The Tower of London is one of the main tourist attractions in England’s capital. It has played many different roles throughout the country’s history, a palace, a fortress, and a prison.

Like many old buildings, the Tower of London has born witness to many changes in the country, if only its walls could talk, the tales these ones know would, without a doubt, be intriguing. They would tell of the executions they have witnessed, the royals they’ve helped protect and would finally be able to put to rest the mystery of the princes in the tower.

The most protected exhibit within the Tower of London, which has people flocking to it, would be the Crown Jewels. Here, there is the opportunity to learn about the past coronations, in particular that of Queen Elizabeth II, as well as seeing the precious artefacts. Like I said, this is probably the most popular exhibit at the tower, so it is advisable to visit it at the very beginning or very end of your visit when the queue is likely to be the shortest. This trick is one that we used when visiting, and we were able to duck under the ropes all the way to the front of the queue because the crowds had already gone home.

Another popular attraction is “Torture at the Tower”. In this section of the palace, you will find replicas of the instruments of torture used to get information or a confession from the prisoners (like the ones used to torture Guy Fawkes). There are boards of information in front of each display, explaining how they would be used and occasionally famous prisoners that they have been rumoured to be used upon.

If it is visual performances you like, then you will want to time your visit, for every so often there are actors who will dress up and re-enact the different parts of the palace’s history. Though, it can be rather difficult to see these performances if you are at the back of the crowd.

This is definitely a location to visit if you are interested in learning about English history and want to spend time in a lovely location of the River Thames. I would strongly recommend carving out some time in your holiday schedule to visit this attraction due to the numerous different exhibits and events available.