Trafalgar Square, London (must see)
Britain鈥檚 most self-important plaza, Trafalgar Square is arguably the closest thing to London鈥檚 beating heart (if London had ventricles paved in pigeons and protest signs). Want the official center of the city? That鈥檚 actually a tiny traffic island called Charing Cross, just south of the square. Yep, all distances to London are measured from there. Not Buckingham Palace. Not Big Ben. A glorified roundabout...
Now, if you're into obscure imperial measurements, Trafalgar鈥檚 got you covered. Nestled behind the caf茅, you鈥檒l find the Imperial Standard measures: inches, feet, yards, chains, perches, poles... basically, the greatest hits of Victorian measuring tape. Originally installed in 1876, they were moved in 2003 when the north terrace was pedestrianized鈥攂ecause who needs traffic when you鈥檝e got trivia?
The square gets its name from the Battle of Trafalgar, a Napoleonic showdown where Admiral Lord Nelson heroically defeated the French and Spanish fleets in 1805... and promptly died doing so. 30 years later, the square got its now-famous name. Then, in 1843, they added Nelson鈥檚 Column, a towering tribute built from Devon granite, with bronze panels depicting his greatest hits: Saint Vincent, The Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar鈥攚hich, to be fair, did earn him the naming rights.
By 1868, the stone lions guarding the column were considered too puny for British pride, so the sculptor Edwin Landseer crafted bronze ones instead, with remarkable anatomical precision. Beautiful, grand, majestic鈥攅xcept, apparently, he got one detail hilariously wrong: he sculpted the back of the lions as if they had beanbag backs (real lions don鈥檛 sag like that).
Surrounded by fountains, tourists, and鈥攗ntil recently鈥攁 whole lot of feathered freeloaders, Trafalgar was once London鈥檚 top pigeon hangout. That is, until a mayor declared them public enemy number one and evicted the birdseed dealers. The pigeons, scandalized, have never quite forgiven the city.
Tip:
Plant yourself on the steps, let the sounds of the city wash over you, and watch the sun dip behind Nelson鈥檚 heroic silhouette. Or just use it as your springboard to the rest of London鈥攜ou鈥檙e already at the center, after all.
Now, if you're into obscure imperial measurements, Trafalgar鈥檚 got you covered. Nestled behind the caf茅, you鈥檒l find the Imperial Standard measures: inches, feet, yards, chains, perches, poles... basically, the greatest hits of Victorian measuring tape. Originally installed in 1876, they were moved in 2003 when the north terrace was pedestrianized鈥攂ecause who needs traffic when you鈥檝e got trivia?
The square gets its name from the Battle of Trafalgar, a Napoleonic showdown where Admiral Lord Nelson heroically defeated the French and Spanish fleets in 1805... and promptly died doing so. 30 years later, the square got its now-famous name. Then, in 1843, they added Nelson鈥檚 Column, a towering tribute built from Devon granite, with bronze panels depicting his greatest hits: Saint Vincent, The Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar鈥攚hich, to be fair, did earn him the naming rights.
By 1868, the stone lions guarding the column were considered too puny for British pride, so the sculptor Edwin Landseer crafted bronze ones instead, with remarkable anatomical precision. Beautiful, grand, majestic鈥攅xcept, apparently, he got one detail hilariously wrong: he sculpted the back of the lions as if they had beanbag backs (real lions don鈥檛 sag like that).
Surrounded by fountains, tourists, and鈥攗ntil recently鈥攁 whole lot of feathered freeloaders, Trafalgar was once London鈥檚 top pigeon hangout. That is, until a mayor declared them public enemy number one and evicted the birdseed dealers. The pigeons, scandalized, have never quite forgiven the city.
Tip:
Plant yourself on the steps, let the sounds of the city wash over you, and watch the sun dip behind Nelson鈥檚 heroic silhouette. Or just use it as your springboard to the rest of London鈥攜ou鈥檙e already at the center, after all.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in London. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Trafalgar Square on Map
Sight Name: Trafalgar Square
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in London, England
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Creating your own self-guided walk in London is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
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The Harry Potter phenomenon began with author J.K. Rowling, who famously dreamed up the series while delayed on a train from Manchester to London. With the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher鈥檚 Stone in 1997, the literary world changed forever. Across seven books, readers followed Harry鈥檚 evolution from an orphaned schoolboy at Hogwarts to a brave young wizard confronting evil... view more
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
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Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
London Introduction Walking Tour
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles
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Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles
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The latter has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognizable bridges in the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
The latter has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognizable bridges in the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Jack the Ripper Walking Tour
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The name "Jack the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
The name "Jack the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
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