The British Tourism Authority (VisitBritain) conducted a survey among ten thousand tourists from twenty countries. Respondents were asked to choose the most attractive from a list of 18 proposed attractions in the country.

As a result of the survey, the following rating of the most popular attractions in the UK was built:

Castles of Wales

The survey showed that the first place belongs to the legendary castles of Wales. The feudal lords who once lived here chose the shores of lakes or picturesque plains for the construction of their castles. The local landscapes are so beautiful that 34% of the tourists surveyed strive to see the romantic centuries-old buildings and the stunning nature of these places with their own eyes. The popularity of excursions to Wales is even higher among Russians - 48%. It is worth noting that some of the respondents seek to visit not only the majestic castles, but also the famous Welsh caves filled with stalactites and stalagmites.

Look at Buckingham Palace

During the survey, it turned out that in the list of the most popular attractions in the UK, the second place was taken by the residence of the rulers of Britain in London. 32% of respondents want to see the residence of the Queen of England. Moreover, among Russian tourists this value was 54%. The choice of tourists is not surprising, since there really is something to see here. For the construction of the 18-19th century. went a significant part of the country's budget. The residence of the monarchs has 775 rooms, decorated with intricate patterns of Carrara marble and gold. Around the palace there is a beautiful garden covering 17 hectares.

Spend the night in one of Scotland's castles

The third position in the ranking was occupied by the castles of Scotland. 29.1% of respondents want not only to look at the majestic walls of medieval buildings, but also to spend the night behind these walls. Tourists dream of drinking a glass of wine at a huge oak table by candlelight and settling in for the night in an incredible bed, in which one of the influential feudal lords once slept. Once in such an environment, you can feel like a resident of the Middle Ages or even meet the famous ghosts of Scottish castles. Today, many of the old buildings have been turned into luxury hotels. True, spending the night here is not at all cheap, but for the sake of making a dream come true, it is worth spending money.

See the sunrise at Stonehenge

Lovers of unsolved secrets from the past tend to visit the huge stones of Stonehenge. Moreover, most of the respondents want to meet the dawn here without fail. So, 29.9% of tourists (41% from Russia) dream of the sunrise among the mysterious plates. Crowds of people today head to Stonehenge on June 22 during the summer solstice. The procession takes the form of a carnival, as the audience is diverse, extraordinary, many come in pagan costumes.

Shopping at Harrods

19% of tourists want to shop at Harrods. It is clear that mostly women gravitate towards this type of recreation, but statistics have shown that men are not alien to the love of shopping. Thus, 24% of the surveyed women and 14% of men can be classified as shopaholics. Those wishing to visit famous boutiques are not stopped even by exorbitant prices, because the quality of goods sold in Harrods is considered impeccable. Such a purchase will delight its owner for many years.

English premier league football match

An English Premier League football match is the dream of 27% of men surveyed and only 8% of women. However, it is worth noting that this type of entertainment occupies the fifth position in the list along with shopping at Harrods. Matches usually take place from August to May, with each of the Premier League clubs, and there are 26 of them, playing twice with rivals. In total, the tournament includes 760 games, which should be enough time for women who sent their men to football in order to fully enjoy shopping at Harrods.

Take a whiskey tour of Scotland

At the mention of Scotland, many associate not only with castles, but also with the traditional drink for this country, which is whiskey. Whiskey has been made in Scotland since the 15th century. Today, almost a hundred Scottish productions create this strong drink. The oldest of them are the family distilleries Springbank, established in 1828, Glenfarclas 1865, Glenfiddich 1886. About a million people make a whiskey tour of Scotland every year, and for 15% of respondents, this is the main dream.

Globus theatre"

11% of travelers planning a trip to the UK want to visit the famous Globe Theatre, on the stage of which the unique tragedies of Shakespeare are played out. In our age of electronic information and innovative technologies, thousands of travelers still dream of visiting the famous performances of the theater famous by the English playwright.

Acquaintance with Nessie

Scotland is a country of striking contrasts. Traveling through feudal castles goes well with tasting the best whiskey, after which it is quite reasonable to go to Loch Ness. In this case, the probability of meeting a mythical monster hiding in the waters of the lake increases significantly. 11% of travelers want to visit Scotland to meet a giant monster, which the locals affectionately call "cute Nessie".

In places The Beatles

The Shakespeare Theatre, Nessie and the legendary four The Beatles are located in one place of the table of the most outstanding sights of Great Britain. 11% of tourists plan to go to Liverpool and visit places associated with The Beatles. It is worth noting that older people dream of making such a raid, while young people are more inclined towards excursions to places associated with the famous film about the young magician and wizard Harry Potter (10% of respondents).

Savichev Semyon. School №3, Nyandoma, Nyandoma district, Arkhangelsk region, Russia
Essay in English with translation. Nomination UK and City & Guilds

Would I like to go to Great Britain?

Many people dream of traveling to different countries. Great Britain is one of the best places where people can go to.

I would like to visit Great Britain. There are many wonderful sights there. First of all, I would like to go to the park of entertainments in London.

They say you can see the most distant corners of London from the London eye. Secondly, I would like to go to the Loch Ness Lake where the Loch Ness monster lives. Thirdly, I would like to visit Buckingham palace and to talk to Elizabeth the II, the Queen of England.

But on the other hand, I heard that not everything is so good in Great Britain. On the Internet I read that in London there is criminality. Streets on suburbs of London are dirty and ugly. But the worst thing in Great Britain is weather. It is raining cats and dogs.

I heard many different things about Great Britain. I don't know if they are true. I believe that to know more about this country you should visit it.

Many people dream of traveling to different countries. The UK is one of the best countries to visit.

I would like to go to the UK. There's a lot to see there. First, I would go to an amusement park in London. It is said that from the Ferris wheel you can see the farthest corners of London. Secondly, I would like to go to Loch Ness, where the Loch Ness monster lives. Thirdly, I would like to visit Buckingham Palace and talk to Queen Elizabeth II.

People say that life in the UK is not as rosy as it is made out in books. I read on the Internet that there is a lot of crime in London. The streets on the outskirts of London are dirty and ugly. And the weather in the UK is terrible. It almost always rains there.

I heard a lot about the UK of different things. I don't know if they are true. To learn more about Great Britain, I would like to go there.

London is one of the most visited capitals in Europe along with Paris and Rome. What is it that attracts tourists to go on a trip to London? English traditions and continuity? Royal paraphernalia and a rich history? Fashionable life and dynamism? Mix of cultures and aesthetics of the incompatible? Or maybe diversity and the opportunity to see a little of everything? Today we will name 10 reasons to finally make an independent trip to London.

1. Visit the heart of the current European monarchy

Great Britain is one of the few functioning constitutional monarchies left in Europe, along with Spain and Sweden. But, perhaps, only the English monarchy enjoys such popularity with the press, and the queen and the crown princes of the British throne beat all records in popularity, both among the population of Great Britain and far beyond its borders.

You can join this universal adoration by visiting one of the iconic royal palaces. For example, Buckingham Palace, where the queen lives most of the year, is open to the public from mid-July to mid-September, when the queen leaves to visit her possessions in Scotland.

You can also visit the Tower of London, where royal ravens live and feed, which have been a symbol of the royal court for many centuries. The fortress itself makes an indelible impression, because its history begins in the early Middle Ages. By the way, here, in the Tower, there is also a collection of royal crowns, so the invisible spirit of the English monarchy can be traced here as well.

Finally, we can advise you to visit Kensington Palace, the former residence of Princess Diana, beloved by millions. Lady Dee was a symbol of her era, and countless admirers of her personality still come to walk in Kensington Gardens.

Herry Lawford/flickr

2. Learn and love English traditions

Great Britain is a country with centuries-old traditions. This is exactly the case when once adopted laws and rules are strictly observed for centuries and no one even thinks of changing them. First of all, this refers to the constitutional system of the country, because Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy, on the one hand, ruled by the queen, on the other hand, acting within the framework of the decisions of the English Parliament.

In this regard, the Palace of Westminster is interesting as a historical monument, where the meetings of the British Parliament take place, just as they were held many centuries ago in compliance with all traditions. The building is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city, along with the Big Ben tower that crowns the palace. If there is a great interest in this structure, then if you wish, you can get inside the clock tower and see how its mechanisms work from the inside. The palace itself is divided into several very significant halls - the Royal Gallery, the meeting room of the House of Lords, the lobby of the peers, the lobby of the House of Commons, the meeting room of the House of Commons. All this can be visited with existing excursions.

3. Join the world art

Each of these museums has its own unique collection of exhibits, so any tourist can easily find a museum "of interest". In addition, this is a great opportunity to save on attractions, especially since London is considered a rather expensive tourist destination. However, as you can see, traveling to London can still be on the budget if you know about some of the unexpected "tricks" of the British capital.

Heather Kennedy/flickr

4. Feel the contrasts of the big city

An independent trip to London gives you the opportunity to experience its contrasts and visit those areas and places where there are no standard excursions. To be convinced of the diversity of the big city, it is worth visiting all of its famous districts. For example, the City of London is the heart of business London with its many steel and concrete structures, skyscrapers and architecture of the future. It's even a little strange to hear about the architecture of the future when we talk about classic traditional London, but it's true! It is enough to look at such a miracle of futurism as the Mary Ax tower or City Hall, or the famous Shard.

If, on the contrary, you want to enjoy classic London, then in addition to the central area of ​​Westminster, you should go, for example, to the Covent Garden area, where St. Paul's Church, the National Portrait Gallery and, of course, the Royal Opera House are located.

5. Visit one of the world famous musicals

London is as famous for its theatrical performances as New York Broadway, so coming to London and not attending one of the top musicals means missing out on a lot of the cultural life of the capital. Many musicals are familiar to a wide range of audiences, for example, who hasn't heard of The Bodyguard, Billy Elliot, Jesus Christ Superstar or Mamma Mia? It will be easy to choose a musical to your liking and mood, because there is such a variety of them, but tickets should be booked as far in advance as possible in order to find free and relatively inexpensive seats.

6. Look at the architecture of the city from a bird's eye view

The architecture of the city, without a doubt, is outstanding, but its scale is not always possible to assess "from the bottom up", sometimes a view from above is simply necessary. There are 3 main options from where you can see London from a bird's eye view.

The first option is to take a ride in the London Eye, the local ferris wheel that rotates around its axis in half an hour, and at some point you find yourself hovering over the main sights of central London. Each cabin capsule is glazed with transparent glass, so the view opens up to 360 degrees.

The second option is to climb the galleries of the Tower Bridge. And although the views here will not be the “highest”, but knowledgeable people say that it is here that the most charming angles open up, especially in the evening, when the city lights up with a thousand lights. The height of the gallery is 42 meters, from which central London is visible, as well as the City area.

The third option is to visit the observation deck in one of the skyscrapers of the City of London. For example, the observation deck of the Shard skyscraper is located on four floors, so you can see the city in great detail from here without any problems.

Richard Simms/flickr

7. Experience a lot of purely London entertainment

There are many objects in London, whether historical or sporting, that Londoners are especially proud of. Arriving in London, and you can join the purely London activities. For example, it is no secret to anyone that England is considered the birthplace of football, it is not surprising that one of the best football stadiums in the world - Chelsea Stadium - is located in London. And even if you arrived in London during the football "pause", you can still visit the stadium - with a tour, during which you will be shown the operation of the stadium from the inside, as well as tell the story of the glorious victories of the local team.

The British are also proud of their military victories, because when England was the most powerful maritime power. Today, on the banks of the Thames in the heart of London, the famous warship Belfast, which at one time participated in the Second World War, is moored. You can visit the ship with a guided tour.

Another iconic place in London is the Royal Greenwich Observatory. It is here that the zero meridian passes, so that in the full sense of the word you can be in the West with one foot and in the East with the other. In addition, here you can learn, for example, about the standards by which earthly time is brought into line with astronomical time, how a telescope works and other interesting details.

8. Walk in the footsteps of famous English novels and movies

Are you a fan of Sherlock Holmes or the more modern epic Harry Potter? Then you are definitely in London. Walk around the places where the shooting took place, go to the museum dedicated to the heroes of films and books, take a tour that tells in detail about the little-known details of your favorite movie novels - that's what fans can do. By the way, there is also a free tour "In the footsteps of Harry Potter" in London. For those interested in passwords and turnout: Thursday and Saturday at 2.30 pm, meeting point - Westminster Underground Station, Exit 4.

9. See the "other" London

Seeing a different London means moving away from the main streets and top attractions and seeing an alternative version of London with its avant-garde architectural ideas, modernist moves and non-standard design. Do you want to see London like this? Then take a free tour of The Alternative London Walking Tour, which runs from Monday to Saturday, every day at 12.00 and starts near Spitafield Market.

10. Visit famous London neighborhoods

Alex Brown/flickr

London is an infinitely diverse city where any tourist and traveler can find something interesting for himself. A trip to London can be an opening of new horizons, debunking of myths and just a wonderful pastime in every sense. Read about the practical aspects of preparing a trip to London in our other articles:

Practical and eventful travels for you!

The house where I live has a backyard. From time to time after work or on weekends I paint in oils there and observe the world around me:

1. Nature

The UK is a surprisingly green country. Rains here, of course, are a fairly frequent phenomenon, and against the backdrop of warm sunny days, they actively dominate. But the country owes its nature to the rains. During the year, greenery only changes saturation, but continues to grow and pleases the eye.

When you use the word "picturesque" often, as, indeed, any other, its beauty and power of perception are somewhat dulled. Despite this, it is precisely this definition that will come to mind first when you visit, say, Scotland. Colors, shapes, scales - everything seems to be a little hypertrophied. This should only be seen live.

1. Long summer days for creativity

In the summer in England the days are surprisingly long. It gets dark very late, and from this, more hours “appear” in the day for good deeds. When good deeds are done, I invariably return to the "butter".

1. Shakespeare

If you are not indifferent to the sometimes strange, but at the same time, the works of Shakespeare, which certainly have a subtle meaning, you should visit not only the famous London Globe Theater, where his plays were staged, but also the city of Stratford, where he was born. There is also a theater named after him. By the way, the whole city is "organized" around his genius.

I ended up in Stratford by accident, but instantly I felt like I was transported to the Shakespearean era. Reinforces this impression walking the streets of the city "William", which one day you can meet, if, of course, you are as lucky as I am.

Stonehenge might be a good reason to visit England. Although you need to be careful, because it is said: in order not to be disappointed in your hero, you should never meet him. Judgment can be applied in this context, because after numerous rumors and stories, expectations run the risk of exceeding the essence and value of the place.

1. city ​​foxes

An amazing phenomenon for me, as a city dweller: there are a lot of foxes in English cities. They - just like our street cats - run along the sidewalks. Of course, they don’t let them close to themselves, but I, in general, didn’t really want to. But still, it is quite unusual to see them, sometimes, a dozen during the day.

We have compiled a list of the best places in Britain to visit for the weekend.

Whether you're looking to organize a romantic getaway, a solo adventure, or an impromptu trip for no reason, here are some of the best cities to visit the UK has to offer. We have not included London as it is too obvious.

Cambridge

What to do: go boating on the River Cam, eat street food at foodPark or explore university colleges.

Where to eat: fill up with a burger at , taste the best barbecue dishes at , or grab a bite of the famous Chelsea buns at .

Distance from London: approximately 1 hour by train.

Liverpool

What to do: Book a Beatles hiking tour, climb to the top of the Radio City Tower for great views of the city, or head to Port Sunlight Village for beautiful architecture and parks.

Distance from London: 2.5 hours by train.

baht

What to do: visit the Roman Baths complex, take photos on the Pulteney Bridge or relax in the spa, which has a rooftop pool.

Where to eat: taste the vibrant Vietnamese cuisine at or refuel with pizza at .

Distance from London: 1.5 hours by train.

Manchester

What to do: take a tour of Coronation Street, ride the East Lancashire Railway for stunning views and don't miss the nightlife that Manchester is famous for.

Where to eat: order an excellent curry in , which is known for its unusual interior, and you can have breakfast in

Distance from London: 2 hours by train.

Bristol

What to do: walk the Clifton Suspension Bridge, board the SS Great Britain (a museum ship and former passenger steamer) or explore the hipster neighborhood of Stokes Croft, often referred to as “Bristol Shoreditch”.

Where to eat: go to a historic pub, where you will not only enjoy traditional British cuisine, but also hear many legends about the institution, for example, about pirates and secret tunnels, there is a good selection of Mediterranean dishes, and you can be transported to Italy for a while. By the way, you can have a bite to eat at St Nicholas Market.

Distance from London: 1 hour 45 minutes by train.

Brighton

What to do: wander the lanes of The Lanes and discover indie cafes, music and bookstores, play arcade games at Brighton Palace Pier (also called Palace Pier) or visit the magnificent Royal Pavilion.

Distance from London: 2 hours by train.

Winchester

What to do: admire one of the largest cathedrals in the country, walk along one of the most beautiful national landmarks in the UK - The South Downs Wow trail and time your trip so that you get to the two-week farmers' market - one of the largest in the UK.

Where to eat: a charming English restaurant dating back to 1425.

Distance from London: 1 hour by train.

Durham

What to do: walk along the River Wear, walk to Durham Cathedral for great views or visit the beautiful botanical gardens.

Where to eat: the best hot chocolate of your life you can taste in