The sights of London (part 1)

London eye

135 metre tall with a diameter of 120 metres, the London Eye is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe situated on the southern bank of the River Thames in between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. It is the popular paid tourist attraction in United Kingdom and is visited by almost 3.5 million people annually. It was erected in 1999 and was officially called the British Airways London Eye and then the Merlin Entertainments London Eye. Since 20 January 2011, its official name is the EDF Energy London Eye and it has 32 air conditioned capsules each accommodating around 25 people. It is the world’s highest observatory wheel.

Trafalgar Square 

Trafalgar Square is located in the centre of London. It was named after the victory in the Battle of Trafalgar. In the centre of the square there is Nelson's column with four lions at the bottom of it.

There are beautiful fountains in the square. Some famous buildings, such as the National Gallery, St. Martin-in-the-fields and Admiralty Arch, are also located there.

The square is the place where a lot of different events and celebrations are held.

The Tower of London

Also known as Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, The Tower of London is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. Though it was a royal residence, the building has serving as a lockup since 1100. Constructed by William the Conqueror in 1078, The Tower of London played a vital role in the English History.

National Gallery

The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London which was founded in 1824. Since mid 13th century to 1900, the gallery holds around 2,300 paintings. It is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Today it is one of the famous visiting sites in London.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth. It is located near Green Park.When the Queen is in the residence, the Royal Standard flies over Buckingham Palace.

There are 775 rooms where members of the Royal family and their servants live. There are also rooms for guests. There are offices, on-site post and even swimming pool in the palace.

Throughout the year right in front of Buckingham Palace the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard takes place, attracting a lot of tourists.