I decided when a couple of non-London friends came to visit me, it would be a good time for me to become a tourist so I booked us tickets to go to The View from the Shard, currently the tallest building in Western Europe.
Love it or hate it, there is no denying the sheer vastness of this building. As soon as you exit London Bridge station you are met with the very dominating view of this structure designed by Renzo Piano. It's imposing to say the least.
Go through the ticket office, pass through where you must have your obligatory photograph taken and then you're sailing up the elevator to the 68th floor, it's pretty darn speedy. From here you see the breathtaking views of London sprawled out for miles. You can then walk up to a few floors above to what is called the open air, or sky view, or something to that effect, it's basically open above you in certain parts. The point is, when you're up this high, the views are so stunning and unmatched by any other building or hill you may have stood at the top of before. There is nowhere that will offer you views close to this. You're so high up that you see the actual bows in the river Thames and HMS Belfast is reduced to looking like a toy ship.
So, here are a few points about the View from the Shard.
Love it or hate it, there is no denying the sheer vastness of this building. As soon as you exit London Bridge station you are met with the very dominating view of this structure designed by Renzo Piano. It's imposing to say the least.
Go through the ticket office, pass through where you must have your obligatory photograph taken and then you're sailing up the elevator to the 68th floor, it's pretty darn speedy. From here you see the breathtaking views of London sprawled out for miles. You can then walk up to a few floors above to what is called the open air, or sky view, or something to that effect, it's basically open above you in certain parts. The point is, when you're up this high, the views are so stunning and unmatched by any other building or hill you may have stood at the top of before. There is nowhere that will offer you views close to this. You're so high up that you see the actual bows in the river Thames and HMS Belfast is reduced to looking like a toy ship.
So, here are a few points about the View from the Shard.
- If you're scared of heights.. As I have got older, I seem to cope less well with heights than I did years ago, this has no logic but there you go. I booked this not really considering I may be scared of the height and when it came to it, I didn't really have time or an opportunity to be scared. The process of getting up there is very quick and smooth despite the masses of people that visit. You pre-book tickets for a certain time slot (and you are not in any way rushed out which was good) and the lift moves so quickly you're at the top before you know it. Even walking close to the glass you feel safe so I don't think this would be an issue for people scared of heights.
- Is it worth the money...? Arguably, £25 is a lot to spend just to essentially look out of the window, BUT, as I say, the views are unparalleled, and even though you're there amongst hundreds of others, it still feels like quite an exclusive thing to do. If you are someone who wanted to have more to show for your money, then it might be worth considering eating in one of the restaurants in the Shard, there are a number to choose from and although I haven't eaten at any, have heard some good reviews. Of course they are pricey but you would expect that.
- What if the weather is bad...? This is the UK, so let's face it, as is often the case, there might be bad weather. So the Shard actually offer a weather guarantee, so should this happen, and you can't see at least 3 of the main London landmarks, you get your next visit free.
Overall, I was happy with my Shard experience, it's fun to be a tourist in the city you live sometimes! If you're a tourist from outside of London, this is a good filler activity, because it won't take up too much of your time.
