Cathedral in London next to Big Ben. Big Ben is a visiting card of London: when will the restoration be completed? Admiralty Arch and Admiralty
Big Ben (Great Britain) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
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The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London is known worldwide as Big Ben. Meetings of the House of Lords and the House of Commons are held in the Palace of Westminster, it is easy to lose the right direction in the multi-kilometer corridors of the palace, there is hardly a person who has visited all of its 1200 rooms, but the most famous part of the palace - the clock tower - is known, without exaggeration, to everyone world and is one of the brightest architectural symbols of the city.
The height of the tower is 96 meters, inside it hides a narrow spiral staircase of 334 steps. After passing them all, you can get to a small open area, where the famous Big Ben bell is located. It is he who strikes the time every hour, it is his sounds that are transmitted every hour on BBC radio. It was this bell that gave the name to both the clock and the tower itself.
The bell is large: 2 meters high and 3 meters at the base. No less striking are the dimensions of the watch: their diameter is 7 meters, and the hands are 2.7 and 4.2 meters long.
The clock was launched on May 21, 1859 (the tower itself was built a year earlier) and to this day is on the list of the largest clocks in the world. Four of their dials are made of opal glass, bordered by gilded frames and have a Latin inscription, which in translation means "God save our Queen Victoria". These watches also have global significance: officially New Year on planet Earth begins with the first impact of Big Ben on January 1st.
Interestingly, Londoners living near the Palace of Westminster, in new year's eve thirteen chimes of the Big Ben bell are heard: the effect is due to the fact that the speed of sound is slower than the speed of radio waves.
Unfortunately, the general public does not have the opportunity to climb the Big Ben tower: safety considerations are paramount. But from time to time members of the press and various important guests of the UK get the opportunity to climb it. But even important guests are forced to overcome the steps of the stairs on their own: there are no lifts inside the tower.
The Big Ben clock tower systematically becomes the "heroine" of many films, personifying the image of London.
In the UK, such a symbol is Big Ben - the northern tower of the Westminster Palace in London.
Important news!
Big Ben has been closed for renovation since 2017
On August 21, 2017 at 12:00 the clock sounded for the last time before the start of the big reconstruction.
Updated North Dial unveiled
March 21, 2019 - The recently restored North Dial of the Elizabethan Tower was opened.
It is very convenient to visit Big Ben and other main symbols of the city as part of a panoramic bus tour with a personal audio guide in Russian. It also includes a Thames cruise that adds even more locations to the journey! The ticket price is £35.10. .
Don't forget to buy Big Ben souvenirs!
How to get to Big Ben?
The address: Palace of Westminster, Old Palace Yard, London SW1.
You can get to it by bus, which goes to Parliament Square or to the stop "Whitehall Street" (Trafalgar Square). If you prefer the tube, get off at Westminster (District Line) or Victoria (Jubilee Line).
Located close to the main attractions, and save time on the road.
We are waiting for your comments on the new image of the famous Beg-Ben!
The capital of Great Britain is London, it is one of the largest capitals in the world. The population of the city exceeds 12 million people and the same number of guests and tourists come to London every year to get acquainted with its sights.
The sights of London are historical monuments And architectural ensembles, magnificent art galleries and world-famous museums, exquisite shady parks and royal traditions.
In the article "Guide to London", there is an incomplete list of attractions in London, which will be discussed now.
sights of London
Fortress and Her Majesty's Royal Palace, a historic castle located in the city centre.
The fortress, built in the knightly centuries to protect the city and the borders of the country, later, over the years, served as a prison where prisoners of high rank and noble birth were kept.
Now the Tower is a treasury where the royal regalia and jewels are kept, where tourists can see exquisite jewelry and the royal scepter topped with the Cullinan diamond. One of the attractions of the Tower was the "beefeaters" - the ceremonial guard and guard of honor of the Tower.
The literal translation of the word bifeater means beef eater. Beef eaters include local crows, they are fed and their wings are clipped so that they cannot fly away. Otherwise, as the legend says - "If the ravens leave the Tower, then the fortress and the kingdom will fall."
One of the most beautiful and majestic bridges in the world. Built in 1894, the bridge was not to the taste of many and it was given various unpleasant names, now, after a hundred years, the Gothic silhouette of the bridge has become a symbol of London. The construction of the bridge was a necessity of that time, it was made movable for the passage of merchant ships, and at the same time pedestrians could cross it along the upper galleries.
Now in the upper galleries there is a small museum and an exhibition about the history of the bridge, which offers a beautiful view of the city.
Thousand-ton spans of the Tower Bridge rise in 90 seconds, at any time and no more than 10 minutes. An application for the passage of a vessel with a height of more than 9 meters is submitted a day before the passage and the time of passage does not matter. Tourists love this tradition, it allows you to take some wonderful pictures of the bridge with raised spans.
Since 1837 - the residence of the royal dynasty in London, this is a palace complex forming a square of four buildings with a courtyard.
The palace has more than 770 rooms, of which: 52 are royal and guest bedrooms; 19 - ceremonial halls; 78 - bathrooms; 280 - service premises and rooms for attendants.
Every year, Buckingham Palace is visited by more than 50,000 guests officially invited to dinners, banquets and receptions in the garden. The presence of a member of the Royal Family is signaled by the raised royal standard above the roof of the palace.
One or two months a year, in the absence of a member of the royal family, some rooms of the palace are open to visitors, at this time you can see the Throne Room, where receptions are held on special occasions, see the Ballroom, for receptions and concerts.
One of the highlights of Buckingham Palace is the daily changing of the guard.
The question of what part of London is considered to be its geographical center is of concern not only to those who like to study their native planet using maps. Many tourists, getting into the capital of Great Britain, find it difficult to navigate in this metropolis. Luckily, most of the more interesting sights are fairly easy to find. In addition, guided tours can be booked.
Buckingham Palace
There is hardly a person who has never heard of Her Majesty Elizabeth II. So, her official residence - Buckingham Royal Palace - is located in the area of Pall Mall and Green Park streets. If a standard flutters over the building, then this means that the monarch is in her beloved capital.
The Royal Palace acquired its status with the accession to the throne of the great-grandmother of Elizabeth II - Victoria - in 1837. Today, the statue of this monarch is the first to meet everyone who comes to the residence fence to inspect the front dwelling of the Windsor dynasty.
Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. 52 of them are the chambers of the royal family and guest rooms. There are also about 20 state-appointed premises. Offices are located in 92 of them, and 188 are used for technical needs and recreation for staff. In addition, the royal residence has 72 bathrooms and toilets. The total territory of the palace is 20 hectares, and on 17 hectares there is the largest private garden in London with an artificial lake.
Changing of the guard ceremony
Guardsmen in bright red uniforms and tall fur hats are as much a sight to see as the palaces and temples that adorn central London.
The changing of the guard ceremony is held at Buckingham Palace daily at 11:30 a.m. in the summer, and every other day during the rest of the season. The duration of the ceremony is 45 minutes. Sometimes the military parade for the ceremonial changing of the guard is canceled due to bad weather.
The tradition dates back to 1660. It has been held at Buckingham Palace since 1837, when Queen Victoria moved there.
The colorful action is accompanied by the sounds of orchestral music. Part of the parade takes place outside the Buckingham Palace fence, while tourists and Londoners usually watch the rest of the ceremony through its fence.
Tower of London
This fortress is one of the main attractions of the British capital. It is believed that it was around him that modern London was formed. The city center without it today is impossible to imagine. The castle covers an area of 1170 sq. m and is a square. From the outside, the Tower of London is surrounded by two rings of walls with a large number of towers. There are 13 towers on the inner defensive line. As for the outer ring, it is much longer than the first. To protect it from the water, 6 towers were erected at one time, located along the banks of the Thames, from where a beautiful view of the magnificent center of London opens.
In the south-western corner of the space, which is located between the two belts of walls, there is a meadow with a block, on which many prominent representatives of the English nobility were executed over the centuries, including the three queens - the wives of Henry the Eighth. The last beheading at Tower Meadow took place in 1747.
Today, this fortress in central London is open to tourists. They are invited to get acquainted with the exhibits exhibited in the Tower Museum and in the armory. Among them, the treasures of the British crown are of particular interest.
On the territory of the castle there is also the oldest Christian church in the capital of Great Britain - the chapel of St. Peter, which is almost 1000 years old.
Tower Bridge in Central London
Although this structure is considered by many to be medieval, it was only built in 1894. Tower Bridge, which adorns the center of London, is drawbridge with two towers placed on intermediate supports. The total length of the structure is 244 m, and its height is 65 m. The pedestrian galleries of the bridge have been used as a museum since 1982.
Tower Bridge is still managed in the old fashioned way: it has a captain and a crew of sailors. They beat off the flasks and keep watch.
Initially, the bridge was drawn daily, but on this moment this ritual takes place only a few times a week and crowds of tourists gather to watch it.
Palace of Westminster
Talking about the main sights of London, one cannot ignore this majestic neo-Gothic building, built in the middle of the 19th century, where the English Parliament sits today. The palace has 3 towers. The highest of them reaches a height of 98.5 m. It is named after Queen Victoria of Great Britain. At the time of construction, the tower was considered the highest in the world among secular buildings.
At the base of the building is the Entrance of the Sovereign, which is a 15 m high arch surrounded by statues. The cast-iron pyramidal roof of the building is crowned with a 22-meter flagpole. The parliamentary archives for more than 500 recent years are stored in. They occupy 12 floors and contain almost 3 million documents of national importance.
In the northern part of the palace is She is better known as Big Ben ( detailed information see below).
Another interesting building of the palace is the Central Tower. It is octagonal and has a height of 91 m. The tower is located in the middle of the palace building and rises above the Central Hall. Initially, the building was designed as a chimney for 400 fireplaces located in different rooms of the palace. However, it turned out that the architects made a mistake in their calculations and today the building performs a decorative function.
In the middle of the western facade of the Palace of Westminster is St. Stephen's Tower. Two more similar structures are located at the ends of the facade, which is located on the side of the Thames. These are the towers of the Speaker and the Chancellor.
Big Ben
When the main and most recognizable sights of London are described, their list is often opened by the most famous tower in Great Britain.
It was built as part of the new Royal Palace, erected after a fire in 1834, and is a majestic neo-Gothic building. The author of the construction project was Augustus Pajin. The height of the Big Ben tower with a spire is 96.3 meters. At its base is a 15-meter concrete foundation 3 meters thick.
At the top of the tower, at a height of 55 meters, there is a clock with four dials 7 meters in diameter made of smoked glass. At night, they are illuminated from within. Above the clock is a bell tower with 5 bells. The largest of them was called Big Ben. According to one of the legends, he was so named in honor of Sir Benjamin Hall, the construction manager of the building.
Although Big Ben is one of the most recognizable sights of our planet, access to it is closed to tourists. This is done for security reasons. In addition, there are no lifts in the tower, so the few who are allowed to climb to the clockwork have to overcome 334 not the most comfortable steps.
Trafalgar Skwea
In response to the question of what square is located in the center of London, any person who has visited the British capital at least once will no doubt call Trafalgar Square.
This famous landmark is located at the intersection of Whitehall, Strand and Mall. Until the 19th century, the square bore the name of William the Fourth and received its modern name in 1805 after the famous naval battle that cost the life of the best admiral of Great Britain.
In the center of Trafalgar Skwea rises. It is built of dark gray granite, has a height of 44 m and is a kind of pedestal for the statue of the famous admiral. The column is decorated with three-dimensional images made from Napoleonic cannons.
Other notable structures located in Trafalgar Square
If the Tower is the historical center of London, then Trafalgar Square is the geographic one. Along its perimeter are the London National Gallery, the Church of St. Martin in the Fields, the Admiralty Arch, as well as the buildings of several embassies.
Since the 1840s, the square has been decorated with 3 monuments installed at its corners. They are statues of George the Fourth, as well as generals Charles James Napier and Henry Havelock. At the same time, a fourth pedestal was built on Trafalgar Skvea. It was empty until 2005, when a sculpture depicting disabled artist Alison Lapper was installed on it. Four years later, a glass installation “Hotel Model” appeared in its place. Today, on the fourth pedestal of Trafalgar Square, you can see a huge bottle, inside of which there is a model of the Victoria ship. It was on board that the admiral was mortally wounded, from which he died at the age of 47.
"London Eye"
This is one of the largest observation decks in Europe, built from 1998 to 2004. It is located on the south bank of the Thames. The authors of the project are David Marks and Julia Barfield. The total weight of the huge wheel with all mechanisms is 1700 tons.
The London Eye has 32 huge egg-shaped booths. Each of them comfortably accommodates up to 25 passengers, who can view the historic center of London, its outskirts and some suburbs from a height for half an hour.
The speed of rotation of the wheel is approximately 0.9 kilometers per hour. It does not stop to disembark passengers and "take on board" the next, and these operations must be carried out on the move. In good weather, visibility from the cab is up to 40 kilometers.
Tourists and Londoners can ride the Ferris wheel every day. From September to March, boarding of passengers is carried out from 10:00 to 20:30, and from April to August, another half an hour is added to the working time of the attraction.
Hyde Park
Royal or Hyde Park in the center of London (Rangers Lodge, W2 2UH, open from 5:00 to 24:00) is one of the most famous in Britain and covers an area of 1.4 square meters. km. It was founded before the conquest British Isles Normans. However, it was only made open to Londoners in the 17th century by order of King Charles II.
In addition, the Serpentine Lake, where you can swim, and the gallery of the same name are located on the territory of the park. By the way, open water swims took place on this reservoir during the London Olympics.
Serpentine Gallery
As already mentioned, this attraction is located on the territory of Hyde Park. It was opened in 1970 in a classic tea pavilion built in the mid-1930s. At one time, the patroness of the gallery was Princess Diana. Today, at the entrance to the building that houses the permanent exhibition, you can see the work dedicated to her by Peter Coates and Ian Hamilton Finlay.
The Serpentine Gallery annually commissions the creation of new temporary pavilions from world-famous architects. They are happy to design unique structures that host art conferences, special film screenings, and cafes.
Over the years, the Serpentine Gallery has exhibited such world-famous artists and sculptors as Man Ray, Andy Warhol, Henry Moore, Alan McCollum, Paula Rego, Bridget Riley, and others.
Westminster Abbey
This majestic temple has been a traditional place for the coronation, marriage and burial of the kings of Great Britain for many centuries. Westminster Abbey(address: 20 Deans Yard London SW1P 3 PA), more specifically the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, began to be built in 1245, and acquired its final appearance only after almost 5 centuries after numerous reconstructions.
The main building of the temple has the shape of a cross. The greatest length, from the western door to the outer wall of the chapel of Our Lady, is 161.5 m, and the greatest height of the Western towers is 68 m. The total area of the room is approximately 3000 square meters. m. At the same time, the abbey can accommodate up to 2 thousand people.
At the very beginning of the central gallery of the abbey, you can see the images of all-Christian saints by the icon painter Sergei Fedorov. In addition, the abbey is a place of pilgrimage for lovers of English literature - Poets' Corner, which houses the graves of such famous writers of past centuries as Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Tennyson and Browning.
Few people know that in 1998, statues of martyrs of the 20th century were installed over the portico of the western entrance to the temple. Among them are the fighter against racial discrimination Martin Luther King, the priest Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis in the Flossenbürg concentration camp, the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, who was thrown by the Bolsheviks into a mine near Alapaevsk in 1918, and others.
Globus theatre"
Many of those who buy tours to London definitely want to visit the Globe Theater, located on the south bank of the Thames. The building, where many of Shakespeare's plays premiered, was built in 1599. Unfortunately, it burned down after 14 years.
The modern building of the Globe (address: New Globe Walk, SE1), erected in 1997, is a replica of the historic theater. Some of the seats in its auditorium are directly under open air, so you can visit the performances of the Shakespearean troupe from mid-May to September 20.
To visit the Globe, it is best to take the subway and get to Cannon St or Mansion House stations.
covent garden
The Royal Theater in the eponymous area of London was founded in 1732 and enjoyed great popularity among the inhabitants of the British capital.
The current building (address: Bow Street WC2E 9DD) is the third in a row. It was erected in 1858. The auditorium of the Covent Garden Theater has a capacity of 2,268 people.
Covent Garden is also called the Royal Opera and stars of the first magnitude shine on its stage.
Against the background of other London attractions, the building does not seem so impressive from the outside, but the design of its interiors makes an indelible impression on the audience.
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is located in Westminster. The square was built in 1819. To build it, Lady Hutton's house and garden had to be demolished, blocking the connection between Regent Street and the important shopping street of Piccadilly.
The main attraction of the square is the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain. The building is located in the southwestern part of It is dedicated to the famous philanthropist Lord Shaftesbury. At the top of the sculptural composition is the winged figure of a naked archer, symbolizing Anteros, who is the "god of selfless love."
The square also houses the buildings of the underground Criterion Theatre, founded in 1874, and the London Pavilion Music Hall, built in 1859.
At the beginning of the century, the building was connected to the Trocadero Center.
Tate Gallery
In the building, located at Millbank SW1B 3DG, near the Palace of Westminster, tourists can get acquainted with the famous National Collection of British Art. It is the world's largest collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings by English authors of the 16th-20th centuries. The collection was founded by manufacturer Sir Henry Tate. The gallery was opened to the public in 1897.
After 30 years, a wing was added to the building, in which the works of foreign painters were placed. In 1987, the Clore Gallery began to operate, which presents one of the most extensive collections of Turner's paintings.
Now you know what interesting architectural sights adorn the center of London. In addition, every year the capital of Great Britain becomes the venue for various cultural, sports and other entertainment events of world and European scale. They, as well as monuments of history and architecture, are one of the reasons for the popularity enjoyed by tours to London.
Generally. However, the capital of Great Britain is so juicy in terms of historical and cultural attractions that it is simply unrealistic to fit everything in one article. In principle, as well as seeing the main "goodies" of the city in one day.
If you, my dear reader, on the first day of your stay in London, for sure, ran to watch, the second day is simply created in order to go to the cult fortress -.
For 900 years of its history, the Tower of London managed to visit a palace, a prison, a treasure vault, an observatory, and even a zoo. Since, appearance The fortress remained virtually unchanged. Today, the Tower houses a museum and a repository of the treasures of the British crown. There are also private apartments in the building, in which high-ranking guests are received, and the attendants also live here.
It is better to visit the fortress in the morning if you plan to have time to see a lot in the Tower itself and in the surrounding area. Entrance to the Tower is paid, a ticket for adults - 25 pounds at the box office (23 pounds online, on the official website), children (5-15 years old) - 12 pounds (10.75).
Near the Tower there is another cult object of London -. Designers in the 19th century had to work hard on the project in order to new bridge across the river became not just an overpass for the rapidly increasing flow of transport, but also a structure that would harmoniously fit into the architectural style of the capital. Now it's hard to believe, but at the end of the 19th century, Tower Bridge turned out to be the only place in the city center where it was possible to cross from one bank of the Thames to the other.
The construction of the bridge took 8 years, and in 1894 the bridge, 265 meters long, was finally completed. Many Londoners initially disliked the bridge for its Victorian Gothic design, but gradually got used to it, and over time it became one of the main symbols of London.
The Tower Bridge area has an excellent waterfront with modern residential buildings and office buildings, on the first floors of which there are many restaurants and cafes with a summer terrace. Rumor has it that in this part of London - the most expensive property in the city per square meter.
On the other side of the Thames, I met such an unusual monument. According to unconfirmed information, the idea of this creation was embodied by a local architect, impressed by the masterpiece Igor Nikolaev heard - “Dolphin and Mermaid”.
If you want to see where the British queen lives, you are in. A significant part of the official royal ceremonies are held here, such as receptions of foreign heads of state or appointed foreign ambassadors. More than 50,000 people each year are invited to state banquets, lunches, dinners and official receptions, including at the royal one. The Queen also holds weekly meetings with the Prime Minister here.
One of my favorite places in London is Trafalgar Square. The local architecture cannot but please the eye. There are always many tourists here. locals also like to make appointments here. In the middle of the square is the 56-meter Nelson's Column with a statue of Admiral Nelson at the top.
There is also a rather nice fountain nearby, and in the background on the right you can already see Big Ben, which is about five minutes walk from here.
Trafalgar Square is also home to the National Gallery of London, the third most visited art museum in the world. More than 2,000 paintings are on display here, including works by Rubens, Titian, Van Dyck and other great artists.
Monument to some general. Even if you knew which one, it is unlikely that you would have retained this information for longer than a second after reading these lines.
Walking around London, one gets the impression that this city is endless. Monuments, ancient buildings, parks. You turn right - beauty, left - beauty, back, forward - the same thing. And so kilometer after kilometer, until the moon replaces the sun. It even gets a bit boring. No garbage, no dull five-story Khrushchev, no rude sellers. No, well, I'll still find the weak points of this city, you won't get off so easily, London!
