Working in the lastminute London office means there’s always something fabulous to do. So when the opportunity came up to visit The Shard I was happy to volunteer!
The Shard is the new, tallest building in Western Europe so I was quite excited to discover it! The skyscraper opened to the public in February this year, after three years of construction.It’s the only place you can enjoy London’s breathtaking outlook all at once with the 360 degree views. Located in the district of Southwark, The Shard has 87 floors (including plant floors) with 72 of them offering accomodation.
The skyscraper was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. At a height of 1,016ft which corresponds to 310m, the building is visible mostly everywhere in London!
| Hot tip: Book in advance as it can be quite busy. The View from The Shard is open every day. And of course take your camera with you! |
The “View” is situated on floors 68, 69 and 72, at the top of the building. Two kaleidoscopic lifts get you there in less than 60 seconds, which is very fast!
With the help of specially-designed telescopes (check them out in the pics) you can see up to 40 miles. You can also focus on a particular landmark and receive audible information about it!
Here are the landmarks you can see:
City views
Tower Bridge
Tower of London
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Big Ben/Westminster/The London Eye
Views over Canary Wharf and the river
You can also go to level 72 using the stairs where you will be able to see the shards of glass that form the top of the skyscraper.
Discover the internal structure of The Shard’s spire and radiator floors.
To give you an idea on how tall the building is!
The Shard is a must-do if you have never been to London or even if you have! It gives you an idea on how big is the city and just how much you can see and explore.
| Hot tips: Once you’ve seen the view, pay a visit to the bar and restaurants: Oblix Restaurant, Aqua Hutong or Aqua Shard. |