London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. It is situated on the river Thames in south-east England. It is a seat of British government and the Parliament. It's also one of the most important world financial centres.
London is about 2,000 years old. It was founded before the Roman's first invasion (43 AD) by Britons and originally it was a small fortress. During the Roman occupation it became an important trade centre. The Great Fire in 1666 destroyed almost all the city. London was reconstructed after the fire and many new monuments were built at that time (for example St. Paul's Cathedral).
There are many places of interest. We can see them by walking or by various means of transport. London's famous red double-deckers go almost everywhere and they provide sightseeing tours. For fast transport we can go by the underground (called the Tube). London's underground is the oldest in the world. For London is typical a black taxi, but it's quite expensive. There are also three airports - the most important are Heathrow and Gatwick.
London is the seat of the Queen and the royal family. The British Queen lives in Buckingham Palace which is open for public. Changing of the Guard is a beautiful ceremony that takes place there every day.
The Houses of Parliament (The House of Lords and The House of Commons) are on the bank of the river Thames. They are in Gothic style but they were built in the 19th century after the old buildings had burnt down. There is a clock-tower with famous bell called Big Ben. Behind the Parliament buildings is one of the oldest churches in London - the Westminster Abbey (originally it was a monastery). Britain's Kings and Queens are crowned there. Many famous personalities are buried there - for example Newton, Darwin or Shakespeare.
Whitehall is the street where the government offices are. Horse Guards can be seen there.
Downing street 10 is the official home of British Prime Minister.
Whitehall leads from Parliament Square to Trafalgar Square. This square was named after Admiral Nelson's victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson's statue is situated on a high column. The square with its fountains is a very popular place for meetings. People can visit there London's biggest gallery - the National Gallery, or feed the pigeons. In the National Gallery there are many paintings by great European artists and entrance fee is free.
The British museum is one of the largest museums in the world. There are big collections of animals and minerals, art collections - drawings, books, Egyptian mummies and much more things.
St.Paul's Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. It stands in the City. It was designed by Christopher Wren in the 17th century (after the Great Fire). Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married there.
The City is the oldest part of London around St. Paul's Cathedral. The City was founded by Romans in 43 AD. Now there are many banks and offices (the most important is the Bank of England).
The Tower was built in the 11th century. It was a royal palace first, then prison and fortress. Now it is a museum and we can see there the Crown Jewels guarded by so called Beefeaters in traditional uniforms.
Tower Bridge is one of the most famous symbols of London. It can open in the middle and the large ships can go through.
In London there are many department stores, for example Harrods. Many shopping centres are at Piccadily Circus and in Oxford Street. London is known for its parks. The largest one is Hyde park where is the Speaker's Corner. Anybody can speak there about anything he or she wants. In London there are also many theatres and concert halls, the most important are The National Theatre and The Royal Albert Hall.
If you want to stand on the Zero Meridian, you can go to Greenwich. There is also the Royal Observatory and Maritime Museum.
fortress pevnost government vláda
occupation okupace lead vést
destroy znièit battle bitva
provide poskytovat column sloup
take place konat se feed the pigeons krmit holuby
bank bøeh (øeky) royal královský
burn down shoøet department store obchodní dùm
bell zvon The Zero Meridian nultý poledník
bury pohøbít
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