Flickr, Matt Greenwood 166

The most convenient way to start this tour is by arriving at the Cutty Sark Underground station. Step outside, and the first attraction on our route is just a stone's throw away.

The legendary tea clipper Cutty Sark is a symbol of the era when the British Empire was the greatest maritime power. Light sailing clippers raced across the waves to China and back, competing to see who would deliver the fresh tea harvest first to the royal table and the finest homes of London.

Cutty Sark is one of only two sailing clippers preserved in their original form to this day. The ship now stands in a dry dock in Greenwich, London, and anyone can inspect it from keel to mast, admire its perfect lines and intricate rigging, and visit the museum devoted to the history of seafaring and the vessel itself.

The unusual story of Cutty Sark began back when it was created in 1869. Captain John Willis commissioned the fastest ship in the world and wanted to give it an unusual name with a hint of the devil about it. The option 'Sea Witch' met with objections from the extremely superstitious sailors. So Willis took another path and named the ship after the heroine of a Burns poem, who danced at a witches' sabbath in a short, provocative shirt ('cutty sark' in Scots means 'short shirt'). According to the poem, when the witch spotted a drunken man spying on the sabbath, she chased after him but managed only to tear off his horse's tail. That is why the figurehead of this unusual vessel is made in the form of a half-naked witch holding a horse's tail in her hand.

Cutty Sark carried cargoes to England until 1922; after that, the ship was used as a training vessel. In 1957 the Queen herself opened a museum on board, and in 2007, after restoration, it was reopened, again with the participation of Her Majesty.

After seeing the famous clipper, head to Greenwich Hospital. We are sure you will have no trouble finding this impressive architectural complex.

The Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich was founded in 1694 by Queen Mary II as a home for retired naval veterans.

The names of two of the greatest architects in British history are associated with this jewel of the architectural ensemble of Greenwich Park in London — Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren. In 1614, Jones erected the central element of the ensemble, Queen's House, one of the first examples of classical architecture in this part of the world, which became part of the Tudor royal palace.

Eighty years later, a complex of four buildings in the English Baroque style grew up around the miniature Queen's House — the Greenwich Hospital for disabled veterans and former servicemen of the British fleet. It is considered one of Christopher Wren's finest works, and he was the founder of a new direction in British architecture. Incidentally, the hospital buildings are included on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Today, Greenwich Hospital houses the National Maritime Museum. Its exhibitions consist of more than two million items related to the history of seafaring and shipbuilding in one of the world's greatest maritime powers. The museum's collections include not only models and drawings of all kinds of ships, but also personal belongings of famous seafarers, outstanding naval commanders, and admirals. Here you can learn about the history of naval battles and the merchant fleet, and also admire paintings by marine artists.

Walking between the main buildings of Greenwich Hospital, you will come straight to Queen's House, and the National Maritime Museum will be on your right.

As an island nation surrounded by water on all sides, Britain was and remains a great maritime power. The navy has always played a huge role for the country. So it is not at all surprising that in the capital of the United Kingdom, in London's most beautiful suburb — Greenwich — the National Maritime Museum was ceremonially opened by King George VI on April 27, 1937.

The exhibitions of this collection are devoted to the stories of brave seafarers, captains, warriors, and explorers, as well as everything connected with the English fleet. In total, the collection contains about two and a half million exhibits, including audio and video materials.

This grand exhibition is represented by collections of navigation charts, antique weapons, ship models, and navigational instruments. The museum library holds unique 15th-century books on maritime affairs, and the picture gallery displays works by great portrait and marine painters. For young visitors, an interactive game will be especially interesting, in which children can, for example, raise a flag and learn Morse code.

The elegant two-story mansion at the center of the architectural ensemble of Greenwich Hospital is the heart of this complex of historic buildings. This small house without elaborate decoration appeared next to the favorite country palace of the Tudor dynasty in Greenwich at the wish of James I's wife, Anne of Denmark. In 1614, the renowned English architect Inigo Jones built the Queen's House estate for the queen in the new Palladian style — simple and laconic. But in 1694, Queen Mary II granted these lands together with the house to Greenwich Hospital for veterans and disabled servicemen of the British fleet.

Another brilliant architect, Christopher Wren, who was building the hospital, decided to make Queen's House the center of a grand complex. The Queen's House stands in full view amid the majestic buildings of Greenwich Hospital; it can be seen both from the river and from the park. Surrounded by buildings with columns, stucco, and domes, it looks charming and modest. In the 19th century, the Royal School for the Sons of Seamen was housed in the building, and it was then connected to the neighboring buildings by covered colonnades.

Queen's House is part of the National Maritime Museum. It displays a magnificent collection of seascapes and portraits by famous artists of the 17th to 20th centuries. For an additional fee, you can also enjoy tea with real English sandwiches on the house's balcony, where English queens once drank tea.

After seeing all the museums, palaces, and mansions, we finally invite you into nature! Greenwich Park is one of the most pleasant places in London. Here, the beauty of nature and the brilliant architecture of majestic buildings combine harmoniously. But it is not only the well-kept greenery and magnificent examples of English Baroque that make this park famous — this place truly breathes history.

In the 15th century, King Henry VI granted 80 hectares of former church lands to his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, who built a small mansion called Bella Court here. The Tudors loved coming to this family nest, around which there were extensive hunting grounds. For the royal family's frequent visits, Greenwich Castle was built here, where the great and terrible Henry VIII was born, as well as his no less great and beautiful daughter Elizabeth I. Elizabeth's successor, James I, gave the Greenwich estates to his wife, for whom Queen's House was built. When later monarchs preferred to live in other residences, the grand complex of Greenwich Hospital was erected around the Queen's House.

Today, Greenwich Park contains a whole series of historic attractions, most of which are united under the National Maritime Museum. Even the trees here are incredibly ancient: there are whole avenues of 17th-century chestnuts, and according to legend, the Queen's Oak gave shade to Elizabeth I herself, who loved walking beside it.

English parks were famous throughout the world for their delightful layouts, luxurious flowerbeds, and beautiful fountains, and Greenwich Park is considered the best of them, so be sure to walk along its shady alleys.

You know, staying in the Greenwich area is not such a bad idea! Yes, it is rather far from central London, but the hotels are cheaper and there are more than enough interesting places for walks.

And if you prefer to stay closer to the center, we recommend reading the review by our expert Anatoly Selyaninov — he has prepared an excellent selection of London hotels!

You cannot visit Greenwich without seeing with your own eyes the very Greenwich Observatory that sets the standard for Universal Time and marks the Prime Meridian.

In the past, every country measured time and distance from its own meridians, but in the age of progress, when international trade became extremely important, it was decided to establish common standards for everyone. The measurements of what was then the greatest maritime power — Great Britain, whose observatory had been founded back in 1675 — were chosen as the point of reference.

The Prime Meridian is marked by a brass strip running through the observatory courtyard. The cherished goal of every tourist in Greenwich, London, is to take a photo standing with one foot in the Western Hemisphere and the other in the Eastern Hemisphere.

You can set your watch with perfect accuracy by checking it against the 'time ball.' This red ball was installed on the spire atop the building back in 1833, and since then it has dropped sharply to the base of the spire every day at exactly 13:00 Greenwich time.

The scientific and research departments of the Royal Observatory were moved farther away from London, because at first the development of the railway interfered with precise measurements, and later the scientists had to flee the war and London's smog, which hindered observations.

Today, Greenwich Observatory has become a museum of navigational and astronomical instruments. Its collection will impress even those who are absolutely indifferent to technology and the exact sciences, because it includes all kinds of clocks, chronometers, and telescopes, some of them many hundreds of years old.

This brings our walk to an end. We hope you liked Greenwich, and that the trip quite far from central London was worth it!