TRAFALGAR SQUARE

Description

Essentials about Trafalgar Square in brief

If there is such a thing as the center of London, then it is Trafalgar Square. Together with Piccadilly Circus, which is only a short distance away, Trafalgar Square is the most famous and busiest square in London, and with a length and width of about 110 meters each, it is also the largest public square in the British capital. Life pulsates here every day: This is where locals and tourists meet, where demonstrations are held, where people browse flea markets and where the city’s biggest party is held on New Year’s Eve.

The location of Trafalgar Square

Due to its central location, Trafalgar Square is a very popular starting point for sightseeing. Some of London’s most important and famous streets converge here: Whitehall Street from Westminster, The Mall from Buckingham Palace, Pall Mall from St. James’s Palace and the Strand coming from the City of London.

The Nelson Column on Trafalgar Square

The site of today’s Trafalgar Square was once home to the stables of Westminster Palace. After they were moved to Buckingham Palace, the square was redesigned in the mid-19th century according to plans by English architect Charles Barry. The name of Trafalgar Square commemorates the naval battle of Trafalgar, in which the British fleet led by Admiral Nelson defeated the French and Spanish fleets in 1805. Nelson himself was mortally wounded in the battle. His statue was immortalized on a 51-meter-high granite column in the middle of the square. By the way, the height of Nelson’s column corresponds to the height of his flagship HMS Victory from the keel to the top of the mast. At the foot of the column are four bronze lion sculptures cast from confiscated French cannons.

Other sights on Trafalgar Square

The two fountains, created in 1845 and renovated in 1939, are very popular meeting places in the square and are also used as seats in good weather. The north side of Trafalgar Square is occupied by the National Gallery, one of the most important art museums in the world. Another sight of the square is the Baroque church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, built at the beginning of the 18th century. With its tower set on the portico, it was considered a sensation at the time and was often copied, especially in the USA.