London

political and cultural center. It is one of the world's

most important ports and one of the largest cities in the world. London with its suburbs has a population of about 11 million people. Located on the River Thames.

the largest occupied castle in the world. A Royal home

and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace today.
The Queen uses the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spends the weekends, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties.

William Shakespeare was born, grew up and played here. He

ate meals in the hall and he slept and dreamed in these rooms. Shakespeare also spent the first five years of married life in this house with his new wife, Anne Hathaway.

English history. It was besieged several times and it has

been important to controle the country. The Tower has served variously as an armory , a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

of king Henry VIII.
The following century, William III's massive rebuilding

and expansion project intended to rival Versailles was begun. Work halted in 1694, leaving the palace in two distinct contrasting architectural styles, domestic Tudor and Baroque.

Hampton Court Palace

of some debate. The nickname was applied first to the

Great Bell; it may have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the installation of the Great Bell. Now Big Ben is often used, by extension, to refer to the clock, the tower and the bell collectively, although the nickname is not universally accepted as referring to the clock and tower.

wax museum. The main exhibition of Madame Tussauds is located

in London, where at the moment there are located more than 1000 exhibits of famous public figures, movie stars, historical figures.