5. LONDON

London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the seat of Government, Parliament and the political, cultural and economic centre of the country. It spreads out on both banks of the river Thames in the south-east of the country. The whole city consists of the own City of London and other 32 boroughs.

Central London is the place where most of the famous sights are. There are fish and chips shops, theatres, beautiful residential areas, great parks and the famous Trafalgar Square which many Londoners consider as the centre of their city. Near West End, just to the south, is Westminster, where the Buckingham Palace, the Parliament and the Government of England are located.

The Tower of London is the capital’s top tourist attraction. The Tower served till the 16th century as a royal home, a prison, an execution site and an observatory. Now it is a museum where tourists go to see an arsenal of weapons, the Crown Jewels in the Jewel House, the prison where many famous prisoners were kept. Next to the Tower stands Tower Bridge, the most famous and distinctive bridge of London. The largest and best-known church of the City is St. Paul’s Cathedral. Almost 100 metres above the Houses of Parliament rises the clock tower called Big Ben, one of the best-known London’s landmarks.
There are 27 bridges over the Thames and 8 tunnels under the river.