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Trafalgar Square is one of the most impressive attractions and is often considered the center of London.

1. The square is named in honor of the British victory, led by Admiral Lord Nelson, at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.

2. The Nelson’s Column dominates the square and was built to commemorate Lord Nelson in 1843. The column measures 56 meters with the Statue of Nelson 5.5 meters above.

3. The Nelson’s Column is guarded by four huge bronze lions sculpted by Sir Edwin Landseer in 1868.

4. The square was once known as home for thousands of pigeons. People fed them and their numbers increased considerably. In 2003, Mayor Ken Livingstone banned their feeding and the market gradually began to empty and now is almost pigeon-free. Now there are concerts and public events in the square.

5. The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square in every year is a gift from the Norwegian government. This tradition is in honor of Britain’s involvement in helping Norway during World War II. The tree offered is between 18-21 meters high and is decorated with about 500 white lights. As part of the tradition, Christmas lights are hung vertically instead of circularly, around the Christmas tree. If you want to see the lights on, this always happens on the first Thursday in December.

6. The fountains in Trafalgar Square were introduced later than the square itself. Not part of the original design of the square, the fountains were introduced by Charles Barry in 1845 to discourage large gatherings and protests. The two original fountains made it difficult to form crowds and were replaced in the early twentieth century. The original fountains were given to the Canadian government and are now found in Ottawa and Regin.

7. No matter where you come from, it is easy to find the distance to the UK capital online. The exact location of London is marked as Charing Cross station. Charing Cross is technically the center of London for computers.

8. The square is home to the smallest police station in the world, located southeast of Trafalgar Square. In 1920, this police station had a telephone line to help visitors contact the local police station, but it is now used as additional storage space for the council.

9. The National Gallery is located north of the market. Founded in 1824, it includes one of the most impressive collections of images in the world, including works by artists such as Rembrandt and Raphael.

If you want to find out about Tower of London, check out our article on this topic: 12 interesting facts about Tower of London.

[Photo from Pixabay]