1 British Museum

The British Museum – the world's oldest public museum – boasts more than 8 million items, from the stone tools of early man to comtemporary 20th-century prints.

The collection began with the bequest of physician and antiquarian Sir Hans Sloane in 1753. Then, through the 18th and 19th centuries, travellers and emissaries, such as Captain James Cook, Lord Curzon and Charles Townley, augmented the set with treasures from around the globe.

The present building was completed in 1852; the Great Courtyward, with its striking glass roof, is the building's defining feature. The Reading Room, which was also restored to its original design at this time, boasts prominent past visitors, such as Karl Marx, George Bernard Shaw and Mahatma Gandhi.

Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG |
020 7323 8000 |
www.britishmuseum.org

Elgin Marbles at the British Museum © Dreamstime.com/Markrhiggins

2 Buckingham Palace

London’s most famous residence, and one of its best recognized landmarks, opulent Buckingham Palace was built as a town house for the first Duke of Buckingham around 1705.

In 1825, George IV commissioned John Nash to extend the house into a substantial palace, welcoming its first resident, Queen Victoria, from 1837.

The decadent site is now home to the present Queen, as well as copious eager tourists, cameras in hand. Of the 775 state rooms, 19 are open to the public during summer, as are many of the grand palatial parks and gardens.

Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1 1AA |
020 7766 7300 |
www.royalcollection.org.uk

Buckingham Palace © Dreamstime.com/Sedmak

3 London Eye

An amazing feat of engineering, the world’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel offers fascinating views over the whole of London.

Towering above the Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament, it was built to celebrate the millennial year, and has proved enormously popular since.

Its 32 enclosed capsules each hold 25 people; a rotation takes 30 minutes and, on a clear day, you can see up to 40 km (25 miles) across the capital and the south of England.

Jubilee Gardens, London, SE1 7PB |
087 1781 3000 |
www.londoneye.com

London Eye © Dorling Kindersley Ltd/Max Alexander

4 National Gallery

The National Gallery houses around 2,300 pictures, forming one of the greatest collections in the world.

Containing pieces by the most influential painters of the main European schools, the set was acquired by the government from John Julius Angerstein in 1824, and moved to the present building (also home to the National Portrait Gallery) in 1838.

The controversial Sainsbury Wing, built in 1991, houses the excellent early Renaissance collection, as well as temporary blockbuster exhibitions.

Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN |
020 7747 2885 |
www.nationalgallery.org.uk

The Rokeby Venus by Diego Velázquez at the National Gallery © Corbis/The Gallery Collection

5 Natural History Museum

There are some 70 million specimens in the city's compelling Natural History Museum.

Originally the repository for items brought home by Charles Darwin and Captain Cook’s botanist, Joseph Banks, among others, the museum combines traditional displays with innovative, hands-on exhibits.

With crowd-pleasers such as the impressive dinosaur collection and the life-sized model of a blue whale, it remains one of London’s most popular museums.

Still a hub for research, it employs more than 300 scientists and librarians, and is dedicated to various sustainability and biodiversity projects.

Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD |
020 7942 5000 |
www.nhm.ac.uk

Natural History Museum © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

6 St Paul’s Cathedral

This is the great masterpiece of Christopher Wren, who rebuilt the city’s churches after the Great Fire of 1666.

Completed in 1711, St Paul's was England’s first purpose-built Protestant cathedral, and shares many similarities with St Peter’s in Rome, most notably its ornate dome. One of its bells, Great Paul, was the largest in Europe until the bell cast for the 2012 Olympics.

The cathedral has a reputation for fine music, and draws its choristers from the prestigious St Paul’s Cathedral School.

Ludgate Hill, London, EC4M 8AD |
020 7246 8357 |
www.stpauls.co.uk

The interior of St Paul's Cathedral © Corbis/Hemis/Ludovic Maisant

7 Science Museum

Packed with interactive exhibits, the Science Museum tracks centuries of fascinating development.

The collection showcases how Britain led the Industrial Revolution, with looms and steam engines, navigation and early flight. It also houses displays on contemporary science, climate change and cutting-edge technologies, with many awe-inspiring spectacles in the hi-tech Wellcome Wing.

The museum is now also home to Media Space, an exciting new photography and art gallery exploring the relations between art and science.

Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2DD |
087 0870 4868 |
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Pattern Pod at the Science Museum © Science Museum

8 Tate Modern

Closely affiliated with Tate Britain, Tate Modern – one of London’s most exciting galleries – is housed in the old Bankside power station, on a riverside site opposite the city.

Large enough for huge installations, the frequently-changing galleries provide an airy space for the collection of international modern art. This includes works by Dalí, Picasso, Matisse and Warhol, as well as pieces by acclaimed contemporary artists.

In 2016 a new building will be added to the complex, in order to hold even more world-class artwork, and also provide further social space onsite.

Bankside, London, SE1 9TG |
020 7887 8888 |
www.tate.org.uk

Tate Modern © Dorling Kindersley Ltd/Rough Guides/Tim Draper

9 Tower of London

The Tower of London, the city’s great riverside fortress, is usually remembered as a place of imprisonment, but it also has a more glorious past.

Originally a moated fort, the White Tower was built for William I (the Conqueror), with construction beginning around 1078.

Enlarged by later monarchs – including Henry VIII, who famously sent two of his wives to their deaths on Tower Green – it eventually became home to the city arsenal, the Crown Jewels, a menagerie and the Royal Mint.

Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4AB |
084 4482 7777 |
www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon

Yeomen Warders ("Beefeaters") at the Tower of London © Robert Harding Picture Library/Eurasia

10 Westminster Abbey

A glorious example of Medieval architecture on a truly grand scale, former Benedictine church Westminster Abbey stands on the south side of Parliament Square.

Founded in the 11th century by Edward the Confessor, it survived the Reformation and continued as a place of royal ceremonials.

Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was held here in 1953, as was Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997. It was also the venue for the much-anticipated wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in April 2011.

20 Dean's Yard, London, SW1P 3PA |
020 7222 5152 |
www.westminster-abbey.org

Westminster Abbey © Dorling Kinderlsey Ltd/Rough Guides/Suzanne Porter

Source: https://www.traveldk.com/article/top-10-things-to-do-in-london/ DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide: London, available in the UK and the US.

Last updated on January 19, 2016 in Brazil 14 Comments

Famous for being home to one of the world’s top football teams, the Rio de Janeiro Carnival and the remarkable Iguazu Falls, Brazil is an exciting world travel destination. As South America’s largest country, Brazil covers a majority of the continent’s northeastern region and borders all of its countries except for Chile and Ecuador. From the Amazon rainforest in the North to the tropical beaches along the Atlantic, to the Pantanal wetlands and the vibrant metropolises of the Southeast there are plenty of interesting places to visit in Brazil.

10Sao Paulo

flickr/Alicia Nijdam

Not only is Sao Paulo the largest city in Brazil, but it is also one of the largest in the world according to population. Located in southeastern Brazil, Sao Paulo is known for its skyscrapers, gastronomy and robust culture scene. It is home to many ethnic groups from all over the globe including the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. Although Sao Paulo is known for its concrete jungle, it is also contains a large number of public parks and even portions of the Atlantic rainforest.

10 Top Tourist Attractions in Sao Paulo

9Brasilia

wikipedia/ Agencia Brasil

Located in the Brazilian Highlands, Brasilia was installed in 1960 as Brazil’s capital. Brazil’s former President Juscelino Kubitschek ordered the city to be planned and developed into what some refer to as a utopia. Brasilia’s modern day infrastructure is designed in the shape of an airplane in which each of its sections serve as different districts such as government, commercial, residential and cultural. The city’s new and creative designed buildings attracts many architecture aficionados. Most significant is the Three Powers Square, which houses the Presidential Palace, the Congress and the Supreme Court. Other important buildings include the Brasilia Cathedral with its glass roof that resembles hands reaching up to heaven.

10 Top Things to Do in Manaus

3Salvador

A historic Old City, beautiful beaches, lively culture and one of the world’s biggest Carnival celebrations all fashionSalvador into one of the best places to visit in Brazil. One of the oldest cities in the Americas, Salvador is Brazil’s third largest city and the capital of the Bahia state. Situated on the coast of the Bay of All Saints, Salvador offers fantastic beaches that are ideal for sunbathing, swimming and surfing. Some of the most popular include Porto de Barra, Flamengo and Stella Maris.

Roman Baths

www.dailymail.co.uk

The Roman Baths give visitors the ability to still see how public bathing was done in the 19th century. Guests can check out the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House, and the other buildings on its street level however, the bath themselves are located below the modern street level. This area receives around 1 million visitors per year and was featured in the 2005 TV Program “Seven Natural Wonders” as one of the wonders of the Western world.

Seven Sister Country Park

www.coolplaces.co.uk

The Seven Sisters are a series of chalk cliffs by the English Channel at South Downs National Park. It has 280 hectares of chalk cliffs and open chalk grassland. Visitors have the option of cycling, canoeing, bird watching and hiking in the area. It is one of Britain’s untouched coastlines and it’s currently being managed by East Sussex County Council.

University of Cambridge

http://www.svubit.org/

Aside from being the center of public research in the United Kingdom, it is also the second oldest university in the English-Speaking world. Visitors will be able to appreciate the cultural and practical associations that the university portrays. Today, the University of Cambridge is a collegiate university and has a student population of 18,000 with 31 colleges occupying the various locations. The university offers students art centers, sports clubs and other school related amenities.

Chinatown in London

london-sightseeing.net

At the start of the 20th century at the East End of London, a lot of Chinese immigrants set up their businesses in order to cater to Chinese sailors who were frequently in the docklands. However, due to damage from the WWII Blitz; growing popularity of the Chinese cuisine; and an influx of immigrants from Honk Kong, it led to an increase of Chinese restaurants being opened elsewhere. Today, you can still find London’s finest and most authentic Asian cuisine off of Shaftesbury Avenue.

The Eden Project

www.strategyforsustainability.com

The UK is striving to be a leader in the sustainable growth sector and has proven this goal when they opened the Eden Project. This area is home to numerous social and environmental projects. Visitors of the Eden Project will be able to see creative and stunning gardens as well as different artworks. It is also a place for music events and is the home of valuable plant and conservation research. This is definitely more than just a theme park. It is a place where people can learn with the help of interactive displays and detailed information provided in the 10 hectares of rockeries and gardens.

Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City

opentravel.com

Visitors can check out the six areas in this historic center and docklands. It tells the story of how the UK developed all throughout the centuries. This dock holds the story of the mass movement of people, slaves, and immigrants that came from northern Europe to America. Today, it is a picture of modern dock technology complete with transport systems, port management and the home of significant commercial, civic and public buildings like St. George’s Plateau. However, due to it’s modernization, it has been labeled as an endangered World Heritage Site, one of only two in Europe.

Hadrian’s Wall

www1.american.edu

This place was once a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. They begun constructing the area in AD 122, during the time of Emperor Hadrian. The region served as a military fortification, a customs post, and levy taxation area. Visitors are still able to see a significant portion of the wall that has been rescued through the efforts of John Clayton during the 19th century.

Durham Castle

www.dur.ac.u

This castle has been occupied since the 1840′s by the University College, Durham. Today, this place is open to the general public, but only with the help of guided tours since it is still being used as a working building by over a hundred students. This lovely castle sits on top of a hill in the River Wear on Durham’s Peninsula and is opposite the Durham Cathedral. This castle was first built in the 11th century as a way to project King Norman’s power and prestige in the north of England. It is an example of what early bailey and motte castles look like.

The Malvern Hills and Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and a small area of northern Gloucestershire. This place contains some of the oldest rocks in Britain. Mostly igneous and metamorphic rocks from the late pre-Cambrian known as the Uriconian, which are around 680 million years old! Today, people are be able to enjoy the 3000 acres of the open countryside or climb the highest point at the Worcestershire Beacon and even relax while viewing the wooded slopes.

York Minster

www.thewhitehorseyork.co.uk

This is considered to be one of the best cathedrals in York, England and is also the largest in Northern Europe. Guests can enjoy the Gothic nave and chapter house. Visitors also love the medieval stained glass and the Five Sisters Window that is over 16 meters (52 ft.) tall. It was constructed as a clear Christian presence during the 14th century. The place also has an attached school and library that was created during the 18th century.

Royal Observatory Greenwich

blog.onlineclock.net

This place has played a significant role in the history of navigation and astronomy. It is located on the hill in Greenwich Park, and is overlooking the River Thames. The Royal Observatory has been commissioned by King Charles II for the special purpose of “rectifying the motions of the heavens and the places of the fixed stars and in order to find the desired longitude of places in order to master the art of navigation.” The place is currently being maintained in the UK as a tourist attraction.The two clocks in the area were built by Thomas Tompion and were installed in the principal room of the building.

Soho of London

www.jonathanstephens.com

Soho will always be a word connected with live entertainment, sumptuous food and pulsing nightlife. It is the main location for celebrations in London and contains quirky shops. Tourists can go on a walking tour and relax in the Soho Square. It is also a place to locate luxurious hotels and the place to find delicious and cheap snacks as well as fine dining restaurants in London.
Soho of London is likewise a place to check live theatre and performance; the place to see big budget musicals and important plays as well as some smaller stand up acts.

Lake District National Park

traveltripjourney.blogspot.com

It is often referred as The Lakes and is located in a mountainous region in the North West England. It is famous due to its amazing lakes, forests and mountains. Visitors will be delighted to know that the place is associated with 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the other Lake Poets.The place also has the deepest and longest lakes in England like the Windermere and the Wastwater. The UK is trying to enter it into World Heritage Status in the cultural landscape category.

Westminster Abbey

home2.btconnect.com

The Westminster Abbey is a large, Gothic Church located in the City of Westminster, London. It is where coronations occur and is also the burial site for the English and later the British monarchs of the Commonwealth realms. According to historical accounts by Sulcard in the 1080, the Abbey was first established in the time of Mellitus, Bishop of London. Up to the present time, the Fishmonger’s company still gives a salmon a year in the area since this was a community act during the early 1970s.

The British Museum

poster.4teachers.org

This place has been created for the purpose of keeping the memory of human history and culture. It contains permanent collections that number to a total of eight million works. It is considered to hold some of the most comprehensive collections from various continents. It started in 1753 and contained mosts of the collections of physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum opened its doors to visitors on the 15th of January, 1759.

Shakespeare’s Hometown

fromuktouswithlove.blogspot.com

Every writer and literature lover in the world is sure to be thrilled to visit Shakespeare’s hometown. The place has surprisingly been well-preserved and will show some of the remnants of the life of the English poet and playwright who has been regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

Warwick Castle

openbuildings.com

Warwick Castle was originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068. It was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century but was originally made of wooden motte-and bailey. It is considered one of the best symbols of 14th century military architecture and was also used as a stronghold in the 17th century. In its previous look it consisted of a mound, which was usually used as a keep or a tower and a bailey with an enclosed courtyard.

Lizard Peninsula

www.greentraveller.co.uk

The name “Lizard” according to some researchers is a corruption of the Cornish name “ Lyds Ardh”, which means high court. The name Lizard Peninsula must have come from a Celtic name and was formed during the Iron Age and Roman Period. In the past, it was often called as the “Graveyard of Ships” due to the fact that this place is dangerous to shipping. Historical information claims that the area was previously inhabited with the discovery of burial mounds and stones.

Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum

www.videojug.com

A famous wax museum in London that has branches in different major cities, it was created by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. It contains the lifelike likenesses of historical and royal figures, film stars, models, sports stars and infamous murderers. Marie Tussaud was able to model famous people like Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin during their time. She was even able to model prominent victims in the French Revolution and made wax models of decapitated heads.

Tower of London

www.thetimes.co.uk

Also known as Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, it is a historical castle located on the North bank of the River Thames in central London. It was founded at the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. It served as a royal residence and contains a complex of several buildings within the two concentric rings of defensive walls. Throughout history it has been besieged several times and has been used as a treasury, menagerie and at the same time an armory.

Canterbury Cathedral

en.wikipedia.org

This place is considered to be the most popular Christian Structure in England. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the main leader of the Church of England and considered the symbolic leader of the Anglican Communion.The church was rebuilt from 1070 to 1077 and was made larger. It was then renovated to have a Gothic style in 1174 in order to be able to house pilgrims who are visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket. Thomas Becket was the archbishop who was murdered in the cathedral in the 1170.

Going Places Cotsworlds

www.britain-magazine.com

The cotswolds is a range of hills in the Southwestern and West-central England. It has a width of 25 miles and is 145 km long. The area is filled with attractive small towns and villages that are built underlying the Cotswold stone. The place is rich in limestone particularly fossilized sea urchins. During the Middle Ages, it was an important route for wool trade which is what made Cotswolds prosperous.

Stonehenge

amhnetwork.com

This place is considered to be one of the most famous sites in the world. One can feel the dense complex of the Neolithic age and the Bronze Age as one sets foot in this area. Archaeologists believe that this place was created from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. But some are claiming with the use of radiocarbon dating that the first stones were raised from 2400 to 2200 BC. It was added to the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 and some studies released in 2008 stated that Stonehenge may have been a burial ground in the past.

Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site

www.redbubble.com

This is included in the list of World Heritage Sites on the English Channel along the coast of Southern England. In historical records during World War II, some of the sections of the Jurassic Coast became the property of the Ministry of War and were used as a military training ground. Today, however, it has been returned to civilian use.

Natural History Museum

hdrcreme.com

It was officially known as the British Museum until 1992. It is the home of life and earth science specimens that range over to over 70 million items.Visitors can see collections related to mineralogy, paleontology, zoology, and entomology. The best part? There is no admission fee!

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )

Navigation

Top 10 Places to visit in London