England is wonderful and exciting nation in which to take a vacation. England has a large number of| visitor attractions well worth a visit perfectly suited for all tastes. For example the ancient city of York which has been inhabited since the days of the Roman Empire, Torquay (referred to as the English Riviera) and Liverpool (2008’s European City of Culture). If visiting England you really must make an effort to spend some time in London the capital city of the U. K.

London is a most astounding destination to visit, maybe for just a weekend or, maybe for a full vacation. You may be surprised at how many people living in Great Britain who have never visited London, even more surprising when you consider the fact it is usually top of most visitors lists (of the most enjoyable places they went to).

There simply so many things to do and see in London that it is simply not possible to list them all all in one go. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular - The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace is England’s most widely known Royal residence, being home to the Queen of England. The Palace is positioned in the center of London which makes it a natural focus for visitors. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is interesting to see and ever so English.

Buckingham Palace was originally known as Buckingham House. It was originally a large town house, built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the townhouse that forms the main core of the palace as we know it today.

During the subsequent 3 quarters of a century Buckingham House was extended with the construction of an additional 3 wings creating a central courtyard. The primary architects responsible for these constructions were John Nash and Edward Blore. It was also John Nash who was responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.

The famous architect Aston Webb was responsible for the building of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which he re-designed in 1912. Webb together with Sir Thomas Brock, the sculptor, were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial is still seen today.

The Queen has a number of royal residences besides Buckingham Palace. Every year the Queen stays, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, over the Christmas season. Sandringham House is a private royal residence (owned by the Queen).

A further private residence is Balmoral Castle, in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth was in residence at Balmoral Castle when she heard of the shocking incident involving Diana (the ex-wife of Prince Charles).

If you would like to take a break in England you may be pleased to discover that it is possible to find cheap hotels in London without any great difficulty, on the other hand you may wish to stay in more luxurious accommodation and the small selection of boutique hotels in London should be more than satisfactory.