Tower of London

All travelers who can’t wait to discover Foggy Albion will be amazed by a wide range of attractions waiting for in Great Britain. The Tower of London is especially popular and in favor of both tourists and local citizens due to its rich historical past. A tower in the reality is a magnificent fortress located on the northern bank of the Thames river.

A mysterious and alluring place

Though England is rich in tourist destinations, this construction is one of the oldest in the country. The Tower of London is by right considered to be the historical center of Great Britain. If you dig deeper into the history of this mysterious (or even dark) place, you can discover many fascinating facts. Thousands of tourists head to this spot to touch the oldest building in England and get acquainted with the inexplicable facts from the past.

Rich history

This tower used to be raising over the Thames back in the period of the Norman Conquest of England. Throughout its long history, it wore many masks. It used to be a royal residence, a treasure house, a mint that produced money for the whole country. However, the fortress had some less serious responsibilities as well. Once, it hosted an observatory and a zoo within its walls. Many people found out that plenty of the best prisoners of the Kingdom were waiting for their verdicts here and hoped for the best when the Tower was a prison. Indeed, no other attraction in London can “boast” of having such a rich past.

The walls of this fortress were exposed to numerous reconstructions. The building itself was rebuilt and reequipped repeatedly. These factors led to the fact that throughout the many centuries of its existence, the fortress had changed its initial look.

The Tower of London today

The fortress is famous for its guards known as Beefeaters. They appeared for the first time in 1485 but still continue to guard the fort’s walls zealously. Ravenmaster is another interesting position here. These are special people who take care of the ravens. From century to century, the birds are the legit residents of the fortress. The keepers are constantly cutting their wings a little for birds not to fly away. This tradition is related to a legend. According to it, the English monarchy shall fall if the ravens leave the tower. Therefore, the keepers have to stick to such radical measures.

Famous Tower Bridge is located nearby the Tower of London. It’s the logical continuation of the complex.

Information for visitors

Address: St Katharine's & Wapping, London EC3N 4AB, UK

Working hours:

• Tuesday - Saturday — from 09:00 to 17:30;
• Sunday - Monday — from 10:00 to 17:30.

Admission fee:

• full ticket — £22,70;
• concessionary ticket — £17,70.