London, the capital of England in the UK, has a massive selection of world class visitor attractions many of which are the most popular in Britain. 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.
Many still refer to the London Eye as the Millennium Wheel, the reason being that it was built to commemorate then end of the old millenium and celebrate the new. 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.
In 1895, in Earl’s Court, was the Great Wheel of London, a giant Ferris Wheel which could carry around 1,600 people at a time. 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.
Around 3.5 million people take a flight on the London Eye each year making it the most popular paid visitor attraction in London and the UK. The most common reason for taking a trip is to experience one of the finest views across 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. Of course you also get a fantastic view of the Houses of Parliament and the tower containing Big Ben (Big Ben is actually the bell) as it almost appears to be below the Eye.
The London Eye has proved to be a popular spot for marriage proposals and weddings and they now offer special wedding packages. 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.
Taking a flight on this amazing visitor attraction should be top of your list of things to do if you are about to take a weekend break or vacation in London. 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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