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A city, a metropolis, a capital, and… a forest! That’s right, London is many things, and yes, it can officially be called a forest. To find out why you’re going to have to take the London tour on the GlobeTrott Travel app, but in the meantime, let us tease you with some other curious facts about this city.
Small mistake, enormous consequences
We‘ve all heard of the Great Fire of London. But did you know it was caused by a small baker‘s mistake? What started as a spark ended up destroying some 80% of the city. On the brighter side, the Fire became a catalysator for quite a few positive changes. Curious about them? Get on our London tour to find out!
The king of misleading names
It’s not uncommon to see streets with highly misleading names, and the Cheapside of London is one of them. If you do go shopping here, be prepared to spend quite a few pounds on it, though. But if you’re just wondering about the origins of the name, here’s a hint: yes, it was related to shopping and spending money. No, it was not necessarily a cheap place.
The cathedral that has seen it all
It’s impossible to miss St. Paul’s Cathedral while in London, but if you think it‘s tall now, let us tell you about the previous version, which had a striking 150 m spire! The Londoners do love it a lot, though – they’ve rebuilt it five (or even six) times, and the Royal Jubilees are always commemorated here. You probably remember the recent Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, and Victoria celebrated her Diamond one here, too. P. S. If you still can’t let go of that impressive spire, you can find a picture of it on our app!
As old as money can get
The Bank of England isn’t just a beautiful building – it also happens to be the second oldest bank in the world! Naturally, you will probably think it is super old, but in fact, it was only opened some three hundred years ago. Nevertheless, it has acquired thousands of tons of gold since then. And a funny nickname, too – The Old Lady of the Threadneedle Street. Wondering why? Our app has all the answers.
Gherkin vs. Pickle
Ok, we aren’t really delving deep into the topic, but we couldn’t resist the headline. But what we can delve deep into is the Gherkin. An absolutely iconic building, it isn’t just a pretty sight – it is also the first ecological high-rise building in the city, consuming as much as 50% less energy than its counterparts. It’s the smart windows that contribute to energy savings a lot. By the way, don’t fall for the optical illusion and don’t think they’re round – all of them are completely square, except for one. Any ideas which?
We are going to stop here, but we encourage you don’t – these are just five out of fifteen facts you will find in our London guide! And they aren’t even full ones – you’ll get much more information on our app. And we promise you that it will be easy to understand, fun, and entertaining – you’ll feel like your friend is guiding you through the city.
Completing the London guide on GlobeTrott Travel should take you less than two hours, and you will walk just over 4 kilometers. No hiking shoes are required, and taking breaks to admire the city is highly recommended. Get our app and enjoy!
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