The London Eye was built to celebrate the millennium in 2000 and was originally known as the Millennium Wheel. It has now become an iconic symbol of the city of London.
The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel that is located on the South Bank of the River Thames in London, England. The leisurely rotation in a viewing pod takes approximately 30 minutes and is London’s only moving view which provides riders an ever-changing perspective of London.
About London Eye
The London Eye is 135 meters (443 feet) tall and was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel when it was completed in 1999. It is now the fourth tallest observation wheel in the world, behind the High Roller in Las Vegas, the Singapore Flyer and the Star of Nanchang in China.
It rotates very slowly at a rate of 0.6 miles per hour which is less than one foot per second. At this speed it normally doesn’t stop for passengers getting in or out of the pods however the wheel does pause to allow special needs people to enter and exit the pods safely,
The London Eye is the world’s tallest cantilevered Ferris wheel. Meaning that the entire structure is anchored by an A-frame on one side only.
About the Cabins
The London Eye features 32 glass capsules with each capsule capable of accommodating up to 25 passengers giving the Farris wheel a maximum capacity of 800 people per revolution. The capsules are numbered from 1 to 33, the number 13 has been omitted for superstitions reasons.
View from the Eye
The London Eye is location in the heart of the city allowing riders 360-degree views of the London cityscape and spectacular views of Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Views of the Thames River
The Thames River is 215 miles long making it the longest river entirely in England and the second longest river in the United Kingdom. It passes through the middle of London and many of London’s famous landmarks are located on the banks of the Thames River. The London Eye provides a bird’s eye view of the Thames River and many of these landmarks.
After Dark
The London Eye continues to operate after dark and I am sure that the nighttime views are nice but view of the London Eye along the Thames River makes for a nice nighttime stroll.
The Dust on My Shoes
I always try to get the most complete vision of a city when I visit for the first time. Many cities have observation towers which allow me to have a bird’s eye view of the city and some cities have rivers that normally let me travel through the heart of the city where many of the most important features of the city are located. Occasionally, a city has a large Farris wheel that is a totally different way to take in the city because the perspective changes as the wheel rotates.
The top features to see from the London Eye are the London Cityscape, the Thames River and truly spectacular views of Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster.
Many tourist attractions are historic places but Farris wheels are modern attractions that can be fun to ride but their main function is to let riders see the city and its other attractions.
Related Posts
