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Sightseeing in London, England

Author: lucyinthesky

Sightseeing in London, England

When you study and live in the U.K., one must-place tourist stop you need to make is London, England! London is the capital of England and is located in southeast England. It's accessible from many regions, so even if you study other parts of England, you can still make time to see what's hot in this British spot! Let's count down the top 10 places for sightseeing in London!

1. The Big Ben

The Big Ben is the main bell in the clock tower of Palace of Westminster, which makes up part of the Parliament buildings. It is also known as the Great bell. There are 4 enormous clock faces on each side.

The idiom putting a penny on comes from the Big Ben! On top of the clock's pendulum is a stack of old penny coins which adjust the time of the clock. Adding or removing coins can slightly alter the pendulum's centre of mass - and therefore its swing time. Adding or removing one penny will change the clock's speed by 0.4 second each day.

2. The London Eye

The London Eye is the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe! Also known as the Millennium Wheel, it's visited by over 3 million people each year. It sits upon the Thames River and each little capsule in the Ferris wheel can hold about 24 people. It opened on New Years Eve in 1999 by Prime Minister Tony Blair. It perhaps can be considered the British equivalent of France's Eiffel Tower - a national symbol by which citizens and tourists alike can go up and look out upon the beautiful city.

3. Abbey Road

Not The Long and Winding Road, but rather Abbey Road! Located near Lord's Crick Ground and in the city of Westminster in London, England, this street became famous because of the last The Beatles album Abbey Road, 1969, which depicts the Fab Four crossing the street. Many tourists come here to reproduce this iconic image. Abbey Road Studios are located at the south-eastern end at 3 Abbey Road, and that's where The Beatles (among other famous musicians) have recorded their music.

4. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London is a Hindu temple located in London, England. It's absolutely gorgeous! It is found in the Neasden area and is the biggest Hindu temple outside of India. It is Britain's first authentic Hindu temple, and is Europe's first traditional Hindu stone temple. It's an architectural beauty and a definite must-see!

5. The British Museum

The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture. It has over 7 million objects, in 93 galleries! Over 6 million people visited this museum last year. Their departments range from the Middle East and Asia to Africa, Oceania, Coins and Medals and even Prehistory! For the archaeologist in you, here's a great way to "dig" into history!

6. Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a square in central London. Located in the heart of London, it's noted for its trademark Nelson Column. This column has 4 lion statues guarding it. There are a number of statues and sculptures in this square, as well as open spaces for art displays. Many political demonstrations are held here. The square is surrounded by many prominent buildings, such as National Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields church, South Africa House and Canada House.

7. Bond Street

Bond Street is a popular shopping street in London that runs through Mayfair, from Piccadilly to Oxford street. Bond Street has been mentioned many literary works, such as Sense and Sensibility and Mrs. Dalloway. The auction houses known as Sotheby's and Phillips are also located in this district. This shopping street has some of the most expensive stores in England.

8. Oxford Street

Oxford Street is home to many major department stores, as well as flagship stores of famous companies. There hundreds of small shops as well - it is considered the major shopping street in Central London. Notable stores here include Marks and Spencer, HMV music store and Borders bookstore. Cool clothing stores include Topshop, Urban Outfitters, Primark, Gap, Nike, Bershka and Zara.

9. Brick Lane (Bengali: à¦¬à§à¦°à¦¿à¦• à¦²à§‡à¦¨)

Brick Lane is a long street located in the East End of London. It is currently considered the heart of London's Sylheti Bangladeshi community, and is sometimes known as Banglatown. There is a lot of delicious Anglo-Indian cuisine in the area. There are some very popular nightclubs in this area as well. Many music videos have been shot here, such as "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers. There are musicians, street festivals, graffiti art culture, arts and crafts, and much more in this neighbourhood.

10. Any Red Telephone Box

This public telephone booth is an icon of England. Painted red because so it's easy to spot, the number of booths have been decreasing because of their lack of use. Who knows, you might run into Superman while you're making a call - or find yourself in the Ministry of Magic!

Thanks for visiting London with me. If you ever end up studying there, let me know if you've visited any of these places. I'll be sure to come and visit!