On Ludgate Hill, the highest point in London, shines a magnificent snow-white building that you will fail to imagine anywhere else in the city. St. Paul’s Cathedral, the largest Anglican church in the UK and Europe, was built at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries and still operates.

The current St. Paul’s Cathedral is the fifth in succession. Its predecessors suffered hard luck: almost all the temples burned to the ground in fires, except one, which was destroyed by the furious Vikings. Building a new temple was entrusted to architect Christopher Wren, the founder of the so-called Wren classicism. By the way, the choice of the master turned out to be successful: St. Paul’s Cathedral became an architectural marvel.

Due to its vantage location, colossal size, and impressive 111-meters height, the snow-white building in the English Baroque style doesn’t lose its splendor against the background of modern buildings, standing out majestically. It is a treasure of London’s architectural and religious legacy.

The western facade of the building with the main cathedral entrance has a classic look with a two-level portico and coupled columns as pillars. Two towers frame this arrangement. One has a belfry with twelve bells. In the other, there is a clock with three dials and four more bells, including the largest one ever cast in the country. At the top of the portico, you can see the statue of St. Paul, surrounded by other apostles and four evangelists. In front of the temple, parishioners are greeted by a statue of Queen Anne. She was the British ruler by the time the cathedral was completed.

Initially, the interior of the church was austere and simple, which is quite typical for Anglican institutions. Over time, seven chapels dedicated to various saints, incredible mosaics, statues, carved and iron-cast decor, openwork metal lattices, intricately carved wooden benches appeared here. The dome of the cathedral, an engineering marvel of its time, is decorated with eight frescoes depicting significant scenes from the life of St. Paul.

There are three galleries under the dome: Whispering, Stone, and Gold. The first is another marvel of engineering. Any words you speak here, even in a whisper, will be heard at the other end of the cathedral, thanks to the fantastic acoustics of the place.