BKC Solutions Corner

London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, has numerous tourist attractions, many of which are amongst the most popular in the country. 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. Usually you must remain seated when on a Ferris wheel but on the London Eye you can get up and walk around during the 30 minute 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 main reason people take the trip is to enjoy the most amazing views of London. During a revolution it is possible to take in some of the many London landmarks such as Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court Palace and Buckingham Palace. One of the best views is of the Houses of Parliament which are so close that it would appear that they are just below.

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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