LONDON

- the capital of the UK

- is a cosmopolitan city – many nationalities
- population is about 8.5 million
- is situated on the Thames
- is in the southeast of England
- is one of the world´s major financial and cultural capitals
- is divided into 33 local government districts – 32 boroughs and the City of London
- is the residence of the monarch
- the representatives of the Church, the Government, Parliament, Supreme Court
- climate – mild and damp, foggy

Transport
- double-decker buses – in the historical parts
- tube – the oldest underground and one of the most perfect underground networks in the world
- black taxis – called cabs
- river buses
- Heathrow and Gatwick – huge London airports

HISTORY
- the city was probably founded 2,000 years ago
- The Romans built their settlement there in 43 AD and called it Londinium
- After a fire in 61 AD the town was rebuilt again and surrounded by a wall – this area within the
walls is now called the City of London
- Later London became an important port, industrial centre and the seat of kings and queens
- William the Conqueror – came to London after the battle of Hastings 1066
- A new part of the town was founded – Westminster
- King Edward the Confessor built the Westminster Palace and established Westminster Abbey
- the first Mayor of London was appointed in 1193 – the city had become an important centre of the
region
- the nations of Saxons, Romans and Danes had settled there
- the Normans brought stability and prosperity
- 1665 – plague (known as the Black Death) killing almost 100.000 people
- 1666 – the Great Fire – broke out in a bakery, destroying two thirds of the city (houses were made
of wood)
- the name London probably comes from Celtic Llyn = lake and Dun = fort
- London grew quickly during the Georgian age (1714 – the 1830s)
o The West End – residential and shopping centre of the wealthy
o The East End – dockyards and the islands of poverty, child mortality, disease, crime
- Victorian and Edwardian London
o the population grew
o the underground railway began in the 1860s (electrification in the 1890s)
- Twentieth-Century London – German bombings during WWII – devastated large areas
1. THE CITY OF LONDON
- the historical centre of London
- is now a relatively small area still known at the City
- this is where London began as a Roman colonial town around 50 AD, at the point where the
Romans built the first bridge in London
- is a major world financial centre with a number of banks and the well-known London Stock
Exchange, LSE – is the second most important stock exchange, dating back to the 17th century
- most of the financial activities are crowded along Threadneedle Street

Saint Paul´s Cathedral

- designed by English architect Christopher Wren
- is built in the Baroque style
- is the largest church in the world after St. Peter’s in Rome
- built in 17th century after the Great Fire
- is the residence of bishop of London
- Whispering Gallery – running around the inside of the dome (the
excellent acoustics of the place brings any sound to the opposite side,
107 feet away in a straight line)
- many famous people are buried there (Horatio Nelson, Sir Christopher
Wren, …)
- Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral service
- wedding ceremony of Princ Charles and Lady Diana
Not far from St. Paul’s Cathedral rises the Monument commemorating the place in Pudding Lane
where the Great Fire of London started – is about a 60 metre-high column whose 311 steps lead
visitors to the terrace from which they can admire a beautiful view of the City.
Millennium Bridge
- officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians
crossing the River Thames in London, linking Bankside with the City of London
- Construction began in 1998, and it initially opened in June 2000
- Its southern end is near the Globe Theatre, the Bankside Gallery, and Tate Modern, while its
northern end is next to the City of London School below St Paul's Cathedral

The Tower of London

- stands on the north bank of the Thames
- William the Conqueror began to build the massive
fortress – the White Tower – to impress and dominate
the people of London in 1066
- was a royal resident till the 16th century, a fortress, a
prison, an execution place, a royal treasury
- the Crown imprisoned many important figures there:
o Sir Walter Raleigh – an explorer
o Guy Fawkes – planned to blow up the Houses of
Parliament in 1605
o Rudolf Hess – Hitler’s deputy
 - Henry VIII’s wives (Ann Boleyn and Catherine Howard), Thomas More (philosopher) were beheaded
- The White Tower – the oldest part of the Tower, was begun by William the Conqueror
- The Bloody Tower – used to be a prison
- The Green Tower – used to be a prison
- ravens – mustn´t leave the tower, otherwise the Kingdom would fall apart, their wings are cut short
- 37 Beefeaters guard the Tower
- The Ceremony of the Keys takes place every evening, the gates are locked
- today – is a museum of historical weapons
- coronation jewels

Tower Bridge
- a great symbol of London
- built in 1894
- the bridge opens in the middle and goes up when huge ships want to
pass through (90 seconds)
- the best-known of all the bridges

2. THE CITY OF WESTMINSTER

- the centre of the administration, with Parliament and Government offices

Westminster Abbey
- was founded in 11th century by Edward the Confessor
- was rebuilt by Henry VIII in 1245
- is burial place of kings
- is used for state occasions as coronations and royal funerals
o Coronation Chair – made in 1300 and containing the historic Stone of
Scone, a symbol of Scottish Royalty, which was carried off to Westminster
by Edward I
o buried – Elizabeth I, Scottish Queen Mary Stuart, Henry VII, Charles II,
Edward the Confessor
- in the cathedral – Poet´s Corner – greatest poets, artists, politics and famous
British people are buried (Newton, Darwin, Dickens, Chaucer)

The Houses of Parliament

- are officially called the Palace of Westminster
- were rebuilt between 1840-60 in Neo-Gothic style
- the political centre of the UK, the home of the British
Parliament – 1547, is the oldest democracy in the world today
– the parliamentary system as we know it today, throughout
the world, can trace its roots to the British Magna Carta, an
agreement between a British king and his nobles to share
power in 1215
 - The House of Commons
o more restrained in style, consists of parallel rows of green, leather benches which face the
table where the mace (a symbol of authority) is placed
o is presided over by the Speaker
- The House of Lords
o a gothic hall lavishly decorated in red, with the throne of the Sovereign; in front of this is the
Woolsack, the seat of the Lord Chancellor who presides over the House
- Big Ben
o is the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock at the north end of the Palace of
Westminster
o the official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower; it
was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II
o the sound of the bell can be heard in the tune on the BBC Radio – daily time signal since 1924

Buckingham Palace
- has been the home of the sovereign since Queen Victoria
- is the monarch´s residence
- was built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham
- the Changing of the Guards – takes place every day at 11.00
a.m. to the accompaniment of the Guard’s bands
- the Royal Family occupies the north wing
- an inseparable part of the view of Buckingham Palace is the
Queen Victoria Monument
- The Mall – one of the most exclusive streets will take the visitors from the Palace through the
Admiralty Arch to Trafalgar Square
- at the rear of the palace is the large and park-like garden, which together with its lake is the largest
private garden in London. There, the Queen hosts her annual garden parties each summer and also
holds large functions to celebrate royal milestones, such as jubilees

Trafalgar Square
- links the political and religious section of Westminster to the
rest of west London
- was built in honour of British naval commander Viscount
Horatio Nelson whose monument is at the square’s centre
(about 50 m high, a five-meter tall statue)
- St Martin-in-the-Field Church
- The National Gallery – houses one of the greatest collections
of Western painting from the 13th century; it exhibits
paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Monet, Renoir etc)
- four lions, two fountains
3. THE WEST END
Piccadilly Circus
- five major roads cross there
- many theatres, cinemas, restaurants and shops
- the huge advertising hoardings are lit up at night
- the statue of Eros – in the middle of the square

Covent Garden
- used to be a market
- is a centre of entertainment
- there are theatres around, shops

OTHER PLACES
The Globe
- stands on the south bank of the river Thames
- is a faithful reconstruction of Shakespeare´s original theatre

The London Eye

- large observation wheel
- was built to celebrate the new millennium
- is operated by the British Airways
- the wheel never stops (one turn takes about 30 minutes)

Downing Street Number 10

- the home of British Prime Ministers since 1735
- The Prime Minister's Office, for which the terms Downing
Street and Number 10 are metonymous, lies within the 10
Downing Street building and is part of the Cabinet Office
Structure of The Prime Minister’s Office:
The office was reorganised in 2001 into three directorates:

- Policy and government

o Took over the functions of the private office and policy unit. Prepares advice for the PM and
coordinates development and implementation of policy across departments.
- Communication and strategy
o Press office: responsible for relations with the media
o Direct communications unit
o Research and information unit: provides factual information to No. 10
o Strategy unit
- Government and political relations
o Handles party and constituency affairs
Whitehall
- the government offices are situated
- it goes from Trafalgar Square to Westminster

The Thames Barrier

- was started in 1974 and has been used since 1983
- was designed to protect London from flooding
- the major fields allow even huge boats and ships to get across the barrier

MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES

- The British Museums - contains world-famous collections of antiquies from Egypt, Rome, Greece
- The Victoria and Albert Museum – varied collection of arts
- The Museum of London – London´s history
- Madame Tussaud´s Museum – a collection of wax figures
- The Tate Gallery – collection of international modern art

PARKS
- Hyde Park – a London Royal Park, the biggest London´s park, popular place for boating
o The Serpentine Lake – which divided park from the Kensington gardens
o Speaker´s Corner – anyone can stand on soap-box and talk about whatever they want except
the Royal family
o The Albert Memorial – Queen Victoria´s monument to her husband
- St. James´s Park – the oldest of London´s parks
- Regent´s Park – London Zoo is located

SHOPPING
- Harrod´s – it is more than just a department store – popular with the rich and famous
- Hamleys – toys
- Oxford Street
- Regent Street
- Camden Market

SPORT
- Wembley Stadium – the Football Association Cup
- Wimbledon – tennis
- Lord´s – cricket

LONDON´S SKYLINE
- high rise buildings
- The Shard
- Swiss Re Tower – „okurka“