{"id":13260,"date":"2013-04-15T10:23:10","date_gmt":"2013-04-15T14:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/?p=13260"},"modified":"2013-05-16T14:42:16","modified_gmt":"2013-05-16T18:42:16","slug":"video-tour-westminster-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/15\/video-tour-westminster-london\/","title":{"rendered":"London Video Tour: Westminster"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aGFOazDaMlY\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"585\" height=\"329\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In our previous London video tour, we explored the modern <a title=\"Video Tour of the City of London\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/11\/video-tour-city-london\/\">City of London<\/a>. In this tour, we\u2019ll take you across the historic area of <strong>Westminster<\/strong>. Westminster is the political center of London. This is made apparent by the fact that Westminster houses the seat of the government, The Houses of Parliament, as well as the residence of the Royal Family, Buckingham Palace.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/maps.google.fr\/maps\/ms?msa=0&amp;msid=208857790003288562267.0004d978f753d6a0a821f&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;t=m&amp;ll=51.496668,-0.140762&amp;spn=0.042748,0.10025&amp;z=13&amp;output=embed\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"585\" height=\"400\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>As you can see on the map Westminster can be seen as one big square stretching roughly from Mayfair and Trafalgar Square in the north to Knightsbridge in the west, and to the River Thames in the east and south. In this article we\u2019ll expand on our video tour and take you to some famous London landmarks such as the Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and more!<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Marvel at The Houses of Parliament<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"img aligncenter size-full wp-image-13262\" style='width:585px;'>\n\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/london-westminster-abbey-palace-house-parliament.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of the Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster, London\" width=\"585\" height=\"389\" \/>\n\t<div>The Palace of Westminster and the Big Ben in London<\/div>\n<\/div>The tour starts at the <strong>Houses of Parliament<\/strong>, also known as the <strong>Palace of Westminster<\/strong>. This landmark is perhaps one of the most famous buildings in London, and as such it is a wonderful place to start your exploration of Westminster. The easiest way to get to the Houses of Parliament is to take the London Underground to Westminster station. Exit through the east exit and you will immediately have the spectacular view of <strong>The Big Ben<\/strong>, or <strong>Elizabeth Tower<\/strong> as it is not called, rising high above the rest of the Palace of Westminster. The beautiful Gothic structure was built in the 19th Century, although a <strong>Royal Palace<\/strong> has stood on this site ever since the 11th Century. Nowadays it is the home of the Parliament, whose members have been meeting on this site for hundreds of years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Westminster Abbey and its Royal Connection<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"img aligncenter size-full wp-image-13261\" style='width:585px;'>\n\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/london-westminster-abbey-palace-facade.jpg\" alt=\"Image of London\u2019s Westminster Abbey\" width=\"585\" height=\"389\" \/>\n\t<div>The fa\u00e7ade of Westminster Abbey in London<\/div>\n<\/div>Just across Parliament Square you\u2019ll find <strong>Westminster Abbey<\/strong>. This impressive Gothic church was constructed almost a thousand years ago. You have to pay an entry charge to go inside, but it\u2019s definitely worth your money to see the interior of the church. You\u2019ll get to see the ancient <strong>Coronation Chair<\/strong>, which is still used for coronations (the last was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953). You can also explore the <strong>Poets\u2019 Corner<\/strong>, where many literary greats are buried or memorialized, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare. When you walk through the nave of the Abbey, you\u2019ll get to literally follow in the footsteps of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who were married at the Abbey in 2011. If you want to find out more about the Abbey, check <a title=\"Visit Westminster Abbey in London\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/06\/visit-westminster-abbey-london\/\">Visit Westminster Abbey in London<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"img aligncenter size-full wp-image-13263\" style='width:585px;'>\n\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/london-westminster-changing-guard-buckingham-palace.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, London\" width=\"585\" height=\"390\" \/>\n\t<div>The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace in London<\/div>\n<\/div>After your visit to Westminster Abbey, cross the square again to Great George Street. Here you\u2019ll find some of England\u2019s famous red telephone boxes. This is a great spot to take a picture, as you\u2019ll get a photo of the telephone box with the <strong>Big Ben<\/strong> in the background. From Great George Street it\u2019s only a short walk west along Birdcage Walk to <strong>Buckingham Palace<\/strong>. When the weather is good it\u2019s nice to sit down at the <strong>Victoria Memorial Fountain<\/strong> where you can get a good view of the entire Palace, which dates back to 1705. If you want to see the famous changing of the guard, be sure to check the times in advance at the <a title=\"Royal Events and Ceremonies\" href=\"http:\/\/www.royal.gov.uk\/royaleventsandceremonies\/changingtheguard\/overview.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Royal Events and Ceremonies website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stay in a Westminster Furnished Apartment<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"img aligncenter size-full wp-image-13264\" style='width:585px;'>\n\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/london-furnished-apartment-rental-westminster.jpg\" alt=\"The living room of a Westminster apartment in London\" width=\"585\" height=\"390\" \/>\n\t<div>A Furnished apartment in Westminster, London<\/div>\n<\/div>The visit to Buckingham Palace will probably have you convinced that Westminster is one of the most stately and beautiful residential areas of London. The neighborhood\u2019s proximity to many famous landmarks and to some of London\u2019s most beautiful parks makes it a great place to stay during your visit to the city. And you don\u2019t have to own a palace to be able to stay in Westminster either: we have many beautiful <strong><a title=\"Furnished Apartments in Westminster, London\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/london-apartment\/furnished\/westminster\">furnished apartments available in Westminster<\/a><\/strong> where you can stay in style! By staying in a <a title=\"Apartments for rent in London\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/london-apartment.html\">furnished apartment<\/a> you\u2019ll also have the opportunity to feel what it\u2019s like to live like a local in Westminster!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Have a Picnic in St. James\u2019s Park<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"img aligncenter size-full wp-image-13265\" style='width:585px;'>\n\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/london-saint-james-park-buckingham-palace.jpg\" alt=\"Image of Buckingham Palace taken from London\u2019s St. James\u2019s Park\" width=\"585\" height=\"390\" \/>\n\t<div>Buckingham Palace seen from St. James\u2019s Park in London<\/div>\n<\/div>Just east of Buckingham Palace you\u2019ll find the oldest and one of the most beautiful of the Royal Parks:<strong> St. James\u2019s Park<\/strong>. The park\u2019s winding pathways, large flowerbeds and lovely lake make it easy to forget you\u2019re in the middle of a bustling city. If you have the time, prepare a picnic at home in your apartment and bring it to one of the sprawling lawns in St. James\u2019s Park. Don\u2019t be surprised when squirrels or even exotic birds come by to see if you\u2019ve packed anything worth eating for them! From the park you\u2019ll also get a great view of the <strong>Horse Guards Parade<\/strong>, which you\u2019ll find at the eastern end of St. James\u2019s Park.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Start Your Daytrip at Victoria Station<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re staying in Westminster, it\u2019s easy to take a daytrip outside of the city. <strong>London Victoria Station<\/strong> is located right at the center of the neighborhood, and offers train service to all kinds of different parts in the country. This coupled with the air terminal, bus terminuses and London Underground station make Victoria Station one of the busiest stations in the country!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Belgrave Square &amp; Westminster\u2019s Traditional Pubs<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"img aligncenter size-full wp-image-13266\" style='width:585px;'>\n\t<img src=\"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/london-traditional-pub-westminster-beer.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of a traditional pub taken in London, England\" width=\"585\" height=\"390\" \/>\n\t<div>A traditional English pub in London<\/div>\n<\/div><strong>Belgrave Square<\/strong> just west of the Buckingham Palace Gardens is one of the most sought-after residential areas in London. The square is surrounded by beautiful white houses that were built in the 1820s. Former residents include members of the Royal Family and famous ambassadors. Many of the houses now house embassies and institutions.<\/p>\n<p>An entirely different side of Westminster is the thriving pub life. The area is simply scattered with great<strong> traditional pubs<\/strong> that serve proper English cooking and have an array of different ales on display. End your day in Westminster by sitting down in a traditional pub like the Grenadier near Belgrave Square and ordering some great fish &amp; chips!<\/p>\n<p>We hope you\u2019ve enjoyed our tour of Westminster and the famous landmarks in the area. What\u2019s your favorite landmark in London?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In our previous London video tour, we explored the modern City of London. In this tour, we\u2019ll take you across the historic area of Westminster&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[143],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13260"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13260"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13292,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13260\/revisions\/13292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nyhabitat.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}