Otázka: London and other cities
Jazyk: Angličtina
Přidal(a): Caroline
London
London is the capital and the most populous city of both England and the United Kingdom which is standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain.
London was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium. Now London is the biggest city in western Europe, and the world’s largest financial centre.
The population of London is 8.63 million. Most people in London are British. However, London also has many immigrants who have come from many different countries. They speak many different languages and have different religions and cultures. Lots of them stay in London because of business. Many people visit London as tourists. I think it is the best start of exploring England. The main reason to visit London is that it is namely town of everything for everybody.
They may see the famous „Sights of London“.
There is an old part, so you can visit some historical monuments.
The Tower of London is a 900 years old castle and fortress in central London that is notable for housing the Crown Jewels and for holding many famous and infamous prisoners.
Tower bridge is one of the most famous bridges in London and one of many must-see landmarks in London with a glass floor and modern exhibitions..
is a characteristic landmark of London. Built between 1886 and 1894, it is named after the Tower of London that stands next to it.
The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. The Palace is one of the centres of political life in the United Kingdom. Palace includes a tower with a clock called Big Ben.
But the name refers to only o the great clock tower bell.
We are in a center of London, so let´s continue….
Trafalgar Square – largest square in London, whitch reminds Admiral
Nelson’s victory in 1805 in the middle stands Nelson’s Column (50 m)
National Gallery – the greatest collection of Western paintings from 13th century till now; next to it is National Portrait Gallery
But London has its modern parts, too, for the people who don’t like history so much. There are pubs, clubs and modern buildings like Cucumber skyscraper. London is busy town so it’s good to relax a little. Perfect place for this are parks. London is full of parks, such as St. James’s Park, Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens.
The city has a huge network of transport systems including trains, metros (underground) and five main airports.
In London, many celebrations, festivals and events are held. For example Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, Notting Hill Carnival or London Film Festival.
And something else from the history of London. There was an important and dreadful incident. The Great Fire of London. It was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of London from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. It began as a small fire on Pudding Lane, in the bakery of Thomas Farynor, but it continued as a great fire, which destroyed a big part of London. After this disaster, was London rebuilt.
Oxford and Cambridge
Oxford and Cambridge are both famous university towns. And their universities are among the oldest in the world.
But if you are not a student, you can enjoy the old architecture and special atmosphere. And the River Cam in Cambridge is a popular place for punting. Punting means boating in a long narrow and it is popular between tourists.
Stratford
Stratford-upon-Avon is a historic market town on the river Avon in the county of Warwickshire, best known as the birthplace of the great English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. Today, it is a major theatre-going destination as the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford is really a well preserved city, so you can visit the old streets with houses from Shakespearean era as well as the house where he was born.
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire in England, and the only city within the county.
Salisbury is important because of its timbered buildings, and mostly because of an Early English Gothic Cathedral, home to the famous Magna Charta and to some arts scenes, museums and Salisbury University.
Near from here you can find the world-famous and truly epic Stonehenge.
It is probably the best known prehistoric monument in the world. It was built 2000-3000 years ago, but nobody knows how, because there aren’t similar stones in the neighbourhood. People had to bring them there. Stonehenge could serve for religious ceremonies or maybe like a cemetery, because historians have found some skeletons under the stones.
Liverpool
Liverpool draws thousands of music fans every year as it is the place where The Beatles were formed. In the past, it used to be a very important port, and a part of the city centre with the docks is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
