add

Monday, 21 November 2011

Windsor Castle - The Royal Family's Weekend Bolt Hole

Looking down from a plane circling Heathrow, the crenelated towers of Windsor Castle are often the first sight of the UK a visitor gets. They are unmistakeable.Windsor Castle - Plan Your Visit to Windsor - The Queen's Weekend HomeWindsor Castle, The Queen's Favorite Home, Seen From the Thames


Windsor is an easy train journey from London. The castle, a short walk from the station, dominates the town. The building itself (not including grounds) covers 13 acres and is the biggest inhabited castle in the world. William the Conqueror picked the site, west of London overlooking the Thames and it has been a Royal residence and fortress ever since - almost 950 years. The Queen still spends most weekends there and, we've heard it is her favorite "home from home".

You can easily spend a whole day visiting. Expect to see:

  • The State Apartments Very grand, ceremonial rooms
  • The Semi State Rooms Because they either overlook the Queen's private apartments, or they are in use for annual ceremonial events, these rooms are not always open.
  • Art treasures from the Royal collection Imagine having family portraits by Holbein, Rubens and Van Dyke.
  • St. George's Chapel Where 10 sovereigns and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor are buried.
  • Queen Mary's Doll House An amazing collection of tiny works of art, book and music manuscripts that is always popular with visitors.
Because Windsor is a working castle, with many ceremonial events, the schedule of openings and the price of tickets is a bit complicated. Best check the Windsor Castle website for the latest information. Even at the full price of £14.50, tickets to Windsor Castle are a great deal. Register when you buy one and you can re-enter the castle an unlimited number of times for a whole year.

No comments:

Post a Comment