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London is an incredible city, a fabulous host for tourists. Steeped in history, this great city is full of culture and art. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Classic and bold at the same time, there is no other city that beats the aura of London. Here are some interesting facts about London:

1. You can visit Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet

On King Charles Street you can visit a museum and the secret bunker with the war room. The space is divided into several rooms where the movements of Great Britain during the Second World War were planned and decided.

2. The queen’s guards are true soldiers of the British army

Those guards who are in a booth or standing outside Buckingham Palace and its surroundings, are not a tourist attraction nor are there as a symbol or mere protocol, they are professional soldiers who are part of the British Army and who possess firearms to defend the royal family.

3. Big Ben is not what you think

The name Big Ben is not the name of the clock, but the bell that is inside the famous tower. The tower as such was officially called Clock Tower, but in 2012, on the occasion of the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II began to be called Elizabeth Tower.

4. The house of Sherlock Holmes

On Baker Street, there is a house-museum dedicated to the memory of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes. The house is set in his stories and you can visit it every day.

5. The highest building in the European Union

The Shard, opened in July 2012, is the tallest building in the European Union. It has a height of 309.6 meters and in the upper part there is a viewpoint that you can climb.

6. Distinguished passenger of the London Underground

Mark Twain was one of the passengers aboard the inaugural trip of the central line of the London Underground in 1900.

7. There is a pet cemetery in Hyde Park

It began in 1881 when a doorman from Hyde Park named Mr. Winbridge allowed a couple who visited the park daily with his pet named Cherry to bury her here when she died. The small gravestone says “Poor Cherry. Died April 28 1881”. It is not easy to find the place, it is behind the Victoria Gate Lodge, adjacent to Bayswater Road.

8. Until 1916 you could buy cocaine and heroin at the Harrods counter

The Harrods Stores sold even gift packs designed to support the boys in the front during the First World War that contained morphine and cocaine. Drugs that were used even for things as common as catarrhs or congested noses.

9. The Peter Pan hospital

JM Barrie presented all the rights of his work Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in 1929, shortly before his death in 1937. Great Ormond Street Hospital receives all the royalties every time a production of the work is carried out, as well as the sale of Peter Pan books and other products.

10. The only street where you drive from the right side

The famous The Savoy Hotel in London has a small access road where you drive on the right side. Contrary to what is customary throughout Great Britain.

11. There is no capsule no. 13 in the London Eye

Although the London Eye has 32 capsules, for reasons of superstition they have been numbered from 1 to 33. The number 13 has been left out.

12. Rooms of Buckingham Palace

The Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. It includes 19 state rooms, 52 reals and dormitory rooms, 188 staff rooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. There are also 1.514 doors and 760 windows.

13. The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree

Each year, the inhabitants of Oslo, Norway, offer the city of London a red fir. It is a tradition since 1947 which is done thanks to the people of London for their help during the Second World War. Every year the lights of this tree are lit in the Trafalgar Square.

14. Being a taxi driver in London

To get a London taxi license, you have to show that you know by heart every street and landmark in the city. This test is called “The Knowledge” and a driver needs up to four years to master it.

If you want to find out about the best places to go out in London, check out our article on this topic: London nightlife: Best places to go out.

If you want to find out how is the weather in London, check out our article on this topic: What is the weather usually like in London?

[Photo from Unsplash]