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Sightseeing in London - Referat
Sightseeing
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. We invite you to a sightseeing tour through London! Our first destination will be Westminster Abbey. But before we will reach the church we have to cross the Tower Bridge. It is one sight of our trip, too.
Now I will tell you some interesting facts about this complex. Tower Bridge is one of the famous sights of London. It has stood over the River Thames since 1894 and it took 8 years and the labour of 432 construction workers to build the Tower Bridge. The style of this building is called ,, neo-Gothic style” and it is the same as Tower of London. Nowadays, the bascules are still operated by hydraulic power, but since 1976 they have been driven by oil and electricity rather than steam. If a tall ship comes along the Thames, the Bridge is able to open in one and a half minute. In the two towers there are 300 steps to reach the Tower Bridge Exhibition where you can enjoy breath-taking views from the high-level Walkways and learn about the history of the bridge and how it was built. Tower Bridge Walkways have specially designed windows, giving visitors a unique opportunity to take photos of the views. Unfortunately we have no time for a visit.
But we give you the opportunity to take a ship over the River Thames. Please follow us!
We arrive at Westminster Abbey where our tour goes on.
The most famous and very big church in London is called “Westminster Abbey” but its right name is “The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster”. Everyone calls the big building complex Westminster Abbey because in former times there lived monks. Edward the Confessor built a church for the Benedectine monks in the Norman form of Romanesque. But some people say that Westminster exist since 7th/8th century. Later Henry III gave the commission to reconstruct the building because it should be a place where the monarchs would have been burried. After that there were a lot of works at the church. The name of the fantastic architect was Henry Reyns. Nowadays there are 400 monuments of graves and 3000 tables to remember. There are every year 4 Mio. visitors who have a look at a lot of graves, for example of Winston Churchill (+ 1964) or Charles Dickens. Besides there are some statues in front of the church like the statue of the politician Winston Churchill or the American President Abraham Lincoln and of course the very popular bell tower Big Ben which is a emblem for London. Here are some technical data you should know: only the church is 156 m long, 61 m wide and 30 m high. But Westminster Abbey is not only a tourist place. Since christmas in 1066 when Wiliam the conqueror was crowned, every monarch´s career started and ended at this place and it is usually the same process since hundreds of years. This aspect show us that tradition is very important in England up to know.
Tradition is the right description for the building which we will pass in a few minutes. It is the Buckingham Palace- the place of residence of the queen. We often heard that people had seen her behind the numerous windows. Curious people can try to discover queen Elizabeth.
After this demanding part of the trip you are able to stay near Piccadilly Circus. You know it certainly from photos and films. Piccadilly Circus is a central London place at the intersection of Regent Street, Piccadilly, Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street. There are opportunities of shopping and having a little break. You are able to sit on the steps in front of the “Eros” statue, too. It’s official name is “The Angel of Christian Charity” and stands on a fountain. This monument was erected in 1892 for the Earl of Shaftesbury. He was vikctorian benefactor who dedicated his life the poor people class of London. In the surroundings of Piccadilly Circus are many cafés, restaurants, and big shopping centres. In former times Piccadilly Circus was a roundabout traffic.
We hope you had the time to look around at the Piccadilly Circus because now we will visit the Hyde Park.
Hyde Park is one of London's finest landscapes and covers 140 hectares. Kensington and Hyde Park are the biggest parks of London.
Henry VIII acquired Hyde Park from the monks of Westminster Abbey in 1536 for use as hunting grounds. Later in the 17th century the park was opened for the population. Up to now it is a popular place for business people in their free time, for families at the weekend and of course for tourists. In former times Hyde Park was used for military practises.
In the north there is the famous speakers corner where everyone is able to express its own opinion since 1867. “ The Serpentine” a big sea forms the frontier between Kensington and Hyde Park. You are able to sail. Besides you have other opportunities to do some sportive activities like horse riding, cycling, rowing, walking around, having a picnic or something else.
And of course you are able to do these activities until 17 o´clock p.m., too. Then we will meet here in order to go back to the starting point of our trip.
We thank you for your attention and hope you had a good time.
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