London is a city loved by millions, it’s unique personality is build upon its rich history, with iconic landmarks and world class fashion, art and food scenes, you really can’t wonder around London and not come across the city’s attractions, this is why London attracts millions of people every year, some of the most famous landmarks can be found along the south bank and the Thames river. Here our picks for 10 Iconic Attractions To See In London:
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge was build to help with traffic and connect the river Thames with tower hamlets to the north and to the south, Southwark, the bridge was designed by Sir Horace Jone who has to design a bridge that could be risen and lowered to allow ships through, However you can now visit inside the Victorian engine rooms and see a spectacular view and even look down though the glass floor. The Tower Bridge is around 122 Years old.
The London Eye
The London Eye Ferris wheel offers panoramic (360 degrees) view of the city, the cost of the wheel was 700 million and weights a whopping 2,100 tonnes, the best part of the wheel is the fact it never stops moving, it moves around 26 cm per second and for the wheel to do one full rotation it takes around 30 minutes, The London Eye is also the tallest wheel in Europe and stands tall at 135 m, You can see around 25 miles on a clears day from the top, which can give you a perfect view of: The Buckingham Palace, The Thames River, Big Ben & The House of Parliament.
Houses of Parliament & Big Ben
The Big Ben & The House of Parliament are one of the most symbolic landmarks in London
The House of Parliament is where two of the houses of the parliament of United kingdom conduct their sittings, where laws governing British life are debated and passed, theirs two houses are: the house of lords and the house of commons However before it was a place of governing it was a royal home of kings and queens of England, this is why it’s known as the Palace of Westminster. The building has three towers, the largest and tallest is known as the Victoria Tower, that’s around 98.5 Meters tall and 323 feet high.
The construction of the clock tower was build between 1843 and 1858, the height of the tower is 316 feet which makes it the largest clock tower in the world with four faces, every fifteenth minutes the tower chimes and can be heard for up to five miles around, The minute hand on Big Ben weighs about 220 pounds and is just over 12 feet long. Every year, the hand travels the equivalent of about 118 miles.
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus was built in 1818 to connect the regent street with Piccadilly, it’s a busy place meeting place and is full of tourists, its well known for its massive displays and neon signs placed on the corner of buildings and a memorial fountain and statue, what makes it popular also is the fact that its surrounded by notable buildings and shopping areas such as the London pavilion, criterion theater also a underground tub station.
St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral is located on the ludgate hill, the cathedral is an Anglican cathedral, that’s styled by Sir Christopher Wren, it was once the tallest building in London for around 300 years, right now the cathedral seats the bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London, the cathedral also provides tours for visitors to enjoy with experienced guides.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the United kingdoms Sovereigns, its also the administrative HQ of the Monarch, the Palace has 775 rooms, which includes 19 state rooms, 52 royal quest bedrooms and 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices & 78 bathrooms. The state rooms are open to the public every summer, visitors can view the rich building architecture, also part of the tour you get a free audio guide about the palace.
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a popular place for visitors to meet up and enjoy the iconic stone lions, the square has a lot of activities going on such as cultural events, performances, shows and special activities, you also find the biggest Christmas tree during the winter holiday. The Square was built on the line of communications between the Mall, Pall Mall East, St Martin’s Place, the Strand, and Whitehall. The square was named after the battle of Trafalgar.
British Museum
British Museum offers a collection that spans over two million years of history, you can enjoy the unique comparison of treasure of world cultures, some of the objects are Rosetta stone, Assyrian lion hunt reliefs, Three human figurines, Egyptian mummies and so much more, The Museum was founded in 1753 however the museum didn’t open to the public till 1759. The courtyard at the center of the British Museum was one of London’s long-lost spaces.
The Shard
The shard is one of the more new attractions to London, the construction of the shard began 2009 and ended in 2012 however the view from the shard was open to the public on 2013, it was designed by Renzo Piano. The shard has 11,000 glass panels and stands tall at 309.7 meters, It is the 87th tallest building in the world and the tallest tower in United Kingdom.
Shakespeare’s globes
Shakespeare’s globes is a reconstructed threader, the original theater was built in 1599 however due to fire it was destroyed and then got rebuilt and now seats around 1,400 spectators. You can also find exhibition about Shakespeare life and work during the tour.
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Other Attractions you might like:
- Museum of London
- Westminster Abbey
- Science Museum
- National Gallery
- Royal Albert Hall
You can also visit this website for a 360 degrees look at some of London’s most icon attractions.
External Link: 360.visitlondon