London

Is the capital city of the UK, is situated on the Thames in the southeast of England
History
The history of this city is very old. The Romans built the city in 43 A.D and called it Londinium. After a fire in 61 the town was rebuild again and surrender by a wall. And now, this area within the walls is now called the City of London.
Later London becomes an important port, industrial centre and the seat of kings and queens. For example in 1599 Shakespeare had a theatre there - the Globe. Fourteen years later it burnt down, but it was immediately built anew. London survived plague in 1665 and also the Great fire of 1666. This fire started in bakery and it’s called great fire, because it destroyed almost two thirds of London, because the houses were from wood. In these days, the Monument stands on the place, where the fire broke out.
Nowdays
Now the London is a cosmopolitan city what means there are people of many nationalities.
London consists of tree parts: the original and historical City, West End and the East end. West End is centre of entertainment and East End is an industrial area.
Transport
London Transport is one of the quite quality.
For example most known are red double deck buses.
Another alternative is the underground, or tube, as it is known in London. This tube is the oldies one and one of the most perfect underground networks in the world.
Also black taxis or cabs are another symbol of London but it is a little bit expensive
And after midnight the only way how to travel is by the buses.
Heathrow and Gatwick are huge London airports.
Places of interest and culture:
The Tower of London stands on the north bank of the Thames and its history has been made nearly a thousand years. The White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower, was begun by William the Conqueror in 1078. The other buildings were built until the nineteenth century. The Tower has been put to many uses such as a royal resident, a fortress, a prison, an execution place, a royal treasury and museum. The Bloody Tower used to be a prison, and so did the Green Tower.
There are ravens in the Tower that mustn't leave it, otherwise the Kingdom would fall apart, as the legend says. To make sure they don't leave, their wings are cut short. Today the Tower is a museum of historical weapons and there are coronation jewels.
The Tower Bridge is a great symbol of London. It is the best-known of all the bridges spanning the Thames. The bridge opens in the middle and goes up when huge ships want to pass through.
The Thames Barrier was designed to protect London from flooding.
St Paul's Cathedral is one of the largest in the world. It was built by the architect Sir Christopher Wren in 17th century after the Great Fire. Many famous people are buried there, among others the Duke of Wellington, Horatio Nelson and Sir Christopher Wren himself. Princ Charles and Lady Diana had their wedding ceremony there.
The City of Westminster is a district which occupies about 4 square miles. This is the centre of the administration, with Parliament and Government offices. Old Westminster runs into the modern West End - the shopping centre of Britain with many theatres, cinemas, hotels, restaurants and night clubs.
The Houses of Parliament are officially called the Palace of Westminster. In the middle ages there was a royal palace there, but Henry VIII gave it over to government. There is the Victoria Tower, the highest Gothic tower hi the world and the Clock Tower with the famous bell named after the first Commissioner of Works, Sir Benjamin Hall, Big Ben (it was his nickname). The Clock tower also has a prison cell. The sound of the bell can be heard in the tune on the BBC Radio.
Westminster Abbey is burial place of kings, site of modern coronations.
Buckingham Palace has been the home of the sovereign since Queen Victoria. The Changing of the Guards is one of the biggest London's spectacles and it takes place every day at 11.00 a.m.
Trafalgar Square has a 18-foot high statue of Horatio Nelson resting on a 151-foot high column, and the whole momument dominates the square.
The London Eye is the largest observation wheel in the world (150m high). It was built to celebrate the new millennium. It is operated by the British Airways. The wheel never stops (one turn takes about 30 minutes), and about 200 employees look after it.

The British Museum is the biggest in the world. It contains world-famous collections. The Museum's collections include some six-and-a-half million objects ranging in size from little pieces to colossal statues. It houses the world's largest collections of all kinds of animals, minerals, rocks etc. There is also the colletion of drawings by the Czech artist Vaclav Hollar.
The Tate Gallery holds a major collection of international modern art as well as historic and impressionist works. Nowadays there are mostly modern paintings by important English painters: John Constable, William Hogarth and William John Turner.
Madame Tussaud's Museum holds a collectin of wax figures. It has become a real institution and keeps changing and expanding. The figures look more and more convincing. The famous personalities who have their wax counterpart at Madame Tussaud's include the young Queen Victoria, Picasso, Mrs Thatcher, Joan Collins, members of The Royal Family and The Cabinet, singers and many more.
There are many theatres in Great Britain today. London itself has over 100. The National Theatre is really three theatres: the Cottesloe, the Lyttelton and the Olivier. The Olivier is the biggest of the three theatres with seats for over 1500 people. The National Theatre has its own group of actors called the National Theatre Company.
Theatre the Globe stands on the south bank of the river Thames. If s a faithful reconstruction of Shakespeare's original theatre, that was closed by the Puritans in 1642 and pulled down two years later.
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone.
Greenwich lies to the east of London and offers many attractions in 200 acres. There is also a part of the National Maritime Museum, which has one of the world's biggest collections of boats and navigational equipment.
Hyde Park is a London Royal Park - the biggest London's park.
St James's Park is the oldest of London's parks.
The Royal Botanic Gardens. Orchids and palms are kept in greenhouses.