London Eye Ferris wheel: is this attraction worth visiting?! London Eye: description, history, excursions, exact address Opening hours and cost.
Imagine if any city in the world could have an “all-seeing eye” from which nothing can be hidden! London has its own “eye”: it is one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world. Its view is 360⁰ and from there you can see all 32 areas of London. That is why it is called the London Eye.
When you're in the UK's capital, be sure to visit the London borough of Lambeth on the south bank of the Thames. The London Eye will help you see the city from a bird's eye view and even a little higher! You will feel like you are sitting on the shoulders of a giant 135 meters high (about the level of the 45th floor!), and right in front of you, or rather below you, you will see the famous Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster.
A little history
The Eye of London was solemnly “opened” on December 31, 1999, for which it is sometimes called "The Millennium Wheel" or "The Wheel of the Millennium". As befits a Ferris wheel, as all Ferris wheels are sometimes called, the London Eye also presents its own surprises. The spectacular launch on the eve of the millennium took place without passengers, as one of the capsule cabins turned out to be faulty. Prime Minister Tony Blair nevertheless ceremoniously pressed the start button, and passengers waited until March to ride the attraction.
The London Eye has been plagued by bad luck even before. The point is that the newspaper Sunday Times in 1993 year held a competition to develop a monumental structure to welcome the new millennium. The competition was attended by husband-and-wife architects David Marks and Julia Barfield with a design for a Ferris wheel. As a result, no one was interested in the project and lost the competition. Fortunately for the residents of London, David and Julia are not used to giving up and therefore they themselves decided to make their dream come true. How many rapids were knocked down to obtain all kinds of permits from area residents, organizations, maritime and river departments, historical societies and officials! Moreover, the grandiose project was developed without the support of government agencies and construction companies. And the finances were found thanks to a chance meeting with neighbor Bob Elling, head of British Airways, during a trivial conversation about sending a Christmas card.
The couple implemented their project for 6 years, and how many obstacles were overcome: technical problems, corporate troubles, and debates with ardent opponents of the development. The theme of the wheel has not left the pages of English newspapers for several years. Many believed that it was inappropriate to spoil the historical center of the city in such a way that aesthetics were inferior to commerce. Moreover, the topic of the wheel was raised in parliament, because the construction site was located just opposite the Palace of Westminster!
The construction itself was not that long - only 16 months. The wheel parts were transported on barges along the Thames and assembled in a "lying" position on special platforms on the river. Then this colossus was lifted using a special system.
The most amazing thing is that the London Eye was conceived as a temporary structure and it had permission for a period of only for 5 years. Its expiration date ended in 2005, but the public loved this attraction so much that they could not part with it. So, “Glaza” has already suffered 15 years and there are high chances that it will last even longer. In general, a similar story happened with Eiffel Tower, which was installed temporarily as the entrance arch of the Paris World Exhibition of 1889. However, it has become the hallmark of Paris!
Interesting Facts
Here is a selection of fascinating facts about the London Eye:
- 1,700 tons of steel were spent on this architectural miracle, and the total weight of the wheel was 2,100 tons. The riverside Ferris wheel is three times taller than Tower Bridge and four times wider than the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.
- From a distance, the London Eye resembles a phantasmagorically giant bicycle wheel. You can ride the attraction in one of 32 transparent space-looking capsule cabins (representing 32 London boroughs), ordering strawberries, truffles and champagne.
- Each capsule weighs 10 tons, but they are firmly fixed, as practice has confirmed. The capsules are equipped with air conditioning, heaters, a multimedia screen and wireless Internet, so you can post your selfies from the capsule straight to Instagram.
- Each cabin is designed for 25 people. However, for those who want to be alone with their chosen one or chosen one, there is “Cupid’s Capsule”. True, this pleasure costs £360, but romance is guaranteed! Since the opening of the attraction on the wheel, 5,000 marriage proposals have been made (of which the organizers are aware), 512 weddings have taken place; More than 1.5 million glasses of champagne were drunk.
- Cabin No. 2 has a special name – Coronation Capsule, which it received in June 2013 in honor of the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth II.
- It is not necessary to stand in the capsule; there are comfortable places to sit. The capsules move almost silently, without swaying at all, so the feeling of reliability and comfort will not leave you. Inside the booths, on installed tablets, you can select the desired language and get details of the history of London by clicking on an object on the screen.
- The London Eye can accommodate up to 800 passengers per revolution, equal to the capacity of 11 double-decker tourist buses.
- The London Eye can be cloned! A number of cities want to acquire a similar profitable miracle on their land. This desire was expressed by representatives of Boston, Toronto, Sydney and several other cities, which upset the London tourist board.
- The wheel works non-stop and makes a full revolution in 30 minutes. The rotation speed is 26 cm per second or approximately 15 meters per minute, or 0.9 km per hour, which allows visitors to enter and exit calmly and without panic. Over the course of a year, the London Eye rotates 7,668 times, covering 2,300 miles—the distance from London to Cairo.
- Regarding the view: from the wheel you can see the London expanse for 40 miles. In a full turn you can see the Queen's Residence of Windsor, St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden and 55 other attractions, weather permitting.
- Until 2008, the London Eye was proudly called “the largest Ferris wheel in the world” in the Guinness Book of Records. But later he lost the championship to the Singapore wheel - Singapore Flyer (165 meters).
- Since its opening, the London Eye has received 75 national and international tourism awards for outstanding engineering achievements and architectural value.
- The lighting is implemented with LED lighting from Color Kinetics to allow digital control of the lights. This property was used for illumination in honor of the New Year holidays, the opening of the 2012 Olympics, the anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II and the birth of Prince George.
- The London Eye has gone by different names: it was originally called the Millennium Wheel, then the British Airways London Eye, and later the Merlin Entertainments London Eye. And from January 2011, the attraction was called the ELE Energy London Eye for three years as a result of a deal with a sponsor. And now it's called Coca Cola London Eye.
- The Wheel has become an iconic place for corporate parties, birthdays and weddings. On New Year's and Memorial Day, fireworks displays are held here, as well as filming and commercials.
- The London Survey Wheel turned out to be a profitable business. 35 million British pounds (55 million US dollars) were invested in its construction. But in 2009 alone, according to the owner of the company Merlin Entertainment, it “generated” £25 million in profit, so it has long since paid for itself.
- About 4 million people fly on it every year. In terms of the number of visitors, the "Eye" is ahead of the famous Indian Taj Mahal (2.4 million), the Egyptian pyramids (3 million) and St. Paul's Cathedral (2 million).
London Eye (UK) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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The London Eye is a Ferris wheel built in the capital of England to celebrate the millennium. The second name of this attraction is “Millennium Wheel”.
At the time of its construction, the London Eye was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. Its height is 135 meters from the base. Later, the London Eye gave way to a similar attraction in Singapore. There are also plans to build several even taller rides.
Nevertheless, the London Eye will forever remain one of the highest wheels - this cannot be taken away from it!
"Eye" has 32 transparent capsule cabins, each of which can accommodate up to 25 people. 800 people can ride on the attraction at the same time. And over the course of a year, its human turnover amounts to more than 3.5 million people! You can order champagne and strawberries in the space booths, and if you wish, you can take a ride in the “Cupid’s Capsule” for two (+ waiter).
The wheel makes a full revolution in 30 minutes. Therefore, all people sitting in the cabins have time to enjoy the wonderful view of London literally from a bird's eye view. The wheel never stops for loading and unloading passengers. They say that in clear weather, from the top of the London Eye, even Windsor (which, by the way, is an hour away) can be seen.
Opening hours and cost
This attraction is located in the Lambeth area at the address: SE1 7PB, London, Westminster Bridge Road, County Hall, Riverside Building.
Opening hours in 2018: January 1 - January 5: 10:00 - 20:30, January 6 - January 17: closed for technical reasons, January 18 - April 4: 10:00 - 20:30, April 5 - April 21 : 10:00 - 21:30, April 22 - May 24: 10:00 - 21:00 (on weekends until 21:30), May 25 - June 1: 10:00 - 21:30, June 2 - June 28 : 10:00 - 21:00 (on weekends until 21:30), June 29 - August 31: 10:00 - 21:00 (Fridays until 23:30), September 1 - December 27: 20:00 - 20 :thirty.
Admission: standard ticket: from 30 GBP, skip-the-line entry - from 37 GBP, standard child ticket: 24 GBP, child under 4 years old: free. In addition to standard tickets, you can purchase tickets with additional options (fast track skipping the queue, guide services, wine and champagne tasting, in winter it is possible to buy a combined ticket “London Eye + ice skating rink”).
Keep in mind that there are often queues in front of the “eye”. You can avoid them by purchasing a combined ticket at the nearby Aquarium (“London Eye + Aquarium”), or by ordering tickets in advance online.
Prices on the page are as of November 2019.
London Eye. El London Eye (Ojo de Londres), también conocido como Millennium Wheel (Rueda del Milenio), terminado en 1999 and abierto al público en marzo de 2000, fue la mayor noria mirador del mundo hasta la apertura de la Estrella de Nanchang en… … Wikipedia Español
London Eye- the London Eye a Ferris wheel in London that is 450 feet tall and which gives people who ride in it very good views of the city … Dictionary of contemporary English
London Eye- London Eye, se alza 139 metros, este ojo es la noria panorámica más alta del mundo, con vistas de hasta 41 kilometros si no hay niebla. Fue construido en el año 2000 para celebrar la llegada del tercer milenio, ocupa un lugar en el centro de la… … Enciclopedia Universal
London Eye- General information Status Complete Type Ferris wheel Location Western end ... Wikipedia
London Eye- Millennium Wheel La nuit … Wikipédia en Français
London Eye- a 135 meter high wheel next to the Thames in London built in 2000. The wheel has glass containers which people can go inside and travel slowly around the wheel to get a view across the whole city. * * * …Universalium
EDF Energy London Eye- Présentation Type grande roue Architecte David Marks, Josvoll Oslo, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, Steven Chilton, Frank Anatole and Nic Bailey Date de … Wikipédia en Français
The London Eye in popular culture- As a highly visual London landmark, the London Eye (previously known as the Millennium Wheel) is often used in popular culture. The London Eye s exact height is 135 meters.Miscellaneous* Used as the location of a 2003 flash mob [… … Wikipedia
(the) London Eye- the London Eye UK [ˌlʌndən ˈaɪ] US a large moving wheel next to the River Thames in London with glass sections for people to sit in and look at the city http://www.macmillandictionary.com/med2cd/weblinks/london eye the.htm * * * the London Eye… … Useful english dictionary
Apartment London Eye- (Split, Croatia) Hotel category: Address: Žnjanska ulica 4, 21000 Split, Croatia ... Hotel catalog
Books
- The Rough Guide to London, Rough Guides. The Rough Guide to London is the ultimate travel guide to one of the world's most exciting cities. With full color throughout and dozens of photos to illustrate London's great buildings,… Buy for 1566 RUR
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The London Eye The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel located on the banks of the River Thames in London, England. The entire structure is 135 m tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 m.It is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually.The London Eye, or Millennium Wheel, was officially called the British Airways London Eye and then the Merlin Entertainments London Eye. Since 20 January 2011, its official name is the EDF Energy London Eye following a three-year sponsorship deal.The London Eye adjoins the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth.
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History The London Eye was designed by architects Frank Anatole, Nic Bailey, Steve Chilton, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, and the husband-and-wife team of Julia Barfield and David Marks. They submitted their idea for a large observation wheel as part of a competition to design a landmark for the new millennium. None of the entrants won the competition, but the couple pressed on and eventually got the support of British Airways, who sponsored the project.
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Opening The London Eye was formally opened by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on December 31, 1999, although it was not opened to the public until March 9, 2000 because of the technical problems. Since its opening, the Eye has become a major landmark and tourist attraction.
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Construction In the process over 1700 tons of steel were used for the structure and more than 3000 tons of concrete were used for the foundations. Its steel design forms an "A" shape, with two large tapered legs at the base - 20 meters apart and each over 58 meters in length. The legs lean toward the river at a 65-degree angle. The rim of the Eye is supported by tensioned steel cables and resembles a huge spoked bicycle wheel.
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The wheel"s 32 sealed and air-conditioned ovoidal passenger capsules are attached to the external circumference of the wheel and rotated by electric motors. Each of the 10-tonne capsules represents one of the London Boroughs, and holds up to 25 people, who are free to walk around inside the capsule, though seating is provided. The wheel rotates at 26 cm per second so that one revolution takes about 30 minutes.
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360° view over London Thanks to the construction of the glass capsules on the outer side of the rim, the passengers have a great 360° view over London. Many famous landmarks are clearly visible, including Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament etc.
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What is the London Eye useful for? Other then providing a great 360 views of London the London Eye hosts many major events. Such as every year the London Eye is part of London’s new year celebration and apparently used by small businesses for the conferences.
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INTERESTING FACTSOlympic Torch 2012 reaches new heights on London Eye Amelia Hempleman-Adams, who became the youngest person to ski to the South Pole when aged just 16, grinned from ear to ear as she held the flame on top of a capsule on board the giant wheel. Illuminated by early morning sunshine, the 17-year-old girl held on tight as she raised the torch above the sleepy capital shortly after 8am. And she kept a tight grip as she posed with the flame at a height much greater than nearby Big Ben, surrounded by bright blue sky.
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London 2012: Olympic Torch reaches new heights on London Eye Breathtaking: brave torch bearer Amelia smiles for the camera as she stands on top of a capsule on the London Eye
London is home to many wonderful attractions that are of great importance to the culture and arts of not only Great Britain, but the whole world. Most of them are related to history. These are monuments, squares, majestic buildings. Every language learner should be able to describe the sights of London in English.
Sights of London in English
Big Ben
- one of the landmarks of London, which is considered a symbol of this city. This is not only what many associate with, but also the largest watch in the world.
To describe this landmark of London, you can use the following words:
| Delight the eye | Pleasing to the eye |
| Be named after | Named after |
| The most famous | The most famous |
| Amazing | Amazing |
| Masterpiece | Masterpiece |
| Impressive clock | Impressive watch |
| clock tower | Clock tower |
How to describe the London landmark Big Ben in English:
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