Buckingham Palast

Anyone visiting London simply cannot get past Buckingham Palace in the borough of City of Westminster in the west of London's historic city centre. A big visitor attraction is the daily changing of the guard of the royal guard. This must-see ceremony, which is one of the oldest and most famous ceremonies in the world, takes place daily at 11:30 a.m. during the summer months. The royal guardsmen march from St. James Place to Buckingham Palace. In winter, the changing of the guard only takes place every other day.

[caption id="attachment_1335" align="alignnone" width="800"] The Changing of the Royal Guard[/caption]

Buckingham Palace was built at the beginning of the 18th century. In the following decades the palace was extended more and more. The prestigious building was finally converted and expanded into a famous royal residence by Queen Victoria in 1837.

In honour of Queen Victoria, who ruled the United Kingdom until her death in the year 1901, the Victoria Memorial is located in front of the Buckingham Palace. Beside the three-storied palace in neoclassical style, the memorial is also one of the most popular photo motives of the English capital. Visitors can tell if the Queen is currently at Buckingham Palace by the hoisted royal flag on the roof of the building.

[caption id="attachment_1334" align="alignnone" width="800"] The Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace[/caption]

Impressive Palace

The 77 hectares of Buckingham Palace with its characteristic sandstone façade and square courtyard also include a large and magnificent garden. Since the early 1990s, this can be visited on a guided tour, as can large parts of the palace - including the Queen's Gallery on the west side of the building and the royal apartments. In total, the 120-metre long, 108-metre wide and 24-metre high palace has more than 775 rooms and a total of 78 bathrooms. In addition, a large swimming pool and a cinema are also located in Buckingham Palace. In total, about 800 people work on the huge palace grounds.

Open to tourists for two months of the year

The royal apartments and gardens of Buckingham Palace are only open to tourists for a total of eight weeks a year in August and September. During this time, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are usually staying at their Scottish country estate, Balmoral. Those interested in taking a public tour should secure the necessary tickets early, as worldwide interest in visiting the palace is very high. One should plan about 2.5 hours for the guided tour of Buckingham Palace. The Queens Gallery is open to the public daily from 10am to 5.30pm. The art gallery that was opened in the year 1962 shows among others numerous valuable paintings of Rembrandt, Canaletto or Rubens. In Royal Mews, the so-called royal stables, the royal fleet with carriages and cars can be visited daily. The highlight here is the famous gilded carriage "Gold State Coach". The Royal Mews is open daily from 10am to 5pm.

Buckingham Palace at a glance