London

Růženka prepared a very nice essay about the most beautiful sightseeing tips in London. Bellow you will find one’s brief characteristics and the most interesting inputs by Růženka’s eyes. After reading we projected lovely photos. We had fun!

Hampton Palace
In the early of 15th century castle was used as economic structure for the knights. In 1514 Thomas Wolsey, archibishop of York, hired this knight’s seat. The King Henri VIII. was devoted to reconstruction with many funds, eventually he left. It was at the time when the Pope asked for divorce with his wife Catherine. During his rule Henri built and owned many houses, but not as important as Hampton Palace was. In 1838 the queen Victoria made palace Hampton available for the public.

Windsor  Castle
Windsor Castle is the largest  occupied castle in the world. Its history goes back more than 1000 years. William the Conqueror (Vilém dobyvatel) founded this castle in the 11th century. Sovereigns are housed for more than 900 years. The Queen is seated here, who welcomes all official and unofficial visits. The castle includes a large park with an area of 26 acres. Massive towers and ramparts of the castle make the fortress impregnable. When the British flag is up the round tower, then the Queen is present.

Westminster Abbey
The abbey is a beautiful gothic church, listed in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Since 1066 there have been  all English kings crowned. In April 2011 Catherine Middleton married Prince William. Abbey is also used as the burial place of many monarchs, statesmen and historical icons as Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin etc. We find a very valuable collection of historial documents, books in the abbey which are used for study the history.

London Parliament
The Houses of Parliament,which is also known as the Palace of Westminster, is the seat of the House of Lords and also the House of Commons. The complex is located in the center of town on the left bank of the Thames. The history of London Parliament building dates back to the 11th century, when it was built in association with the English monarch Eduard III. In the 19th century Parliament was greatly damaged by fire. During the Second World War, Parliament was bombed several times. The Houses of Parliament has more than thousand rooms. Every year there is the political season initiated with the speech of the British monarch.

Kensington palace
Kensington area was still the village in the 17th century. The residence known as Nottingham House bought King William III. of Orange. The palace required a complete reconstruction, which was done by a famous London architect, sir Christopher Wren. The Queen Victoria was very related to the palace, because she was born here and her  ascension to the British trone happened here. In the 20th century it became the seat of Prince Charles and his wife Diana. Currently Prince Williams and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge Kate with their children live here.

Tower of London
Tower was originaly a royal residence, but in the 16th century served as a prison. The premise of the Tower is also a place of execution. There was Anne Boleyn, the wife of King Henri VIII, executed. The legend of the ravens says: if the six ravens (krkavců) leave the Tower, it wil be the dounfall of the British monarchy.

Tower Bridge
Tower bridge has crossed the river Thames since 1886. The construction lasted 8 years.
The main architects were Horace Jones and John-Barry Wilf. At the time the bridge was one the best technical building construction in the world thank to sophisticated lifting system. The year 2000 gave the bridge opportunity to control it remotely.