The London Eye A Top London Attraction

The city of London, as well as being the capital of the country, has a large number of England’s most popular visitor attractions. For generations London has been a popular vacation destination and much of this interest is due to the immensity of the historical buildings and the unique culture. While many of the visitor attractions found in London have a historic interest, such as the Houses of Parliament, The Tower of London and Buckingham Palace, there are many that are only recent additions, such as the London Aquarium, and the youngest of these is the London Eye.

The London Eye is often referred to as the Millennium Wheel as it was built in 1999 to commemorate the arrival of the new millennium. It was officially opened by the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in the evening of December 31 but, sadly, there were technical issues and it was not opened to the public until March 2000. Standing 135m above London it has become an unmistakable, and highly visible, landmark.

Way back in 1895 the idea had been tested before with the Great Wheel of London, a huge Ferris wheel able to accommodate 1600 people at once. Unfortunately it was demolished in 1907 but today London has a replacement in the London Eye. Although it is not the largest Ferris wheel in the world it can legitimately claim to be the worlds largest cantilever observation tower!

Although the London Eye cannot carry as many people as the Great Wheel of London could it can manage to carry 25 people in each of its 32 capsules. In contrast to a Ferris wheel it is possible to get up and walk around in a pod but you may find that you want to sit down as it takes about half an hour for it to complete a full revolution.

With as many as three and a half million people “flying” on the London Eye a year it is now one of the most popular attractions in London. The main reason people take the trip is to enjoy the most amazing views of London. At the very top you are able to see for about 4 miles which takes in some of the best London landmarks which include St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey. One view which will stay with you is the spectacular view of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben’s clock face.

Many people choose to use a trip on the London Eye as an opportunity to make a marriage proposal and it is actually possible to get married there. In fact there are a number of things available which also include educational aspects for schools and colleges as well as river boat trips along the Thames.

If you are planning a vacation to London or just a weekend break it is well worth taking the opportunity to take a ride on this incredible visitor attraction. If your time in London is limited it is a real time saver as you are able to take in nearly all of the most important London landmarks during the 30 minute trip which is impossible to do any other way (excluding a helicopter or balloon ride).

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