Attractions in England
Take a tour of England! The capital London in particular deserves your full attention. You will be amazed by Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, the world-famous wax museum Madame Tussaud’s, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Pccadilly Circus, Stonehenge near Salisbury in the county of Wiltshire in the south of England, Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England, Chinatown in Manchester, Canterbury Cathedral, Ironbridge, the first iron bridge in the world, but also from the other sights and parks. On a group tour you can also explore other major cities such as Birmingham, Sheffield, Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds or Bristol. Get to know England on a study trip!
Eton College
Old school education
Eton College is a venerable boys’ boarding school near Windsor that has trained many influential British figures – including economist John Maynard Keynes, writer George Orwell, actor Tom Hiddleston, nineteen British Prime Ministers and various members of the royal family, to name but a few to name a few examples. It is a so-called public school, which means it is independent and financed by school fees. With its appreciation of centuries-old traditions, its impressive and historic architecture and its extensive, picturesque parks, it is an obvious destination for study trips to England.
History
Eton was founded in 1441 by Henry VI as a free school for a select few poor boys. After later kings cut the generous budget he had planned for the school, for a long time it had to rely on the support of wealthy donors, with whose help new buildings could be erected, a comprehensive library set up and more students accepted and better cared for over the centuries. From just seventy when it was founded, the number of students grew to over 200 in the 17th and 300 in the 18th centuries to over 1,500 today. The students still wear traditional school uniforms and are divided into houses.
Buildings and lands
The school chapel and the basement of some of the main school buildings date back to the 15th century. The newer buildings are arranged around spacious courtyards and gardens. With their battlements and towers, the red brick buildings look like a castle. Eton College is located in the midst of spacious grounds, large parts of which are designed as parks. This also includes the more than 4000 m² publicly accessible park around Dorney Lake, an artificial lake in which rowing competitions are held – including the 2012 Olympic Games.
Visits and guided tours
A tour of the building is only possible as part of a guided tour. This is often already included in the travel itinerary for England study trips. During such a tour you will learn a lot of interesting facts about the history of Eton College and you will also see the particularly interesting church.
Big Ben
the most famous landmark of London
Whether a study trip or a short city trip on the weekend: a photo with the famous Big Ben in the background should not be missing on any trip to London. The best view of the imposing structure is probably from the nearby Westminster Bridge, or from the Victoria Embankment opposite.
The name “Big Ben” actually only refers to the heaviest of the five bells in the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster, at a good 13 tons, in the middle of the government district of the British capital. But the entire tower was also given this name in popular parlance. Until 2012 it was officially called “The Clock Tower”, which simply means something like “clock tower”. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the throne of Queen Elizabeth II it was officially renamed “Elizabeth Tower”.
Unfortunately only from the outside!
Foreign tourists can unfortunately only see Big Ben from the outside. For safety reasons, tours of the tower are reserved for British citizens. But it is also worth taking a closer look at the landmark from the outside: the tower is around 96 meters high and was completed in 1858 in the neo-Gothic style. Inside is a small prison that was intended for illegitimate members of parliament. However, it was last used in 1880.
The Voice of Britain
Every hour on the hour, the crowd of tourists at the foot of Big Ben gets a little bigger. Because then the famous Westminster chime sounds before the number of hours is struck. “The Voice of Britain”, as the chiming of the bell is also known, became famous, among other things, because the BBC traditionally begins its 6 pm news with the sound of the bell of Big Ben.
How to get there
The best way to get to Big Ben is from Westminster underground station, which is served by the Jubilee, as well as the Circle and District lines.
