Tour of the City of London

The official history of London begins with the Roman conquest of Britain during the reign of Emperor Claudius in 43 AD. By 50, the Roman governor Ostorios Scapula (my favorite name) had established a permanent trading forum on the north bank of the Thames, at its highest point, Cornhill, in the area of the modern City. By the age of 60, Londinium (Celtic word) was the largest Roman settlement in Britain, the central garrison and the main port of the farthest province of the Roman Empire. By 200, Londinium at its peak, the capital of Roman Britain with a population of about 100,000, was governed by magistrates and a city council. Here are built: forum, basilicas, temples, governor's palaces, baths, city grid of streets. Londinium is connected to the rest of Britain by excellent Roman roads, many of which form the basis of modern roads. By this time, a wall has emerged around the city that will set the boundaries of London for the next 1,500 years.

We begin the tour with the Romans, who lived here for four centuries and in 410 were forced to withdraw the troops of the British garrison. How did events develop further, who remains in a well-built and well-functioning city, who takes control and management, how are relations within the city and beyond? Triumphs, ceremonies, trade, epidemics, fires - we will discover layers of the century-long history of the City of London, layer by layer.

We will see the main church of the City - St. Paul's Cathedral. Here we will talk about Christianity, the religiosity of the English and Anglicanism, the great architect, the great people who rest here and the amazing role of this magnificent temple.

Narrow streets, which have retained their names from the past centuries, we reach the City Hall of London, the headquarters of the city government. It is appropriate to talk about the City of London administration and legislature.

We will see the Central Bank of England, the residence of the Lord Mayor, the Royal Exchange and the current London Stock Exchange. This is why London has become the financial and cultural capital of the world.

We will see modern buildings: the oldest insurance company Lloyds (inside out), the building of the business center 30 St Mary Axe (the Cucumber), the tallest skyscraper in Europe Shard (the Shard), the Leadenhall building (the “Cheese grater”), the building of the administration of Greater London – City Hall (the Egg) and others.

We will finish the tour near the old Tower of London and the famous Tower Bridge. Acquaintance with the Tower - the format of a separate excursion (see the description "Excursion to the Tower"). In the tour tour of the City, you will learn the main moments of its history: tragedies, intrigues, weekdays and ceremonial traditions. We will climb the Tower Bridge, capture the beautiful views of the city that open to the eye. I highly recommend visiting the bridge building museum. Informative and beautiful!

In the dock of St. Catherine, in the beautiful tavern The Dickens Inn you can relax, have a delicious lunch and drink fresh ale!

See you soon!

• Visit the archaeological excavations of the Roman Amphitheatre and the Temple of Mithras