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Top Sights and Attractions in London
When you're visiting London you can't miss the most characteristic spectacle there is to see in the city – the changing of the Guard in front of Buckingham Palace. You should see the Houses of Parliament and famous Big Ben, maybe even go on a ride on the London Eye if you're not afraid of heights. Another point on your list should be a walk along the Thames or across some of the bridges that connect both banks, for example the landmark Tower Bridge. But once you've ticked off all the must-sees, take a moment to relax and simply observe London life. Some of the most beautiful and peaceful places to do just that are the Hampstead Heath and Kew Gardens parks. They are a pleasant retreat from the busy city.
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Big Ben
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Address: Parliament Square
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Website: http://www.whitechapelbellfoundry.co.uk/bigben.ht
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London’s Clock Tower is attached to the north-eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. It’s often mistakenly referred to as Big Ben, a name which originally denotes only the main bell within the tower. The chiming clock, of which the Big Ben is apart, is the largest four-faced instrument of this kind in the world. The tower, which is actually called St Stephen’s Tower, was erected as part of the new palace and was constructed after the old Palace of Westminster heavily suffered in a fire in 1834. The architect responsible for the project was Charles Barry.
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King's Cross station
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Address: Easton Road
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King's Cross station, also referred to as King’s X, is one of London’s major railway stations and is located in the north-eastern part of the city. The main terminal building, designed by Lewis Cubitt, was inaugurated in 1852 and its primary role being that of the terminus for the East Coast Main Line - as well as the London hub for the Great Northern Railway. The King’s Cross Station replaced a temporary passenger terminal at Maiden Lane. Legend has it that the station was constructed on the site of the last battle of the legendary warrior queen, Boudica, and that her tomb is located under one of the platforms. Some believe that Boudica’s ghost haunts the underground passages of the station.
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Tower of London
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Address: Tower Hill
Phone: +44 20 7709 0765
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Website: http://www.toweroflondontour.com
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The Tower of London is a major attraction in the centre of London, just outside the City proper. It got its name from the square-shaped White Tower, located at the centre of a whole complex, which incorporates a number of structures on the bank of the Thames. In the past it served a wide variety of purposes: the tower was a zoo, a fortress, a treasury, a palace, a place for minting coins, a place of execution, a jail, an observatory and more. When it was a jail it often housed inmates of higher social classes, including monarchs, such as Virgin Queen Elizabeth I, detained here during the reign of Mary Tudor, her sister.
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Wembley Stadium
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Phone: +44 980 8001
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Website: http://www.wembleystadium.com/default.aspx
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Heir of one of the most famous sports and concert venues on the planet, the newly opened Wembley Stadium is already a cultural pop icon. Its primary role is being home ground for the English national football team, as well as the host of the domestic football league finals. With a capacity of more than 90,000 seats, it’s the second largest venue of this kind in Europe. It’s also the largest football stadium with all of the stands covered.
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The National Gallery
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Address: Trafalgar Square
Phone: +44 20 7747 2885
e-mail: information@ng-london.org.uk
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Website: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk
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The National Gallery, established in 1824, lies on the north border of Trafalgar Square in the centre of London. Its exterior is a famous British monument. Inside the gallery works of art cover a full six Centuries. The gallery is home to over 2,300 paintings, and there is no charge to enter the main collection. Various schools of art are represented here; the gallery's permanent collection consists of paintings from Western Europe dating back to around 1250 onwards.
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King's College London
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Address: Strand
Phone: +44 2 078365454
e-mail: ceu@kcl.ac.uk schools.liaison@kcl.ac.uk
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Website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/about/
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King’s College London, established in 1829, boasts an exceptional reputation for teaching and pioneering research, and is also a key player on the international stage. Four of the college’s five campuses are situated in the heart of London, an ideal location for academic, cultural and social opportunities of the capital.
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The London Library
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Address: 14 St James's Square
Phone: +44 2 7930 7705
e-mail: enquiries@londonlibrary.co.uk
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Website: http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk
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The London Library, located at the corner of St James Square, not far from Piccadilly Circus and Green Park Underground stations, is the world’s largest independent, self-supporting library, founded by Thomas Carlyle in 1841. It was founded with the aim to serve readers and scholars by giving books for home use. The library was the first to offer new books and provide books from several centuries only available in large reference libraries.
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The Houses of Parliament & Big Ben
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Address: House of Commons;
House of Lords
Phone: +44 2 07219 3000
e-mail: hcinfo@parliament.uk
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Website: http://www.parliament.uk
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The Houses of Parliament, or Westminster Palace, is where the two London Houses of Parliament (House of Lords and House of Commons) meet. Westminster Palace is located on the north bank of the River Thames in Westminster, London, near other government buildings in Whitehall. The Palace is one of the largest parliaments in the world, with its buildings containing some 1,200 rooms, 100 staircases and over 3km of corridors.
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