Answer: b. 1819

Quiz

• 7. In which year did the Underground began its operation?– a. 1843– b. 1853– c. 1863

– Correct Answer: c. 1863

Quiz

• 8. In which century was the present church designed?– a. 17th– b. 18th– c. 19th

– Correct Answer: a. 17th

Quiz

• 9. Approximately how many works does the British Museum have?– a. 6 million– b. 7 million– c. 8 million

– Correct Answer: c. 8 million

Quiz

• 10. How many rooms does the building in „Number 10” have?– a. about 50– b. about 100– c. more than 150

– Correct Answer: b. about 100