Washington DC , the capital of United States of America , is one of the world's most beautiful and most well planned cities. Since it is the seat of power, all of its monuments and buildings exude majestic aura, be it the Capitol, the renowned White House, the Library of Congress or its various magnificent museums. People throng this city from all corners of the world. You can get a feel of the whole of America ; it's past and present in this imposing city. Its monuments and museums will take you on a nostalgic tour down different epochs of American history. The best part of sight seeing in Washington is that you don't have to pay exorbitant entry fees at each and every tourist spot, as entry into most of them is absolutely free. In this article, I have described some of the best attractions of Washington DC that you should not miss at any cost when you visit this extraordinary and fantastic city. The best way to start the tour of the capital of the most powerful democracy in the world is by paying a visit to the Capitol, home to the Senate and the House of Representatives, where the political, economic and foreign policies of the whole country, including the fate of the whole world (to some extent) is decided. The most distinguishing feature of US Capitol is its magnificent 55m (180ft) white dome. The foundation of the US Capitol was laid in 1793, but it was not until 1800 that the Congress shifted into the new premises, even though only the north wing of this grand building was built completely. The uniqueness of this white-painted dome is that it is visible from all parts of the city. A 5.8m (19ft) Statue of Freedom adorns its top. As a tourist, you can visit and see several areas of the building like the Statuary Hall, the original Supreme Court Chamber and the Crypt (the intended burial place of George Washington and his wife). You can also witness the Congress in session, if you are able to procure an entry pass for the visitors' gallery from your Congressional Representative (if you are an American tourist) or the Sergeant-at-Arms (if you are a foreigner). In case you want to stay in its close vicinity, you can book your accommodation in the Holiday Inn Washington that is situated at a distance of only two blocks from the Capitol. Now, let's move on to the White House that has become synonymous with Washington DC . The home of the first family of America , it is the most famous building not only in this country, but all over the world. So, your visit to Washington DC won't be complete without a visit to this magnificent building. In case you are staying at the Hay-Adams Hotel , the white house will be at walking distance from your hotel. Although, only a small area of this building is open for the visitors, still you will immensely enjoy this experience and opportunity to enter the powerhouse of the USA . Tourists are allowed to enter only eight interior rooms, but the grounds are open for public only on Easter Monday for the traditional Easter Egg Roll, otherwise they are out of the reach of tourists. The Library of Congress, the largest library in the world, is situated in the block east of the Capitol. It houses about 100 million items, including 26 million books, 36 million manuscripts and maps, photographs, music sheets and musical instruments. Several books of this enormous library were gutted to light the 1814 Capitol fire. After that incident, President Jefferson sold his entire collection to the library in an effort to get the numbers back to the original. The finest part of this library is the 1897 Jefferson Building that has beautiful vaulted ceilings and ornate decoration. Two modern annexes are in its close proximity. Many cultural programs are also performed in this library, such as the screening of free classic films, and occasional concerts using the library's five Stradivarius violins. You can spend your time leisurely here because One Washington Circle is situated very close to this place. At the Lincoln Memorial, you can see the imposing 5.8m (19ft) marble statue of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States . This grand statue makes you believe that he is still gazing from the Lincoln Memorial across the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument . This memorial, a marvel of architecture in itself, is styled after the magnificent Greek temples with 36 Doric columns, but it pales in comparison to the impressive statue of Lincoln , sculpted by Daniel Chester French. Inscriptions from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural speech are engraved on the interior walls of this memorial. The nearest hotel from this place that is only eight blocks away is the Lincoln Suites Hotel . Continued-->> |
