zz Where is London?
the first city to build an underground railway
London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. line, in 1863. It is called the ‘tube’. There are over
The UK is made up of England, Scotland, Northern 270 stations on the tube! You can also get a train
Ireland and Wales. London is located in southern from London to mainland Europe. It’s called
England. The Romans started this city in the year 43. the Eurostar and goes from St Pancras Station
The River Thames [temz] flows between North and through a tunnel under the English Channel to
South London. Paris and Brussels.
zz How big is the capital city? zz What can you do in London?
London is one of the biggest cities in Europe. You can do lots of tourist activities: go on
About 8.5 million people live in the capital. It is the London Eye, travel on a red London bus, walk
a very multicultural city, with over 300 different along the River Thames, visit Buckingham Palace or
languages spoken. see the Changing of the Guard (a special ceremony
where the guards march) and visit museums
zz What famous buildings and landmarks can (Madame Tussauds) and sights. You can also go
you see? shopping in London in Oxford Street, in Camden
The Tower of London was a prison. William Market or at Covent Garden.
the Conqueror (= Dobyvatel) built it in the year
zz What entertainment can you find in
1066. It is the place where the crown jewels are now
the capital?
kept. Next to it, there is the famous Tower Bridge,
which opens up for ships so they can pass along There is always something happening in London –
the River Thames. Buckingham Palace is where it could be a big pop band playing at the O2 arena
the Queen lives when she is in London. Westminster or a small concert in a pub or bar. You can find all
Abbey is a church where kings and queens are types of music from pop to jazz, classical concerts
crowned and buried. Other famous buildings include to hip-hop. There are many theatre productions and
St Paul’s Cathedral, the clock tower Big Ben and the ‘West End’ is where some of the largest theatres
the Houses of Parliament. The most popular tourist show famous musicals like Cats, The Phantom
attraction now is the London Eye, a 135-metre-tall of the Opera or Mamma Mia. There are lots of
Ferris wheel, from which you can see the city. restaurants, pubs and clubs for dancing.
zz Can you tell me about any museums or art zz Can you tell me about London’s parks?
galleries? There are lots of parks and green open
The national museums are free in London. spaces in the city. In Hyde Park you can find
The biggest museums are the British Museum, Speaker’s Corner, where people can debate or
the National History Museum and the Science talk about things. Kensington Gardens is where
Museum. There are also many smaller museums, like you can find Kensington Palace (another royal
the Museum of London Docklands and the Museum palace). Green Park is on one side of Buckingham
of London. Famous art galleries include the Tate Palace, and St James’s Park is on the other side,
Modern, the National Gallery and the National with a large lake and lots of ducks and birds.
Portrait Gallery. Regent’s Park is near London’s Zoo and Greenwich
Park has a famous observatory, with a planetarium
zz Can you tell me about the transport in and the National Maritime Museum, where you
London? can learn everything about ships.
London has famous red double-decker buses
(tall buses with two levels) and black cabs. It was
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