Westminster is the government and royal area in London. Almost all major buildings of the city are gathered on this one square kilometer and it has unique historical spirit.

1. Banqueting House is a famous architectural heritage from the English Renaissance. It was designed by Inigo Jones in 1625 to serve as a royal entertainment building. It has a remarkable ceiling painted by Rubens and a sign marking the gate which Charles I of England went out through for his execution.

2. The Buckingham Palace is the most monumental symbol of London, Great Britain and the Royal Family. The palace is the London residence of the Queen and the administrative headquarters of the Royal Family. When the Queen is in London the Royal Standard flies above the eastern façade of the building. The former chapel was damaged during the Second World War and after its restoration it was turned into The Queen's Gallery where treasures and art collections are displayed. An interesting routine to be seen is the Changing the Guard in front of the palace every day at 11.30 AM.  

3. Horse Guards Parade is the former tournament ground of the Palace of Whitehall. It is the venue where the annual ‘Trooping the Colour’ ceremony is held. It celebrates the Queen’s birthday on the second Saturday of June and the Queen welcomes the parade herself.

4. House of Parliament is among the most significant landmarks of London. Its clock tower ‘guards’ the square where statues of many historical figures like Richard the Lionheart and Abraham Lincoln are standing. The House of Parliament also known as Palace of Westminster was a Royal Residence from 11th century until 1512 when the court moved to the newly built Palace of Whitehall. The only survivals from the original building are the Jewel Tower constructed in 1365 during Edward III of England and Westminster Hall with its fascinating timber ceiling. The towers of the palace are most striking. Victoria tower is 100 meters in height and stands on the south end. On the other side of the palace is St. Stephen’s Tower commonly known as Big Ben where Big Ben is actually the name of the 13-tons tower bell that rings every hour on the hour.   

5. St Paul's Cathedral in London was designed by Ynigo Jones in 1633. It is one of the most popular landmarks in Covent Garden area and is also known as The Actors' Church for keeping the memorial tablets of many great theater artists. St Paul's Cathedral is one of Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpieces too after he rebuilt and redesigned it in 17th century. Its dome is the third largest dome in the world and can be seen from almost everywhere in city. The cathedral was completed in 1710 after the Great Fire of London when Sir Christopher Wren was given the task to build fifty new churches. He was buried in the crypt of the cathedral and his son left the following epitaph on his tomb: ‘If you seek his monument, look around’. St Paul's Cathedral witnessed many events of national importance such as Winston Churchill’s funeral and the marriage between Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981. An American Memorial Chapel honoring the lives of 28 thousand men and women who died during the Second Word War stands behind the main altar.

6. The National Gallery in London is often ranked the second most important museums in the world after the Louvre in Paris. It is located in a long neoclassical building on the northern end of Trafalgar Square. It keeps artworks of all famous painters from 14th until 20th century such as Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Velázquez and many others.

7. Royal Mews in London operate both as stables and a museum. It houses all state vehicles including the carriage from Her Majesty’s wedding. Some of the Queen’s horses are still kept at Royal Mews.

8. Trafalgar Square is in the central part of London and served as point of reference in measuring the distance to all locations in the United Kingdom in the past. The Nelson's Column located in Trafalgar Square is a famous landmark of the city. It was built to commemorate one of the most popular English war heroes - Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated the French army during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

9. Westminster Abbey is the oldest and most important among all London churches as it is the traditional coronation place for the British monarchs. The Henry VII Chapel from 17th century is very interesting and the twin towers were built in 18th century. The British grave of the Unknown Warrior is placed inside the church to honor the British soldiers killed in the First World War. The Westminster Abbey has another section called the Poets' Corner with memorials dedicated to some of the greatest English writers such as Milton, Chaucer and Shakespeare. The Royal tombs are behind the High Altar where Queen Elisabeth I, Mary Queen of Scotts and Henry V were buried. The Coronation Chair also referred as King Edward's Chair is highly protected in St George's Chapel.

10. Apsley House is the London townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington since the beginning of 19th century. It was designed and built by the architect Robert Adam at the end of 18th century. The interior is still preserved as it was during the time of The Iron Duke (Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington). All his uniforms and armory can still be seen as well as collections of silverware and many works of art displayed in the magnificent 19th century halls. Apsley House is famous also for the giant nude statue of Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker. It is known that Napoleon Bonaparte was the biggest enemy of the 1st Duke of Wellington.

11. St James's Palace is a historical landmark in London. It served as royal headquarters for centuries. Today it is the Royal residence of the Prince of Wales. 

12. The Albert Memorial is a grand London monument built in 19th century to honor Prince Albert - the beloved husband of Queen Victoria I who died at the age 42 in 1861. It was restored to its original glory in 1998.

13. Cheyne Walk is one of the most elegant and most expensive residential areas of London. Cheyne Walk road runs along the Thames and has always been highly admired with its upper scale estates in the Queen Anne style.

14. Hyde Park used to be the favorite hunting ground of King Henry VIII. Nowadays the park remains a calm oasis in the middle of urban London. The same road Henry VIII used on his way hunting is still used by the Household Cavalry.

15. Kensington Gardens are more symmetrically arranged compared to the neighboring Hyde Park. Initially they were planned as the private gardens of Kensington Palace at the time it was the main Royal Residence at the end of 17th century. On the outside, the palace looks like a country house as it was precisely that before William III bought the estate in 1689. Queen Victoria spent a rather miserable childhood and Princess Diana went through a problematic marriage at Kensington Palace.

16. Victoria and Albert Museum in London was founded in 19th century as a Museum of decorative arts. It possesses huge collections of clothing, paintings, applied arts and jewelry from all over the world.

17. Covent Garden is a London district east from Soho. It grew from a poor neighborhood to one of the liveliest and most exciting parts of modern London. The heart of Covent Garden is the old fruit and vegetable market from 1656. Covent Garden is also the home of the famous fictional character Eliza Doolittle from Bernard Show’s play ‘Pygmalion’ and its musical adaptation ‘My Fair Lady’. The Piazza building at the market is now a busy mall with many small shops and cafes.

18. Bloomsbury is a high-end residential area north from Covent Garden with many large and elegant squares from 17th and 18th century.

19. The British Library in London was founded in 1759 and until recent years it was located on the premises of the British Museum. It now has its own new building and its countless items are accessible by the general public. It keeps masterpieces like the Gutenberg Bible, Jane Austen’s novels, the first issue of a collection of Shakespeare's plays, Handel’s musical manuscripts and many more.

The British Museum is the home of vast collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman artefacts, Renaissance jewelry, ceramic and glass ware, coins and paintings from all European stylistic periods from 15th century until today. Some of the most impressive items are the Elgin Marbles that used to decorate the Parthenon in Athens and the Rosetta stone which helped deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

20. City of London is the central business district of London. It lays on the ruins of the important Roman city Londinium. The City was rebuilt countless times over the centuries and now its ancient history and modern live coexist in harmony.

The Museum of London is located near the London Wall which used to protect the major Roman town of Londinium. The museum displays the history of the English capital in various exhibitions. Among its valuable items are the Oliver Cromwell’s death mask, some of Queen Victoria’s crinoline dresses, the Selfridge Art Deco elevators and the carriage of the Lord Mayor of London state coach.

The Tower of London is one of the most visited sites of London. It used to be a Royal Palace and Fortress of the medieval monarchs of England. All British kings from William the Conqueror in 11th century until King Henry VIII in 16th century lived here. The White Tower is the most remarkable buildings in the entire complex. The Royal Armories museum is arranged on the ground floor of the White Tower. It shows collections of weapons and armors. The Crown Jewels is a unique collection of royal regalia used during coronation ceremonies: crowns, gemstones, golden and silver jewelry. The diamond mounted in the Sovereign's Scepter is the largest diamond ever discovered. The crown used during the coronation of Queen Victoria is too kept here. It was made in 1838 and has 3000 gemstones including diamonds and pearls.

21. The Millennium Dome together with other interesting historical and marine attractions are located on the Greenwich Peninsula, around 8 km from the central part of London. Standing on the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) the Millennium Dome is the largest building dedicated to the new millennium. It is 365 meters in diameter and 95 meters in height and looks like a futuristic stadium. Its roof is stable enough for a jumbo jet to be landed. The interior is inspired by the famous Great Exhibition organized by Prince Albert in 1851. One of the most fascinating exhibits is the so called ‘body zone’ where the visitors could go through a giant human body figure with numerous entries and get familiar with how it works.  

The National Maritime Museum is an extremely exciting museum keeping valuable paintings and models of different vessels as well as real-size ships from all historical periods.

At The Old Royal Observatory the visitors can set their feet on both hemispheres at the same time over the Greenwich Meridian. The Observatory was founded in 1675 and displays authentic telescopes and other astronomical instruments.

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