London is a pretty amazing city by anyone’s standards.
It is home to world class culture, fantastic institutions, and stunning attractions.
If you’re planning a visit then book a room in the wonderful Montcalm Royal London House for a gorgeous room in one of the best spa hotels London has to offer. Take advantage of the amazing London hotel packages on offer right now!
Now let’s take a look at some mind-blowing facts about London that you can use to impress your friends as you explore the city.
1 . London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom.
2 . It was founded by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago as a 1 square-mile walled city and was originally named Londinium. Enjoy the stunning Roman ruins still found in the area from the comfort of your central Montcalm Hotel London City.
3 . London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with over 300 languages spoken by its 9 million inhabitants from every corner of the globe!
4 . The London Underground, also known as the Tube, opened in 1853 making it the oldest underground railway network in the world, and it serves over 1.3 billion passengers each year. It has over 400 kilometres of track and serves 272 stations all across London.
5 . London has four UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, the Palace of Westminster, and Greenwich.
6 . The River Thames flows through London and is the longest river entirely in England- meaning it does not cross a border.
7 . Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the British monarch and has 775 rooms- and you can visit the interior for a tour in the summer months!
8 . The London Eye is the largest Ferris wheel in Europe and offers views of up to 25 miles on a clear day- it is actually still the largest cantilevered wheel in the world.
9 . The Houses of Parliament contain over 1,000 rooms and 100 staircases.
10 . The Big Ben clock tower at the Houses of Parliament is actually the name of the bell, not the tower itself- this is a mistake made by pretty much everyone visiting the city, so you'll be forgiven for doing it!
11 . The Tower of London is home to the Crown Jewels, which are worth an estimated £20 billion, and features some of the largest and most impressive gems on earth.
12 . The first public zoo in the world, London Zoo, opened in 1828.
13 . The oldest public park in London, St. James's Park, dates back to 1603.
14 . The British Museum contains over 8 million objects and is one of the largest and most comprehensive museums in the world.
15 . London was, until very recently, the world's largest financial centre and has a GDP of over $700 billion.
16 . The London Stock Exchange is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world.
17 . The London Marathon is one of the largest and most famous marathons in the world, with over 40,000 runners. The entire city closes for the day as the route passes through some of the city's most iconic areas.
18 . The Shard, which stands at 1,016 feet tall, is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, and one of the tallest in Europe.
19 . The oldest wine bar in London, Gordon's Wine Bar, dates back to 1890 and is still in operation to this day.
20 . The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden is one of the most famous opera houses in the world.
21 . The world's first public lending library, Chetham's Library, was established in Manchester in 1653, but the first free public lending library in London was the Wandsworth Public Library in 1889.
22 . London has been the setting for many famous movies, including Harry Potter, James Bond, and Notting Hill. You can tour the city in search of the locations- Harry Potter spots are everywhere!
23 . Tower Bridge, one of London's most iconic landmarks, is a combination of a suspension bridge and a bascule bridge. It is one of the most famous bridges in the world, and watching it open is a spectacular sight.
24 . The Gherkin, a famous skyscraper in London, was built in 2004 and is known for its unique shape.
25 . The London Zoo was the first zoo in the world to use hidden barriers instead of cages to separate the animals from visitors.
26 . The Royal Albert Hall, which opened in 1871, is one of the most famous concert venues in the world- but it had terrible acoustics for the first years of its life!
27 . London's West End is the largest theatre district in the world and attracts millions of visitors each year.
28 . London's iconic red telephone boxes were designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in the 1920s. Many are now repurposed as libraries, defibrillators and mini-museums.
29 . London is home to many famous museums, including the British Museum, the National Gallery, and the Victoria and Albert Museum- as well as many smaller, but just as good ones!
30 . The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed most of the city, including over 13,000 homes and 87 churches, and Sir Christopher Wren was charged with rebuilding many of the city's most impressive structures, like St. Paul's Cathedral.
31 . The Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge, opened in 2000 and had to be closed just two days later due to wobbling caused by pedestrian movement- talk about oversights!
32 . The first public electric lighting in the world was installed in London in 1878, on the street between Holborn Viaduct and Snow Hill which was a very affluent neighbourhood- the rest of the city had to wait!
33 . The City of London is a separate entity from the rest of London and has its own laws, its own mayor, and even its own police force.
34 . The iconic black cabs, also known as Hackney Carriages, are required by law to be wheelchair accessible, and the drivers must pass a test that demands they memorise around 30,000 streets.
35 . The first traffic light in the world was installed in London in 1868, near the Houses of Parliament.
Incredible London
So there you have it, some stunning and fascinating facts about a truly gorgeous city.
See the sights and explore the streets, before returning to your hotel to choose the best spot for dinner at one of the fantastic Finsbury Square restaurants surrounding it.
