ENGLAND

England is the largest and richest country of Great Britain. For the most part its territory is flat or hilly. There are upland regions in the north and in Devon and Cornwall. The capital of England is London, but there are other large industrial cities, such as Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester. Other very interesting and famous cities are York, Chester, Oxford and Cambridge.

Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. This ancient circle of stones stands in South-west England. It was built between 3000 and 1500 B.C. and it measures 30 metres across. It is made from massive blocks of stone up to 4 metres high. Why is was built is a mystery. Some people think it was used for pagan religious ceremonies, others consider it was a huge calendar used by Druids.

Not far from Stonehenge stands Salisbury Cathedral. It is a splendid example of an English Gothic Cathedral; it has the highest spires in England and it was built in the 12th century. Inside the cathedral there is one of the copies of the Magna Charta and also the oldest clock in England.

The Lake District is a lovely region of lakes and mountains in Northwest England, in a region called Cumbria. England’s largest lake, Windermere and highest mountain, Scafell Pike, are here. The Romantic poets Wordworth and De Quincey lived here and were called the Lake Poets.

OXFORD

Oxford is the oldest university of England and one of the most famous cities in the world. It stands on the river Thames 90 km northwest from London. More than 120,000 people have their homes here but the population of the city is much larger due to a great number of students who come to study here and thousands of tourists visiting it all year round.

LONDON

London is famous for many things. Tourists come from all over the world to visit its historical places, such as Cathedral, which has a huge dome, and the Houses of Parliament, where you can see and hear the famous clock, Big Ben. They also come to visit its theatres, museums, and many shops, such as Harrods, where you can buy everything.

Like many big cities, London has problems with traffic and pollution. Over 1.000.000 people a day use the London Underground, man cars are on the streets.

The air isn’t clean, but it is cleaner than it was 100 years ago. Until the Clean Air Act in 1956, London was famous for its fog or ‘smog’, which is a mixture of smoke and fog.

LONDON SIGHTSEEING TOUR

London is one of the largest cities in the world. About seven million people live here. London is more than two thousand years old. London’s most famous sights are Tower Bridge, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and St. Paul’s Cathedral. You’ll see all these places and much more of London from our red double-decker.

We start from Trafalgar Square. On the column in the center there is a statue of Admiral Nelson who defeated the French at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. To the left of us you can see the National Gallery. It has a fine collection of European paintings.

Now we are coming to Piccadilly Circus. It is the meeting point of six streets.