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Four UNESCO World Heritage Sites
London offers free admission to 238 cultural sights and boasts a total of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The British Parliament, composed of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, debates in Westminster Palace. It is located on the north bank of the Thames. Westminster Hall dates back to 1097 and is the oldest part of the palace still in place. One of the main tourist attractions of the Westminster Palace is the clock tower that houses the Big Ben bell.
The Tower of London is one of London’s oldest buildings. Its history has been linked to the British Royal Family for about a thousand years. In the 17th century, James I was the last king that was to live in the Tower. Over the years, several unhappy members of the royal family died here. This is the case for e.g. the Little Princes and deplorable Anne Boleyn who was executed by order of her husband, King Henry VIII. One of the main tourist attractions of the Tower are the British Crown Jewels that are kept here since the 14th century.
Maritime Greenwich
Greenwich lies in east London and is famous for its park as well as various buildings. All of the site is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Royal Greenwich Observatory, through which the Prime Meridian passes, is the key attraction. For many years, the observatory determined the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It was used as a time reference for the world from the 19th century on until it was replaced by the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). UTC time zones continue to be based on the Prime Meridian.
The extensive Royal Botanic Gardens, also known as the Kew Gardens, are located in Richmond in south-west London. It is one of the world’s leading seed centres. Together with the Harvard University and the Australian National Herbarium, the Kew co-operates in the IPNI data base that produces an authoritative source of botanical nomenclature. The gardens are well worth seeing.
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