My Favourite Places: The London Eye

The British Airways London Eye, sometimes called the Millennium Wheel (Coordinates: 51°30′12″N, 00°07′11″W), is the first-built and largest observation wheel in the world (a type of Ferris wheel), and has been the only one since its opening at the end of 1999. It stands 135 metres (443 feet) high on the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in Lambeth, London, England, between Westminster and Hungerford Bridges. It is adjacent to London's County Hall, and stands opposite the offices of the Ministry of Defence.

The wheel was constructed in sections which were floated up the river Thames on barges and assembled lying flat on pontoons. Once the wheel was complete it was raised into its upright position by cranes, initially being lifted at a rate of about 2 degrees per hour until it reached 65 degrees. It was left in that position for a week while engineers prepared for the second phase of the lift. The total weight of steel in the Eye is 1,700 tonnes.

The Eye was opened by British Prime Minister Tony Blair on December 31, 1999, although it was not opened to the public until March 2000 because of technical problems. Since its opening, the Eye, operated by Tussauds Group but sponsored by British Airways, has become a major landmark and tourist attraction. Recently, The London Eye was voted the world's best tourist attraction in a poll commissioned by the snack company Pringles.

[The above from Wikipedia].

I’ve been on this amazing contraption three times so far and love to visit it each time I’m in the capital. On a clear day you can almost see forever. It’s not for the faint of heart though! If you have any apprehension about heights I’d think twice about going up in a huge glass bubble with no way out until you complete one whole revolution. But if you don’t mind things like that it gives you a fantastic view over the centre of London that would take a helicopter trip to replicate. Highly recommended.