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See All Of London On The London Eye

By RomanticHeart | September 23, 2008

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. It takes about 30 minutes for the wheel to make a complete revolution during which time you can choose to remain seated or you can stand up and walk about.

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. From the top of the wheel it is possible to see the surrounding four miles and you can see a multitude of famous London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court Palace, 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.

Although there are many ways to enjoy the London Eye some choose to make a marriage proposal while at the top and it is also possible to purchase a wedding package. When booking a flight it is also possible to book other things such as educational trips for small groups of students of all ages.

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).

If you are looking for accommodation in London you may appreciate the listings of hotels near the London Eye or the cheap London hotels listed on http://www.londonhotelhelper.com/