Statues of Famous People in the UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, HK, Australia, S Africa and more

Statues of favourite, famous people as well as religious figures and heroes and heroines of mythology are all around.  Let's start with where I am now, writing this in London, England.

London, England

You can sit next to comedian Spike Milligan in a pleasant park in Finchley, NW London, or pose beside author Oscar Wilde right in the city centre near Trafalgar Square.

For inspiration see the bust of Einstein in the sculpture section of the Victoria & Albert Museum. On a fine day, see the outdoor statues. On a dull day see Sherlock Holmes outside Baker Street station and the waxworks in Madame Tussaud's.

Statues In London

Nelson's column is a landmark in Trafalgar Square. You need to set your camera to multiply times three to get more detail. 

The world has many statues of Queen Victoria, royals, world famous figures, and local heroes. 

In London we have statues of Oscar Wilde in the centre, and  Amy Winehouse in Camden. I have a book just on statues of London.

Sigmund Freud sits in Hampstead near the Freud Museum, London, England.

Photo by Mike Peel and another in Wikipedia.

A temporary Freddy Mercury memorial picture is on the Spanish steps at Wembley, London, England, in the autumn of 2026. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4z8mzx7gwo

Shakespeare's bust is outside the free Guildhall Art Gallery in Guildhall Yard in London. 

Engineer Brunel sits on Paddington station. the other side of the station is a small statue of Paddington Bear.

A statue of Abraham Lincoln is in Parliament Square, London, England.

You can also see a bust of Mandela in London, outside the Festival Hall on the South Bank (of the river Thames).

 The Three Graces by Canova in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England, UK

National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh (jointly owned, moving between these two museums), UK

Statues in England

Up north in Manchester, England, is a statue of Chopin at a piano, commemorating his visit to the city in the last year of his life.

A statue of Queen Elizabeth II with her corgi dogs is in Rutland, England.

Another is in Newcastle-under-Lyme in Queens Gardens, England.

Another is on York Minster, in York, England.

Manchester England, has a statue of Abraham Lincoln on Lincoln Square. Recalling the support Manchester gave Lincoln in the American Civil war.

The Beatles statue is in Liverpool.

And politician Margaret Thatcher's statue is in Grantham Lincolnshire, by the Grantham Museum, England.

The statue of playwright J B Priestley, who wrote An Inspector Calls, is on Princes Street outside the Museum of Science & Media in Bradford, England, UK. He was born in Bradford.

Scotland Statues

Statues of Robbie Burns who wrote Auld Lang Syne, sung by people all over the world on New Year's eve, are in Ayr, Edinburgh, Glasgow.

Wales Statues

A statue of Gandhi is in Cardiff, Wales, UK.

A statue of seated Dylan Thomas, poet who wrote Under Milk Wood and poem Do not go gentle into that goodnight, is by the Dylan Thomas theatre in Swansea, Wales, UK.

David Lloyd George, statue standing by Caernarfon Castle, Wales. Prime Minister, credited with introducing the National Health Service.

Statue of Aneurin Bevan in Cardiff, Wales, jointly credited with founding the National Health Service.

Australia's Statues

Questacon (Canberra, Australia): A prominent Albert Einstein statue marks the entrance to Australia's National Science and Technology Centre.

Statues In Canada

A statue of Queen Elizabeth II is in Toronto, Canada.

A statue of Queen Victoria is on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Statues of several Canadian Prime Ministers are on Parliament Path. 

Some statues may have been moved or removed. Check before taking a trip to see them.

Denmark Statues

The Little Mermaid, immortalised by Hans Christian Andersen.

A statue of the author Hans Christian Andersen is in Roseborg Gardens in Copenhagen.

Statues in France

The statue of the thinker is in the Rodin Gallery in Paris, France.

Dreyfus statue, Paris, France.

Burghers of Calais, group statues, in Calais France, by sculptor Rodin.

Statues In Greenland

Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson, explorers.

Australian Statues

Captain Cook statues are in Sydney and Melbourne.

Belarus

Statue of Marc Chagall, famous for his paintings, stained glass windows and sculptures. A statue of him is in

Bosnia Statues

Bruce Lee (Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina): A notable bronze statue of Bruce Lee stands in Zrinjevac Park, erected as a universal symbol of youth, solidarity, and pop culture neutrality across ethnic divides. [1]

Canada - Statues

See a statue of jazz pianist Oscar Peterson seated at his piano in Ottawa, Canada.

A-maze-ing Laughter statue is a popular photo spot in Vancouver.

China - Hong Kong

Bruce Lee Hong Kong: A famous life-sized statue honouring the martial artist stands in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong,

Czech Republic statues

See the statue of author Kafka in Prague. There are several statues associated with Kafka.

Germany's statues

Goethe Monument, Liepsig, Germany.

Walhalla Temple (Donaustauf, Germany): A bust sculpted by Ulrich Uhlig is displayed inside this hall of fame honoring distinguished Germans.

Israel

A replica of the Washington DC monument to Einstein is in the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Jerusalem, Israel. 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Jerusalem, Israel): A bronze sculpture of Einstein created by Georgy Frangulyan stands at the Edmond J. Safra Campus, honoring Einstein's role as one of the founders of the university.

Italy & The Vatican Statues

Outdoor statue of biblical David in Florence, Italy.

The Muses from Classical Antiquity (Roman) in The Vatican Museums, Rome, Italy.

Lithuanian Statues & Busts

The Three Muses statue, Vilnius, Lithuana. Situated above the main entrance to the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre on Gediminias Avenue.

Monument to John Lennon.

Monument to Frank Zappa.

Monument to Leonard Cohen.

Monument to the Vilna Gaon. (Child prodigy and later leader of Jewish community thinkers, who had memorised the entire bible at the age of 9.)

Mexico's Statues

Monument to Christopher Columbus in Mexico City.

Parque México (Mexico City, Mexico): A bronze bust of Einstein sculpted by Tosia Malamud stands in the Condesa neighborhood.

New Zealand Statues

A statue of Queen Victoria is in Auckland, on the North Island of New Zealand.

A statue of Captain James Cook is in Christchurch on the south island of New Zealand. I nearly got run over by a tram, as I was trying to photograph the statue, backing across the road to get it all in.

A statue of Burt Monroe, world motorcycle speed record holder, is shown on his motorbike in Invercargill, the southernmost city on the South Island of New Zealand.

Norway's Statues

Henrik Ibsen, playwright, has a statue in Oslo, outside the theatre.

Statues In Poland

A giant statue of composer Chopin in Warsaw is a landmark which you pass, or stop at, in guided tours of the city.

A statue of pianist Arthur Rubinstein at his piano, 

Portugal

Monument to the Discoveries, has Prince Henry the naviagator and a series of statues of other famous explorers including Vasco da Gama. 

Christ the King.

Russia's Statues

Statue of Lenin in St Petersburg, Russia.

The Three Graces by Canova, neoclassical sculptor (1757-1822) in The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia,

Singapore Statues

Singapore has a statue of Sir Stamford Raffles. 

Many more outdoors statues include a bird, a horse.

I love the children jumping into the water. 

The giant statue of the mythical Merlion spouts water. 

A plaque honours writer Joseph Conrad.

In Madame Tussauds on Sentosa Island you can see Lee Kuan Yew.

South African Statues

Statues of Mandela are everywhere, for example, in Cape Town, 

Nelson Mandela in Pretoria, 

Nelson Mandela in Durban.

Nelson Mandela, in Nelson Mandela Square, Johannesburg 

and more. 

Statues in Spain

A statue of seated Maimonides is in Maimonides Square in Cordoba, Spain.

The Three Muses are in The Prado, Madrid, Spain.

Statue of Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, in Madrid, Spain.

Statue of painter Velazquez in Madrid, Spain.

Monument to Columbus, Salamanca.

Monument to human towers, Tarragona, Spain.

Sweden's Statues

In Malmo, Sweden, you might want to see the jolly multi-person parade of statues in the Optimist Orchestra.

Switzerland's Statues

Freddie Mercury (Montreux, Switzerland): A famous 3-meter bronze sculpture by sculptor Irena Sedlecká stands overlooking Lake Geneva. It depicts Mercury in his iconic 1986 Wembley Stadium live pose. 

Rosengarten (Bern, Switzerland): A statue located in Bern's Rose Garden park commemorates the city where Einstein developed his Special Theory of Relativity while working at the Swiss Patent Office.

William Tell statue, Altdorf, Switzerland.

USA Statues

Visitors to New York are greeted by the giant Statue of Liberty. 

A statue of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point, was placed in Times Square, New York, on September 10th 2026, the first anniversary of his death.

A statue of Scottish poet Robbie Burns is in New York, USA.

Another popular place, memorable and recognizable is the Lincoln Memorial, a giant statue of Abraham Lincoln seated outdoors in Washington DC in the USA. 

Albert Einstein Memorial (Washington, D.C., USA): Created by sculptor Robert Berks and located at the National Academy of Sciences, this massive, 12-foot bronze statue depicts Einstein seated on a three-step granite bench with a paper displaying his equations ($E = mc^2$, the photoelectric effect, and general relativity).

University of South Alabama (Mobile, Alabama, USA): Features the "Einstein Bench," a bronze sculpture depicting Einstein sitting on an outdoor campus bench.

Mount Rushmore in South Dakota is well known. A more recent mountain carving is Crazy Horse.

In the USA another statue of Einstein which you can sit next to is in Los Angeles at the Griffith Observatory.

Bruce Lee in Los Angeles: Famous life-sized statue honouring the martial artist is along the Avenue of Stars.

More Statues Worldwide

Useful Websites About Famous People and Statues

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Hall_of_Fame

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2017/05/wheres-statue.html

https://www.reutersconnect.com/item/artist-sergio-furnari-reveals-his-statue-of-turning-point-founder-charlie-kirk-in-times-square-in-new-york/

https://www.stephenshouseandgardens.com/visit/spike-milligan-statue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Statues_in_Spain

https://www.un.org/ungifts/pianist (About Arthur Rubinstein)

https://www.mayflowercruisesandtours.com/iceland-greenland-erik-and-leif/

See Tripadvisor for top ten monuments or sites in each country, and Wikipedia for statues in each country.

America has many statues, as well as carvings of presidents, not only Mount Rushmore.

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The Shed Restaurant in Notting Hill Gate For Fresh Farm Food, A Fun Venue, And Fun Surroudings

 

Delightful Decor

Amusing decor. Brick walls and wooden tables. I supposed the name suggests a cow shed and I sat opposite a picture of a cow. 

Sizes of Tables and Suitability For Groups

The tables are various sizes and shapes, round, oval or oblong. Sizes range from two-seater small round to a giant oval for a group of six or maybe more. There's no private room for small groups, but you could hire the whole restaurant for a big party.

The restaurant has a small front but stretches back and has a mirror at both ends which makes it seem even larger.

Fresh flowers are on the tables and it is a romantic and original place for a date night for a courting couple or a married couple wanting somewhere new and entertaining. It would also be a good place to bring a friend from overseas to show them that British food can be original, fresh and excellent.

Music was playing when I arrived, and I sat near it to avoid hearing a baby or toddler at the other end. By the time the restaurant filled up I did not notice the music, no trouble talking to my companion or the waiter, although my husband considered asking them to turn the volume down. 

Original fresh food. A real chef. The food comes from their farm, according to what is ripe for picking. The menu changes every day, sometimes twice a day.

Make Sure To See The Set Menu

At lunch time and evening there is a set menu which makes a massive saving. I was offered the a la carte menu. I asked if there was any special of the day and was not given the set menu. But my husband who was parking the car, and invested in a three hour higher priced parking, had found the set menu on the website. The main courses were around thirty pounds, a la carte, but so was the set menu of three courses. For two people, a great saving, or could have ensured we tried all three courses, not just one.

The set menu offered two choices of the starters and main dishes, so, although one was vegetarian, and we are not vegetarian, we had one of each and shared both. No choice of dessert, but we were happy to both have the same.

Our walk back through Notting Hill passing dinky little houses with colourful doors was entertaining. 

We had no time to visit Portobello market, which no doubt saved money and clutter in our home. But if you plan on doing this, ensure you order and eat fast or buy extra time on a parking meter. If you are coming by public transport, a bus stop is outside the door, and the underground railway station is around the corner, so check your options. 

Amusing Toilets

You must see the toilets which are highly amusing. The two cubicles are decorated differently with colourful wallpaper, and cartoons on the toilet lid and seat.

The manager was Italian Giovanni (Italian for John) who speaks perfect English, with a slight almost imperceptible accent, told us that the restaurant is owned by three brothers and they have six restaurants all over London and elsewhere. With a changing menu, you could visit it many times. Or try another of their restaurants for a change of venue. 

Where Next?

Also in the area, 

Portobello Market

The Museum of Brands.

Useful Websites

https://www.theshed-restaurant.com/

https://www.theshed-restaurant.com/private

Humorous Speech Contest, and Celebration with Cake, at HOD Speakers' Club in Harrow. All welcome.

 HOD Toastmasters International Speakers' Group members are having a contest including humorous speeches and table topics (impromptu speeches) on Thursday October 1st, meeting starting promptly at 7.30. 

Later that busy month we are celebrating the club's 25th anniversary on Tuesday October 27th in the evening. Expect to hear from past presidents about our past successes, present opportunities and plans for the future. Of course there will be cake! 

Our usual meeting date is a Thursday evening twice a month, but the celebration will include past and future members, lots of guests, so we have a bigger room. Please contact the club if you want to come to one of these events or both 🍰 so we have enough food and chairs, and maybe a speaking slot for you.

Useful Links

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/hod-speakers-club-107921320861

toastmasters.org/find-a-club

HOD on the Toastmasters International website

https://www.toastmasters.org/Find-a-Club/00002326-00002326

Souvenirs of London - Silly, Jovial, Royal, or Classical Paintings Or Authors, Or Railways

 Suitcase with underground railway stations, tee-shirt, and many more items. Royal family.

From a large shop called Gift Box beside Embankment underground railway station.

Suitcase with a London Underground map at the Gift Box, by Embankment station, under the archway. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Gift Box Britain shop by Embankment station. Photo by Angela Lansbury. 

Their goods from their huge souvenir range at all prices is only sold only in the physical shop. A website at their address sells a smaller number of dearer personalised souvenirs such as key rings and wallets.

Lots of stuff on royalty, and jokey items with waggling heads in souvenir shops such as this one all over central London, around Baker Street station and Green Park station.

Maybe your friends would prefer a famous painting on a tee-shirt, rather than a silly slogan. You will also find large shops offering souvenirs based on classic culture at art galleries and museums and entertainment venues. For example, the Barbican, the Tate Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the South Bank. 

You can usually find the entrance to the shop without going into the museum or exhibition, for which there might be a charge or a queue.

Famous People - Sherlock Holmes, Dickens 

For specialised souvenirs, consider the shop at the Sherlock Holmes museum near Baker Street station. Of course, Sherlock Holmes was a fictional character, although said to be based on a real person.

Consider souvenirs from another home of a famous person such as an author, for example, Dickens. 

Entertainment Venue Shops

You can also find souvenirs at entertainment venues. For example, at Ruislip Lido there is a miniature train you can ride on. For railway enthusiasts shops at both ends of the track, more stuff at the Lido end including buckets and spaces sets for toddlers. This stuff is sold only at the physical site. Their website currently only gives links to other people's websites selling books on the location and history of Ruislip.

If you can't visit, or don't have time for the shop and want to buy souvenirs and gifts after you get home, many attractions and museums have shop websites which are fun to browse. Today I discovered at the South Bank, Genius Playing cards at just under ten pounds sterling £10, showing four categories of writers, and a similar set showing movie stars.

London Themes

More London theme items are available from the London Museum, and the London Transport museum.

The London Transport Museum has tube lines on Tote bags, an umbrella, and even a fan.

Useful Websites

Personalised Items

https://giftbox-britain.com/

Arts and Culture Souvenirs

https://shop.southbankcentre.co.uk/collections/new-in/products/writers-genius-game

London and transport souvenirs

https://shop.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/shop-all-clothing

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Memory Aids for German Words, Swiss German, German/Swiss Hotels and Attractions

Where can you use German? In Europe, Germany, Austria, Switzerland.

The word Bruck means bridge as used in the Austrian city of Innsbruck. Salzburg in Austria means salt city.

Furt means ford, as in the German city of Frankfurt.

Dorf, like the English word thorpe, means village. You see that is German towns like Dusseldorf, and in the English attraction, Thorpe Park. 

 English - German memory aids

Duck - Ente (the duck enters the water)

kite - Drachen  (which you drag along)

German - English memory aids

Drachen - kite

Ente (plural Enten) - duck (ducks)

Words which are the same in German and English

German - English

Disco - disco

Hunger - hunger

Park - park

so - so

wow - wow

Words which are the same English and German

disco - Disco

hunger - Hunger

park - Park (remember capital initial letter for nouns in German)

so - so 

wow - wow

German And English Words Which Look Similar

German - English

Haare - hair

Karten - cards

Musik - music

Selten - rarely (seldom)

English - German Words Which Look Similar

hair - Haare (ha ha, what a lot of hair, remember double a)

(to) help - helfen (help me by putting an f in helfen, en for infinitives, oh f... I need help, from anyone)

cards - Karten (I cart my cards about it the carton Karten, en for plurals)

Matching Word Endings German-English

Der Drucker - the printer

eine Pause - a break (a pause)

English - German Document Ending

document - Dokument

the end - Das Ende

end - Ende (written alone at the end of a document)

In London you can practise your German in Austrian restaurants, with names like schnitzel! Some names are easy to remember, the English alliteration, German Gymnasium, and Schnitzel Heaven, and Engel Bar. Engel means angel.

Albert's Schloss in Soho serves Bavarian Beer. Schloss means castle.

I asked Gemini to translate into German, the castle shop is closed, and I was told,

"Der Schlossladen ist geschlossen." geschlossen = closed (You can also use zu, as in "Der Schlossladen ist zu" for a more casual phrasing).

Since I am planning to visit German-speaking Switzerland next year (2027), I asked for standard German and the variation. The Swiss German sounds simpler and easier, like an English-speaking person trying to remember German.

Ask Gemini told me:

 Here is how to say it in both Standard German and Swiss German (Schwiizertdütsch):

1. "The castle shop is open."

• Standard German: Der Schlossladen ist geöffnet. (or Der Schlossladen ist offen.)

• Swiss German: De Schlosslade isch offe.

---

2. "Is the castle shop open?"

• Standard German: Ist der Schlossladen geöffnet? (or Ist der Schlossladen offen?)

• Swiss German: Isch de Schlosslade offe?

Useful Websites

Languages - learn German using Duolingo online for free with advertisements, or pay to have the lessons without ads. 

duolingo.com

Attractions in Germany

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Amusement_parks_in_Germany

German restaurants in London - actually Austrian

https://www.thefork.co.uk/restaurants/london-c665790/german

I asked AI for German hotel groups, expecting to get one or two names but it gave made this extensive list:

Major German Hotel Groups

Motel One Group: A leading budget-design pioneer known for stylish, high-quality furniture, central locations, and fixed pricing. [1, 2]
H World International (formerly Deutsche Hospitality / Steigenberger Hotel Group): Operates upscale and luxury brands like Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts alongside IntercityHotel and Jaz in the City. [1, 2]
H-Hotels AG: A major family-run German group managing brands like H4 Hotels, H+ Hotels, H Residences, and Houstel.
Dorint Hotels & Resorts: Operates classic upscale full-service hotels and resorts primarily across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. [1]
Novum Hospitality: A fast-growing Hamburg-based group managing numerous midscale and economy properties across Europe, often via franchise partnerships.
Lindner Hotel Group: A traditional upscale hospitality group offering business and resort properties, now partnered with JDC/Hyatt. [1, 2]
Maritim Hotels: A well-established German chain specializing in large conference hotels, city-center properties, and classic beach resorts. [1]
Prizeotel: A design-budget economy brand founded in Germany and later integrated heavily into the Radisson portfolio.

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  Lindner Hotel Group

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  Maritim Hotels

  Maritim Hotels | Book now for the best price!

  Maritim Hotels have locations in: * **Germany** * **Worldwide** * **City centers** * ** Airports** * **Beaches** Some Maritim Hote...

  
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  Horwath HTL

  Germany Hotels & Chains Report 2022 - Horwath HTL

  Accor: Remains the market leader with 362 hotels and 50,147 rooms. Accor's portfolio includes a wide range of brands across differ...

  

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