Monuments to visit London

Coming to London and not climbing The Shard is like going to Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower. This extraordinary construction by Renzo Piano is the modern pride of Britain. The building is imposing and magnificent, and the sensation you get once you reach the top is a unique experience. It is the tallest building in Western Europe. When you take the elevator, look up and admire the beautiful images that flash before your eyes. Once at the top, you'll enjoy panoramic views for up to 40 miles around.

A museum in a bunker? Funny idea! Yet it is underground that the museum dedicated to Churchill, the English political figure who marked the history of his famous speeches, is located. At the very place where the British Prime Minister took refuge during the Blitz and announced: "This is the room from which I will lead the war." Nothing has been touched and you will find personal items and work tools as they were used by this great character. Churchill's little sentences have not lost any of their salt...

Home of Sir John Soane, the architect behind The Bank of England. A collector and art enthusiast, Soane amassed dozens of architectural pieces and small sculptures, which he installed throughout his house. Explore the new areas open to the public: catacombs, basement and hall. Overflowing with Egyptian, Roman, medieval and Renaissance curiosities, this museum is a little wonder. By reservation, one Friday a month, at dusk, this museum can be visited by candlelight. A magical atmosphere guaranteed!

The Houses of Parliament are held in Westminster Palace. Here, the House of Commons and the House of Lords of the United Kingdom sit. Originally created by Edward the Confessor in the 11th century, the building has long been used as a royal residence, even if no monarch has lived there since the 16th century. The oldest part of the palace, Westminster Hall, dates back to 1097. The rest of the building dates back to the 19th century because, in 1834, a gigantic fire destroyed the medieval palace, sparing only Westminster Hall, the 13th century crypt and the cloister of the St. Stephen's Chapel. The four-storey palace has more than 1,100 rooms. It is one of the jewels of neo-Gothic architecture designed by the architect Sir Charles Barry, who was largely inspired by the Tudor period. It is within the Westminster Palace that you can also discover The Clock Tower, home to Big Ben. The tower was renamed The Elizabeth Tower in 2012 following the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee celebration. After visiting the Houses of Parliament, you will understand how the United Kingdom Parliament works, how the House of Lords is organized and how the House of Commons is organized. Decorated with picturesque anecdotes, the place is pleasant to discover, the nerve centre of the United Kingdom's political power, still cluttered today with protocols and many traditions. The bright red rooms reserved for the Lords contrast with the bright green rooms of the deputies.

This 60.60 metre high Doric column has great significance for Londoners as it commemorates one of the city's most painful events, the Great Fire of 1666 which devastated the City. The monument stands exactly 60.60 metres from the spot where the fire started, at a baker's in Pudding Lane. The column was designed by Christopher Wren, who was also responsible for the reconstruction of many buildings after the fire. The 311 steps of the spiral staircase can be climbed.

As its original name suggests, the Millennium Dome was created to celebrate the turn of the millennium, and was inaugurated on January¹, 2000. Built on the line of the Greenwich meridian, this immense dome - the largest in the world - lends a futuristic allure to the landscape. In 2005, the Millennium Dome became The O2 and underwent a veritable renaissance. It is now a vast complex comprising a shopping mall outlet, cinema, restaurants and a concert hall hosting the world's greatest artists.

Right next door to the Palace of Westminster, Banqueting House is a resilient presence within Whitehall, remaining the only part of the building not destroyed by the tragic fire of 1698. The fire, started by a maid inadvertently leaving her washing to dry far too close to the fireplace, engulfed much of this magnificent palace. Banqueting House, an authentic architectural treasure, was built by Inigo Jones between 1619 and 1622, one of England's leading classical architects. A testament to the classical style, and more specifically the Palladian style, close to the Italian Renaissance, Banqueting House embodies an aesthetic which, at the time, was totally revolutionary in England.

Comprising a single hall spread over two levels, Banqueting House was long the epicenter of grandiose festivities. In 1635, Charles ^I commissioned Rubens to paint a fresco on the ceiling in memory of his father. But once the work was finished, he feared that the smoke would damage the painting, and the feasts were held elsewhere. It was this same Charles ^I who was beheaded in front of the Palace of Whitehall on January 30, 1639, bearing the brunt of the first English revolution. Rubens' work is the painter's only in situ painting. It features three main scenes: the union of the crowns, the apotheosis of James ^I and his reign. Between 1890 and 1964, the building served as an army chapel and museum. Today, it is occasionally used for receptions.

The building that once housed royal residences now embodies the Houses of Parliament, the prestigious precinct where the UK's House of Commons and House of Lords operate.
Originally built in 1097, Westminster Hall is the oldest part of the building. The rest of the building dates back to the ^19th century, after a gigantic fire destroyed much of it in 1834. Architect Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860) was commissioned to rebuild the building in a neo-Gothic style inspired by the Tudor era. Work lasted from 1840 to 1852. Today, the palace extends over 3.24 hectares and is almost 300 meters long. There are some 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 4.8 km of corridors. It also contains state apartments for the Speakers of both Houses.
On the north facade of the building, atop the clock tower (renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012), Big Ben is also one of the city's symbols. This 13.5-tonne bell stands 96 metres high and was installed in 1859. This iconic London tower is currently undergoing major renovation work. These have been the subject of numerous articles, as they are expected to cost a total of over £80 million, compared with the initial figure of £30 million. The work involves repairing damage caused by a World War II bomb, asbestos and pollution.

Inaugurated by Queen Victoria in 1882, the Royal Court of Justice houses the Supreme Court. George Edmund Street designed the entire neo-Gothic building. The rooms known as the "Bear Garden" with their beautiful panelled ceilings and wallpaper with the Court's emblems are on display. Their name would come from the atmosphere that emerged during the settlement of certain disputes, similar to that of a bear fight. In the main hall, two pillars of a very flowery style and under the arches a column that does not extend to the ground.

The magnificent Hampton Court Palace and its gardens make up a magnificent walk in Surrey, south of London. The place was used in particular as the residence of King Henry VIII. He was the most famous occupant and the first royal owner. We discover the ceremonial apartments, the large hall, the royal chapel. The Tudor kitchen could feed up to 800 people, it is the most important 16th century kitchen still in existence. Outside, the gardens are superb, a rose garden, a French garden and a labyrinth complete the visit.

If you're looking for an original visit, Dennis Severs' house should be just what you're looking for. You'll witness the daily life of a Huguenot family in the ^17th and ^18th centuries. The reconstruction is meticulous, with candlelight and open fire heating. The house has been brought to life by an artist, Dennis Severs, who, until his death in 1999, lived in this atmosphere, in the manner of the ^18th century, without any modern comforts. Every detail has been recreated. Please note that it is strictly forbidden to touch any of the objects!