The Palace of Westminster, the visiting card of London. London: Buckingham Palace, Parliament, streets of London, where is the Palace of Westminster located

On the banks of the Thames. It is connected to Trafalgar Square by Whitehall Street.

The first palace on this dream was built almost a thousand years ago as the residence of the English kings. Construction began in 1042 on the initiative of King Edward the Confessor, as a replacement for the Tower, a fortified palace in the old part of London. By that time, the Tower was surrounded by urban development; it found itself in the thick of life of the London poor, among the poverty and overcrowding of ordinary people.

So, the English monarchs decided to move to a more secluded place.

The swamp on the banks of the Thames next to the Benedictine monastery turned out to be secluded. The swamp was drained and a new royal residence was built in 1042. Forty-five years later, Westminster Hall was built for William II the Red, the second son of William the Conqueror, where meetings of the Supreme Court of England and coronation banquets were held. It was the most elegant building in Europe.

At the end of the 14th century, Westminster Hall was rebuilt. The talented London mason Henry Yevel laid out the walls. Royal carpenter Hugh Erland took part in the construction of the famous wooden floors.

This is one of the most grandiose medieval halls known in the architecture of Western Europe. The area of ​​Westminster Hall is 1800 square meters. Its height is 28 meters. The wooden roof does not have any supporting pillars. The hall's 21-meter-wide span is spanned by exposed carved oak rafters, which rest on a complex system of strongly forward wooden brackets.

In Westminster Hall, one is amazed by the impeccability of proportions, the integrity of the composition and the beauty of the lines of the carved design. The wood of the ceilings has darkened over the centuries, and now they seem immersed in a mysterious twilight. The space of the hall is flooded with silvery-lilac light penetrating through the colored stained glass of the pointed Gothic windows. The British say that in any weather the walls blow cold. Everything reminds of the antiquity of the hall, of the events that once took place in it.

From the 14th to the 19th centuries, for five hundred years, Westminster Hall had mainly two purposes: it was the hall where the Supreme Court of England sat, and the place for coronation banquets. Its history is closely connected with the history of England. All the major trials of these five centuries took place here. In this hall, the death sentence was pronounced for Charles I, Thomas More, and Guy Fawkes, who led the “gunpowder plot.” In Westminster Hall in 1653, Oliver Cromwell was proclaimed Lord Protector of the English Republic, and eight years later, after the restoration of the monarchy, Cromwell’s remains were removed from the grave, and his head was displayed on the roof of the same Westminster Hall.

Westminster Hall ceased to be the center of the turbulent events of London life already in the 19th century. Cloth and book dealers, whose stalls at the end of the 17th century brought noisy bustle to the walls of the hall, were forever expelled from the hall. A Courthouse was built in the City, and the last coronation banquet took place in this hall in 1832.

And this hall has survived to this day. It is almost a thousand years old! Westminster Hall in London is the best and most expressive monument of medieval secular architecture.

It is connected to the Parliament building, built in the 19th century, by the portal of St. Stefan.

Until 1529, English kings lived in the palace. Already in the first centuries of its existence, the building began to perform another function. It all started with the fact that eighteen barons, who were in opposition to royal power, in 1215 forced the English king John the Landless to sign the Magna Carta, which marked the beginning of the English constitution. A few years later, one of the opposition leaders, Baron Simon de Montfort, convened the first English parliament. For a long time, Parliament did not have its own residence: it had to hold meetings either in Westminster Hall or share the Chapter Hall of Westminster Abbey with the monks. Only after the Palace of Westminster ceased to be a royal residence, the English Parliament in 1547 received its permanent meeting place in the palace in St. Stephen's Chapel.

This was not very convenient, since the entrance to the chapel was through Westminster Hall, where the Supreme Court of England sat. Despite these inconveniences, the House of Commons met in St. Stephen's Chapel until the fire of 1834.

The fire of 1834 almost completely destroyed the palace. Only Westminster Hall and the Tower of the Jewels, which were built in the 14th century to store the treasury of Edward III, survived.

It was decided to build a new palace on the same site. According to legend, this decision was largely determined by the location on the banks of the Thames, since the Parliament building, in the event of popular unrest, cannot be surrounded by a revolutionary crowd.

Of the ninety-seven projects submitted to the competition, ninety-one were completed in the Gothic style. The project of the architect Charles Barry (1795-1860), a young architect who had already attracted attention with a number of buildings, was recognized as the best.

Only the preparatory work before the start of construction took three years - terraces had to be built along the Thames. The architect carried out the construction of the palace in 1840-1888. together with Augustus Welby Pugin, building the parliamentary complex in the neo-Gothic style. The British Empire built for its parliament a building of rare pomp and size even by the tastes of that time.

The Palace of Westminster, now simply called the Houses of Parliament, is currently one of the largest buildings in the world. The following figures are amazing: 3.2 hectares of area, 1,200 rooms, 5 kilometers of corridors, 100 stairs.

Despite its size, the Parliament building is not overwhelming in size. The correct proportionality of the main volumes of such a significant structure deserves admiration. From a distance, the broad scope and almost classical severity of its facades makes a great impression. The Parliament is especially beautiful in the evenings, when its towers and spiers, flooded with spotlights, clearly appear in the dark sky. Its unique identity is given by two towers, asymmetrically located in the northern and southern parts of the palace. The mighty Victoria Tower, square in plan, and the huge clock tower, together with a small turret with a spire placed above the central hall, not only decorate the palace, but also with their height balance the enormous length of its facades.

The architect Charles Barry owed much of his success in the construction of the Palace of Westminster to his collaboration with O. Pugin, an enthusiast and expert on English Gothic architecture. Being an excellent draftsman, passionately in love with the art of the Middle Ages, O. Pugin also participated in the development of details of the palace facades. It was thanks to his inventive imagination that the facades of the Palace of Westminster and its towers were decorated with intricate stone carvings.

The most famous tower is often called Big Ben. This is actually St. Stephen's Tower. And Big Ben is the name of a bell specially cast for the tower. As often happens, later the tower itself began to be called “Big Ben,” which became the hallmark of London.

This tower was conceived as a clock tower, and it was decided to install a clock and a bell on it, which would be the largest in the world.

Seven years passed between the moment this decision was made and the start of work. Over the years, a number of projects were considered, and in the end the commission settled on the project of Edmund Beckett Denison, who promised that all requirements would be met. The clock and bell created according to his design remained the largest in the world for a long time.

The tower is equipped with a clock mechanism that is highly accurate.

When creating the Big Ben clock, the commission set a condition: the advance or lag of the clock mechanism should not exceed one second per day. Most watchmakers argued that this requirement, given the development of technology, is unrealistic. However, Edmund Beckett Denison was able to produce such a mechanism in five years. Its weight is 5 tons, and the accuracy required until the Second World War. During the war, due to bombing, the accuracy violation increased to 2 seconds per day. Using a one-penny coin, which is placed on a four-meter pendulum, they figured out how to adjust the movement of the mechanism.

The clock of St. Stephen's Tower is sometimes called the “main clock” of the state. Having four 9-meter dials, the clock was constructed under the direction of the famous astronomer Eri. Time is struck by an hour bell, which weighs almost 14 tons. This is the famous Big Ben!

True, the bell, due to the pursuit of weight, began to fulfill its functions only on the third attempt. Cast by Edmund Beckett Denison using the latest technology from the latest alloy, the 16-ton bell broke after the first blow. Two months later, the bell cracked due to the tongue being too heavy. And only from the third time, when all the parameters were taken into account, the bell began to fulfill its functions. The fight of Big Ben is constantly broadcast on English radio stations. Millions of people hear it on the radio every hour.

Where did this name come from - Big Ben, or "Big Benjamin"? There are three versions today.

Most often, the origin of the name is associated with Benjamin Hall, a construction foreman. His height was great.

According to the second version, the bell was named after the then popular boxer Benjamin Count. His fists were big.

According to the third version, Benjamin Hall, nicknamed Big Ben, was the name of the chairman of the parliamentary commission (there is an option that this was the name of the Minister of Public Works). The discussion on the topic “How to name a bell” took too long. After Benjamin Hall's long speech on this topic, no one understood the essence of his proposal. At the end of the speech, while the speaker was catching his breath, one of the listeners, in order to save the situation, suggested calling the bell “Big Ben”! Those present, delighted by the unexpected rescue, applauded.

Big Ben is not the tallest tower of the palace - its height is 96.3 meters, while the height of the Victoria Tower is 102 meters (according to other sources - 98.45 meters).

During the construction of the Victoria Tower, it was taken into account that its purpose was to store parliamentary documents. Its external and internal structure had to be fireproof. It was necessary to take into account the sad experience of the events of 1834, when all the documents except the Jewels in the tower were burned in a fire. The design of the walls was quite bold for those times - a cast-iron frame surrounded by masonry. The first stone for the tower was laid by Queen Victoria herself.

The Victoria Tower forms the royal entrance to Parliament. During the session, the British national flag is raised on it.

Parliament consists of two houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The northern part of the building, with the Victoria Tower rising above it, is occupied by the House of Lords and the premises associated with it by the parliamentary ceremony.

The monarch ascends the Royal Staircase to the Norman Portico and from there enters the Hall of the Royal Robe. The Royal Robe Hall is still decorated with paintings by William Dick, which depict historical scenes from the reign of King Arthur. Passing further, through the Royal Gallery, where statues of English rulers are installed - from King Alfred to Queen Anne - the monarch passes into the Prince's room with a sculpture of Queen Victoria, and then solemnly enters the House of Lords.

The House of Lords is the most ornate room in Parliament. Decorative techniques found in the interior decoration of the entire palace reach their culmination here. Stone and wood carvings, many frescoes and paintings - the best masters created to fill this hall for many years, turning into centuries. The ceiling is completely covered with images of heraldic animals, birds, flowers, etc. Colored stained glass windows are inserted into the windows. A royal throne with an inlaid canopy, rows of benches covered in bright red leather, eighteen bronze statues of the barons who obtained the Magna Carta from King John, standing in the niches between the windows - this is what you will see when you visit the famous hall. In the House of Lords, parliamentarians are divided into two categories - lords temporal and lords spiritual.

The majority in the chamber in past centuries belonged to the Lords Spiritual - representatives of the Church of England. Currently, the advantage is on the side of secular lords, who bear the title of baron or baroness. As in former times, the Speaker - the Lord Chancellor - sits on a woolsack. This tradition recalls the time when England, as the world's main wool producer, exported this valuable commodity. An interesting fact is that recently wool from other Commonwealth countries has been added to the bag.

In the southern half of the palace, which is crowned by Big Ben, is the hall of the House of Commons. It is decorated much more modestly than the House of Lords. The walls are decorated with red oak, and at the top there are balconies for spectators and the press. Benches upholstered in green leather are provided for deputies. To the right of the speaker are representatives of the ruling party, and to the left are representatives of the opposition party. Not far from the entrance is the speaker's chair, surrounded by an iron grille. Red lines are drawn between the rows of benches. The distance from line to line is two sword lengths. This is also a tradition, the distance is such that the venerable parliamentarians do not reach each other with blades. Anyone who crosses the line is considered to have attacked the opponent.

During World War II, German aircraft destroyed the House of Commons. The new reconstruction was led by Gil Gilbert Scott. Restoring the palace was a difficult and expensive process, as the highest quality wood was required. During the restoration work, the general Gothic character of the architecture was preserved. But the finishing details carved in stone and wood, and many furnishings that previously formed a single stylistic complex with the entire room, were not repeated. The artistic integrity of the appearance of the hall was further disrupted by the introduction of lighting spotlights of modern forms. The restoration dragged on until 1950.

Between the House of Lords and the House of Commons there are several halls and corridors. The Hall of Peers is decorated with the coats of arms of the six royal dynasties. From here you can get to the Central Hall, which has an octagonal shape. As in the Royal Gallery, there are sculptural portraits of the royal family. In the center of the palace is the oldest part - Westminster Hall.

In addition to the main halls, the palace has many rooms for commissions and committees.

The Palace of Westminster has been open to tours since 2004. During the tour you can see the royal gallery, the royal dressing room, the debate chamber and, at the end of the tour, Westminster Hall, the same one that was built in the 11th century. Here visitors can view an exhibition dedicated to the history of parliamentary democracy in England and visit the souvenir shop. Such an excursion can only be taken from August 6 to September 16 of each year, during parliamentarians' holidays.

But you can attend meetings of the House of Lords or the House of Commons throughout the year, every day, except weekends. After the check, you will be given reminders with a list of what you should never do: read during a discussion, applaud and look at parliamentarians with binoculars.

Many traditions are associated with the English Parliament.

In 1605, Guy Fawkes, who led the Gunpowder Plot, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Since then, guards dressed in ancient costumes, with lanterns and halberds, search the basements and nooks and crannies of the palace on November 5 of each year, although everyone knows in advance that they will not find any barrels of gunpowder in these rooms. This tradition of searching for attackers continues in the new palace building, built two and a half centuries after the “gunpowder plot.”

Another interesting tradition is observed if the meeting of the House of Commons ends late at night. At the end of the meeting, under the arches of the palace, even today you can hear the exclamation: “Who is going home?” The dark streets of London were far from safe in ancient times, and parliamentarians tried to return home in large groups. And although the Palace of Westminster and the surrounding streets are currently bathed in bright electric lights, and comfortable cars await members of parliament at the entrances, “Who Goes Home?” still sounds like centuries ago. And there are a great many such traditions observed in the Palace of Westminster today. And the most important of them is the annual, magnificent and complex opening ceremony of the parliamentary session with the participation of the Queen, all members of the government and deputies of both houses.

Built in the neo-Gothic style, it stretches along the banks of the Thames for three kilometers. (This reminded me of one of the most famous palaces in Russia - the Winter Palace)

Many can recognize this beautiful palace by one of its towers - the famous Big Ben, as everyone calls it.

It's funny, but many people, when they hear "Palace of Westminster", do not immediately understand what it is about. And no wonder - he is known to everyone as London Houses of Parliament.

It is here that both houses of the British government are located, and here its fate is decided.

History of the Palace of Westminster

The palace was built back in the 11th century for King Edward, who ascended the throne in 1042, and was completed and expanded over several centuries.

Thus, the famous Westminster Hall - the heart of the palace and the most elegant European hall - was built half a century later for William Rufus. Another two centuries later, Henry III added a new chamber to the hall. And on January 20, 1265, a meeting of the first English parliament took place there. This first parliament appointed (and later elected) individuals from the upper classes, the clergy and the aristocracy.

Parliament shared its residence with the royal one for another century, until the royal couple decided to move to Whitehall in 1547, and the Parliament of London became the sole owner of the Palace of Westminster.

The palace continued to deteriorate until... there was a fire in 1834. Fortunately, Westminster Hall and the crypts were preserved, but the main ensemble of the building was badly damaged. Parliament decided to restore its beloved and now dear residence, but at the same time make several adjustments.

It took more than thirty years to restore this masterpiece of architecture designed by Charles Barry, but it was worth it - now we can admire a beautiful example of a palace in the neo-Gothic style.

How to get to the Houses of Parliament in London

Tourists have two opportunities to visit the Houses of Parliament, while for residents of the UK it is much easier - any Briton can contact Parliament with a question, and also visit the palace with a representative of their region. And most importantly, they can visit Big Ben and see the tower from the inside! Envy-envy-envy.

How cool it would be to see this tower from the inside...

Since we are not British citizens, our options are much smaller.

• You can watch the Parliament debates for free from the guest gallery.
• Buy an audio tour to Parliament or a guided tour.

Free debates in Parliament

Anyone can get to the debate by simply standing in line for the event. Debates are held daily from Monday to Thursday, and also during the sitting of Parliament on Friday.

Debates are different. Okay, off to the debate. "Question Time" Only UK residents are admitted who have a ticket issued to them by their regional representative. Those Britons who don't have a ticket, as well as tourists, can attend this debate if there is space left.

On other debates No registration is required, but you will have to wait in a long line. The wait usually takes one to two hours.

Schedule of Parliament meetings

Excursion to Parliament

To the delight of our compatriots who do not know English and do not want to overpay for an individual tour in some agency (if there are any), excursions to the Parliament are also conducted in Russian.

Audio tours runs from 9.20 to 16.30 on Saturdays, from 13.20 to 17.30 on Mondays and from 9.20 to 17.30 from Tuesday to Friday (from July 31 to August 29, from September 12 to October 19 - tours until 16.30) every 15 minutes. Duration - 1 hour.

Guided tours in English are held from 9.00 to 16.15 (except Mondays, on Mondays they start at 13.20) and start every 15-20 minutes.

Tours in other languages are carried out at a certain time 2-3 times a day.

• In French at 10.00, 12.20 and 15.00
• In German at 10.20, 12.50 and 15.20
• In Italian at 10.40, 13.00 and 15.40
• In Spanish 11.00, 13.20 and 16.00
• In Russian at 13.40 and 16.15

By the way, there is another offer for tourists - “Afternoon tea”. Those. You can drink tea right in the Parliament building! This pleasure costs a lot - £29.00 excluding the cost of a ticket for the excursion.

Afternoon tea is held at 13.30 and 15.15. The audio tour should be taken at least an hour and a half before this time, and the guided tour should be taken two hours in advance. It depends on everyone... but to me it seems like a waste.

Cost of visiting Parliament House

Tickets for individual excursions can be purchased at or ordered by phone.

Group excursions - only by phone +44 161 425 8677

Photography is prohibited inside. The rules for visiting Parliament and its news can be found on the official website - http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/

Entering the Houses of Parliament is like touching the history and government of Great Britain. Of course, you won't be allowed to see the entire Palace of Westminster. You can only follow a clearly defined route visiting several rooms:

• Queen's Robing Room
• Royal Gallery
• Prince's Chamber
• House of Commons
• Lords Chamber
• Glossary (Moses Room)
• Central Lobby
• Members' Lobby
• Aye Lobby
• St Stephen's Hall
• Westminster Hall

How to get to the Palace of Westminster?

Metro station: Westminster.

Bus: all with a stop near Parliament Square

On this page you can see all the entrances to the Palace of Westminster, and how to get there.

The Houses of Parliament in London is one of the most beautiful buildings in Great Britain. The Palace of Westminster is huge: it stretches along the banks of the Thames, and the total area of ​​its corridors exceeds 5 km.

But it is much more than a beautiful building in the neo-Gothic style, it is one of the symbols of British power, it is here that the chambers of the British government are located, and the fate of the country is decided here.

History of the palace

The Palace of Westminster has existed for almost a thousand years (they began to build it in the 11th century), although it has been rebuilt many times and expanded significantly since that distant time.

The first palace here was built for Canute the Great, king of England, Denmark and Norway. After another half a century, the building underwent reconstruction, and it was then that the famous Westminster Hall was built, which has survived to this day.

Westminster Hall

This is the most elegant hall and the heart of the palace. A couple of centuries later, a new chamber was added to the hall, where the first parliament of England met in 1265, where it still sits today. At first, members of the royal family also lived in the Palace of Westminster, and in the 16th century they moved to Whitehall, and the building completely came into the possession of Parliament.

Everything went well, the palace grew, grew up and gained its greatness... until a fire broke out in 1834. Then the building was badly damaged, but, fortunately, the oldest part of it - Westminster Hall - was not touched by the fire. After this, the building underwent a global reconstruction; restoration work was carried out by architect Charles Barry, it is thanks to him that millions of tourists and local residents now admire this masterpiece of architecture.

Interesting facts about the Palace of Westminster

Fact #1. The Palace of Westminster has almost 5 kilometers of corridors, 1,100 rooms and 100 staircases.

Fact #2. In fact, Big Ben is not the name of a tower or even a clock, but of a huge bell inside.

The bell was named after construction supervisor Benjamin Hall. According to another version, it is named after the boxer Benjamin Count.

Fact #3. The Elizabeth Tower (in which, in fact, Big Ben is located) had several names: the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, sometimes it was called the Tower of St. Stephen, and in 2012 it was renamed in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II.

Fact #4. No animals are allowed into the Houses of Parliament, with the exception of guide dogs. So there are a lot of mice here. In special cases, horses and police dogs may be allowed here.

Fact #5. Westminster Hall was part of an ancient building that burned down in 1834, where the royal family once lived.

Fact #6. The Palace of Westminster has its own restaurants, library, gym, shooting range, souvenir shops and even a hairdresser's salon.

Fact #7. The building retains many echoes of the past: for example, in some rooms there are still hooks intended for hanging swords, and here you can also see the floor markings on which swords were placed.

Fact #8. The Royal Gallery is one of the largest rooms in the palace.

The official opening of parliament takes place here, as well as receptions of high-ranking officials, important dinners and ceremonies. And once there was a room for trials.

Fact #9. In the meeting room of the House of Lords, all the furniture is predominantly red, while in the House of Commons it is green.

There is also furniture from Commonwealth countries. By the way, the Commonwealth countries adhere to the same tradition: in Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand, the upper house is decorated in red, the lower house in green.

Fact #10. The area of ​​the Palace of Westminster is 112,476 square meters.

Fact #11. The Elizabeth Tower is one of the most visited landmarks in London.

Fact #12. The tallest tower of the Palace of Westminster is the Victoria Tower.

Its height is 98.5 meters. If the monarch is within the walls of the palace, then this can be recognized precisely by this tower: the official flag of the king flutters on its flagpole. On other days the British flag is flown.

Fact #13. The Palace of Westminster is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (along with Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Church).

Fact No. 14. Construction of the Palace of Westminster took 30 years in the 19th century, with periodic funding delays and cost overruns. In addition, two leading architects died during this period. Work on interior decoration continued into the 20th century.

Fact #15. During World War II, the Palace of Westminster was hit by 14 bombs.

Fact No. 16. Within the walls of the palace, obscene language that could offend the dignity of parliament is officially prohibited. Members of Parliament also cannot insult their colleagues or accuse them of anything.

Fact No. 17. The only place where the Queen of Great Britain is not allowed is the House of Commons. This tradition dates back to 1642: then Charles I tried to arrest five members of the chamber for anti-royalist views.

Fact No. 18. Since the 17th century, smoking and drinking alcohol have not been allowed within the walls of the palace.

Britain is administered from the Palace of Westminster in London. This is also known as the Houses of Parliament. Parliament is made up of two chambers - the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The members of the House of Lords are not elected: they qualify to sit in the House because they are bishops of the Church of England, aristocrats who have inherited their seats from their fathers, people with titles. There has been talk of reform in this century because many Britons think that this system is undemocratic.

The House of Commons, by contrast, has 650 seats which are occupied by Members of Parliament (MPs) who are elected by the British public. The United Kingdom is divided into constituencies, each of which has an elected MP in the House of Commons.

Each of the major political parties appoints a representative (candidate) to compete for each seat. Smaller parties may have a candidate in only a few constituencies. There may be five or more parties, fighting for one seat, but only one person - the candidate who gets the greatest number of votes - can win.

Some parties win a lot of seats and some win very few, or none at all. The Queen, who is the Head of State, opens and closes Parliament. All new laws are debated (discussed) by MPs in the Commons, then debated in the Lords, and finally signed by the Queen.

All three are part of Parliament in Britain.

Translation of text: Parliament. The Palace of Westminster. - Parliament. Palace of Westminster.

The British government is located in the Palace of Westminster in London. The Palace of Westminster is also known as the Houses of Parliament. Parliament consists of two houses - the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Members of the House of Lords are not elected: they are members of Parliament because they are bishops of the English Church and aristocrats who inherited their seats from their fathers, titled persons. There is talk of reforming this system in the present century, as many Britons do not consider the system democratic.

The House of Commons, by contrast, has 650 seats. These seats are held by Members of Parliament elected by the British people. The United Kingdom is divided into constituencies, each of which has its own representative (Member of Parliament) in the House of Commons.

Each of the major political parties appoints a representative (candidate) to compete for a seat in parliament. Smaller parties may only have candidates in a few constituencies. Five or more parties may compete for one seat, but only one person can win—the candidate who receives the most votes.

Some parties win many seats, others win few or none at all. The Queen, the head of state, opens and closes parliament. All laws are discussed by members of the House of Commons, then by members of the House of Lords, and finally signed by the Queen.

Parliament in Britain consists of: the Queen, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords.

References:
1. 100 topics of English oral (Kaverina V., Boyko V., Zhidkikh N.) 2002
2. English for schoolchildren and those entering universities. Oral exam. Topics. Texts for reading. Exam questions. (Tsvetkova I.V., Klepalchenko I.A., Myltseva N.A.)
3. English, 120 Topics. English language, 120 conversation topics. (Sergeev S.P.)

The Palace of Westminster has 1,200 rooms, 100 staircases and 5 kilometers of corridors. Anyone can observe the work of the House of Commons and the House of Lords - the parliament premises are open all week at different times of the day. Queue at St. Stephen's Gate and, after passing through several security checkpoints, you can reach the visitors' gallery.

In August and September, when Parliament is not in session, you can take a guided tour of the entire building.

Of the palace towers, the most famous clock tower is the Elizabeth Tower, most often called Big Ben, although this is actually the name of the 13-ton bell that rings the chimes. Big Ben is known throughout the world, and the tower is a universally recognized symbol of London. Perhaps the best view of the Houses of Parliament is from the south side, from the river, and at night the illuminated towers and spiers look extremely romantic.

Story

In the 11th century, Edward the Confessor built the first Palace of Westminster on the banks of the Thames. All the monarchs lived here until Henry VIII, who had to move from Westminster after the fire. Since then, parliament has been housed here. In 1834, the old palace again almost completely burned down, leaving only the Palace Hall and the Jewel Tower. After the fire, it was decided to rebuild the complex and as a result the building acquired its current appearance with the famous Gothic spiers.