A Tower.

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Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, better known as the Tower of London was build in Middle Ages along the river Thames. It was used as castle, strong house, royal palace and prison for prisoners of the upper class. More over the coin, the city archive, the armory and a observatory was placed there.

Until Jacob the first all British Kings and Queens were living there from time to time. It was common practice that the monarch would sleep in the Tower the night before coronation and would ride in festive procession through the city to Westminster.

Today the British crown jewels are stored in the Tower, also a rich historical collection of arms and armour.

Wilhelm the conqueror ordered to build the White Tower at this place. It was supposed to secure the supremacy of the City of London and further regions to the Normans.

Expansion over the years

In the following centuries the castle was constantly expanded. It is surrounded by a wide moat. An outer wall is protecting the inner buildings. In the middle of the terrain there is the so-called White Tower almighty Keep. From a distance it seems to be quadratically, but three of the corners do not build a right angle and all four sides are of different length.

Today the Tower is a tourist attraction, since the British crown jewels are displayed here. But also the buildings itself, the collection of arms and armour and a last bit of the city wall of the antique city Londinium, what London was called in the Holy Roman Empire are making this place worth a visit.

World Cultural Heritage

By reason of its historical importance the UNESCO announced the Tower 1988 to world cultural heritage.

As postcard-attraction maybe more known but historically and functionally completely independent is the close-by Tower Bridge, which was named after the Tower. It was completed after eight years of construction in 1894.