Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Views of the London Eye, The City, and the Thames
Built in 2000 to celebrate the millennium, the London Eye—originally nicknamed “the
London Eyesore,” but now generally appreciated by locals—is a giant Ferris wheel stand-
ing 443 feet tall. It slowly spins 32 capsules (also the number of boroughs in London),
each filled with a maximum of 25 visitors, up to London's best viewpoint (with up to 25
miles' visibility on a rare clear day). Aside from Big Ben, Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral
(not visible from here), and the wheel itself, London's skyline is not overwhelming; it's a
city that wows from within.
Next to the wheel sprawls the huge former County Hall building, now a hotel and
tourist complex. The London Eye marks the start of the Jubilee Walkway, a pleasant one-
hour riverside promenade along the South Bank of the Thames, through London's vibrant,
gentrified arts-and-cultural zone. Along the way, you have views across the river of St.
Paul's stately dome and the financial district, called The City.
London's history is tied to the
Thames,
the 210-mile river linking the interior of Eng-
land with the North Sea. The city got its start in Roman times as a trade center along this
