In all likelihood, if you have decided to embark on a summer study abroad adventure, you will want to make the most of your time overseas by cramming in as many attractions into your itinerary as possible. While you may cover most of the basics – and then some – with the planned portions of your international learning experience, you will still want to take a bit of initiative and capitalize on the optional excursions offered to you over the course of your journey. For example, any seasoned traveler will tell you that London is a must-see destination, so you should definitely seize the opportunity to take off to England when it is presented to you, making the Tower of London one of your top priorities in terms of stops.
The Tower of London's long history
If you flip through any travel guide, you are bound to come across numerous recommendations that will prompt you to visit this site, as it is an integral part of British culture and houses a number of essential attractions for you to see. Although this landmark is often referred to in the singular – the Tower of London – it is actually a complex of tens of towers. Over the centuries this massive and imposing building served a wide array of purposes for different members of England's royal line, and you will be able to see remnants of its various functions as you stop by this destination today.
William the Conqueror was the original contributor to the location's construction, as he was the one responsible for building the famed White Tower. At some point in the 1070s, the ruler decided to repurpose a castle he had built on the site of today's Tower of London, replacing it with an immense military structure. Over the next couple of hundred years, royals added on to the building, expanding its defensive mechanisms by including walls of extra towers and even a moat. Because of the high level of security that this structure boasted, monarchs used it as everything from a royal residence to a treasury and arsenal.
Henry VIII's tower of terror
With that said, perhaps the most infamous functions was when the Tower of London served as a prison for King Henry VIII, who would use the site as place to administer punishments to those he condemned. Today, due to these cases, in addition to other instances of violence that occurred within the confines of the Tower, this site is believed to be one of the most haunted places in all the U.K. As you tour this attraction, you may be so lucky as to see one of the many spirits who roam the Tower hundreds of years post mortem.
For instance, perhaps the most famous of ghosts said to call this place home – and that a number of visitors claim to have seen firsthand – is Queen Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII's second wife. In 1536, the royal court supposedly orchestrated a plot against Boleyn, and in May, the queen was charged with adultery, incest and conspiring to murder to the king. She was brought to the Tower of London's green and beheaded. Some tourists have reported seeing Boleyn's spirit at the site of her execution, in the chapel and around the corridors of the building.
Today's attractions
Even if ghosts aren't really your thing, then a trip to this attraction during your study abroad expedition may still offer you a slew of perks. For example, you can get a glimpse at the Crown Jewels, as well as the suits of armor belonging to a long lineage of royals, including those of King Henry VIII himself. If glimmering gems and shining metal aren't enough, you can also see the Brits' Yeoman Warders, better known as Beefeaters, in action.