Windsor is an elegant town on the banks of the Thames, west of London, famous around the world for its castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and one of the sovereign's official residences. The British royal family took its name from Windsor: in 1917, in the middle of the war against Germany, it dropped the German name of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and adopted the name of the castle.
Windsor Castle
The castle was founded around 1070 by William the Conqueror as a timber fortress on a hill above the river, and since then it has been enlarged by almost every monarch. The visit includes the State Apartments, sumptuous rooms hung with paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck and Canaletto from the Royal Collection, many of them rebuilt after the great fire of 1992, and Queen Mary's Dolls' House, a miniature masterpiece from the 1920s with electric light and running water. St George's Chapel, a masterpiece of Perpendicular Gothic, is the home of the Order of the Garter and the burial place of ten monarchs, including Henry VIII, Charles I and Elizabeth II, buried in 2022 beside her husband Philip and her parents. Prince Harry's wedding took place here in 2018. On many days you can watch the Changing of the Guard. The castle may close on certain dates for official events, so check before you go.
The town and the park
The centre of Windsor, with cobbled streets, shops and pubs, spreads out below the castle. From the hill runs the Long Walk, a tree-lined avenue almost five kilometres long leading into Windsor Great Park, a vast royal park with deer, lakes and the gardens of the Savill Garden and Virginia Water. Crossing the bridge over the Thames you reach Eton, home of the famous school founded in 1440 by Henry VI, which has educated twenty prime ministers; it can be visited at certain times on guided tours. In summer there are boat trips on the river.
Surroundings
A few kilometres away are Runnymede, the meadow where King John sealed Magna Carta in 1215, Ascot racecourse, with Royal Ascot in June, and the Legoland theme park, much loved by families.
Practical information
Windsor has about 32,000 inhabitants. It can be reached by train from London Waterloo in about an hour, or from Paddington changing at Slough in about half an hour; Heathrow Airport is about twenty minutes away. It is one of the easiest day trips from London.
See also the British monarchy, London and British cities.