{travel}

London – the city

and a hydraulic mechanism can raise and
lower the bridge in less than two minutes
to permit the passage of high ships.
St. Paul’s Cathedral has dominated

on the Thames the City of London for almost 14 centuries.

The present building is the fifth to bear

Dagmar Prosková, Jacy Meyer (USA)

For one reason or another, London is special in many

ways. With a population of about 7 million, it’s one of
the most densely populated and biggest cities in Europe,
and for centuries it has been the capital of great britain.

London has an excellent transportation herself is surrounded by allegorical statues

system to get you where you need to go. representing Victorian virtues such as
The London Underground, or tube, is Maternity, Justice, Truth and Courage.
the world’s first underground railway for the name of the patron saint of London.
passengers, beginning service in 1863. It was this church that Londoners tried to
The city’s bus line is known for its famous save during the Great Fire of 1666. After
red double-decker buses. If you sit on the the fire, the great architect Christopher
top deck, you will get a nice view of the Wren reconstructed it into a cathedral
sights on your journey. which, today, is second in size only to
St. Peter’s in Rome.
Together with Piccadilly Circus, the
intersection which has no exact geometric
appearance but is generally felt to be the
centre of London, Trafalgar Square is
the busiest part of London. Large crowds
gather there to see Nelson’s Column,
named after Lord Nelson’s victory over
Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

London’s beautiful parks cover almost

one third of the city and once were
defined as the lungs of London. Hyde
Park is the largest one, mainly famous
for its Speaker’s Corner. Here, people, The clock tower on the northwest corner
often standing on chairs or boxes, of the Houses of Parliament has become
could make speeches on anything they the very symbol of the city itself. Finished
wanted. St. James’s Park is one of the in 1858, at almost 100 metres high, it is
oldest green spaces in the city. In the believed to be one of the most accurate
16th century, Henry VIII transformed this clocks in the world (it loses only two tenths
unhealthy and marshy area into a hunting of a second every 118 days). The large The National Gallery, located on
domain. Today, the park has a lake, black bell, weighing 13 tons is widely known as Trafalgar Square, has one of the greatest
swans, squirrels, colourful flowerbeds and Big Ben in honour of Sir Benjamin Hall, collections in the world, showcasing
borders Buckingham Palace. who was responsible for the work when the paintings from Early Renaissance to the
clock was installed. Post-impressionists. The Tate Modern
is the other end of the artistic spectrum,
offering modern art. Originally a power
station, the museum only opened in
2000. Its collection focuses on important
moments in international modern art, and
has been very popular with both the British
and tourists alike.

One of the most famous palaces in

the world, Buckingham Palace (or “Buck
House” as Londoners sometimes call it)
has been used as a royal residence since Tower Bridge is a characteristic
1837 when Queen Victoria ascended the landmark of London. Built between 1886
throne. Queen Victoria Monument, made and 1894, it is named after the Tower of
of marble and bronze, was erected in front London that stands next to it. Two fixed
of the palace. The statue of the queen sections unite the towers to the river bank

36 Bridge 06/2006–2007