Our London

From the world's most famous phone box to the oldest underground system, here are our favourite ten things to see in London...

1. The most famous clock in the world.
"Big Ben" is the name of the bell inside the clock. But most people call the tower Big Ben. The bell chimed for the first time in 1859. Today it only stops for repairs. Big Ben is next to the Houses of Parliament. So the Members of Parliament have no excuse for being late for work...

2. The most iconic phone box in the world.
The red phone box is one of the most famous British symbols. The colour red was originally chosen to make them easy to see, and today you still find some red phone boxes in London. Tourists love to take photos of themselves inside them.

3. The biggest ferris wheel in Europe.
The London Eye welcomes more than 3.5 million visitors per year. It opened in 1999 and has fantastic views of the city. There are 32 capsules... one for each of  London's 32 boroughs.

4. The most famous jewels in the world.
The Crown Jewels are on display at the Tower of London. They are protected by guards called "Beeefeaters". Inside you can see the Imperial State Crown, with more than 3,000 diamonds, pearls, sapphires, emeralds and rubies.

5. The most popular guards in the world.
The Queen's Guards are the soldiers who defend the official royal residences in London. People come to see them at Buckingham Palace, especially for the "Canging of the Guard" ceremony. They wear bearskin caps and they must not smile...

6. The oldest underground system in the world.
London Underground is 150 years old. It opened in 1863 and was the world's first underground transport system. Circular tunnels called "tubes" were dug under the ground. That's why Londoners say "the Tube"!

7. The most luxurious store in the world.
Harrods is great for Christmas shopping, but the store is spetacular all year round. It has 90,000 m2 of space on seven floors. The Harrods motto is "Omnia Omnibus Ubique", which means "All Things for All People". But its merchandise is quite expensive

8. The most delicious snack in the world.
Afternoon tea is a snack that Londoners have at 4 pm. The ritual comes from the rich English classes of the 1800s. It consists of tea served with milk and sugar. There are also little sandwiches, cakes and delicious "scones". Today, you can enjoy afternoon tea in a tea shop or a nice hotel. Every year, one London hotel wins the Top Afternoon Tea award.

9. The largest natural history collection in the world.
The Natural History Museum has a 26-metre-long Diplodocus skeletton called "Dippy". It's an exact copy of fossilized bones found in Wyoming, USA. There's also an extinct dodo, meteorites from Mars and material from Darwin's voyages. More than 70 milion specimens are in the museum.

10. The largest clothes shope in the world.
Topshop clothes are chic and affordable. Each day, 30,000 customers come to its enormous London store to try the latest fashions. The store also has a nail bar, a tailoring service and a hair salon. Cool!