Walk Through Time in the City of London
The City of London is home to some of London’s most famous skyscrapers and Tower Bridge. If you come sightseeing here, then it’s time to play Find the Skyscraper- one of the most immersive trivia games you can play in the City of London!
Your challenge is to find and name every skyscraper you see around the City, then tick it off your checklist. If you manage to find them all, you win a prize. But you can’t use your phone browser. Instead, you must ask the other people in the area, who you’ll be playing against for that prize. But what is the prize? The prize is a photo of that skyscraper, which you can add to your vast collection of signs in London.
If Find the Skyscraper is not for you, then instead you can walk around and enjoy the views here. As you’ve probably guessed from that first paragraph, The City is a gold mine when it comes to finding landmarks in London. Here you can see the most famous skyscrapers in their full glory. The Shard, The Gherkin, The Cheesegrater, and the Walkie Talkie to name a few. For those who know the story of Richard III by Shakespeare, this is where you’ll also find the infamous Tower of London. And we can’t forget Tower Bridge.
Walking amongst the old and new buildings is like walking through time
Whenever I walk through the streets of the City of London, I feel like I am walking through different time zones. The combination of old buildings and glass skyscrapers makes this area really unique, and you can take some incredible photos of this. And in this area, neither look out of place. You can see these sights down the streets with old buildings, with skyscrapers such as the Gherkin in the distance. As you walk through these streets, its like walking forward in time, from the past to the 21st century…
But arguably, the best places to take these sorts of photos is by the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. It is possible to capture two of London’s greatest landmarks, the Shard and Tower Bridge in one photo, as I’ve done below. This way, you can see how London’s skyline has transitioned from old brick structures to the glass and steel buildings of today.
Ultimately, the best way to see how the skyline is changing is to see aerial views. To do this, you don’t need to pay ridiculous amounts or queue up for ridiculous times to go in The Shard when instead you can see free views. The best places to go are Tate Modern, Sky Gardens, and the newly opened Garden at 120. If you can think of anymore places, please share in the comments below.
Tower Bridge is one of London’s most famous attractions
While San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge and Venice has the Bridge of Sighs, London has Tower Bridge. This remarkable landmark opened in the late 1880s and has earnt itself the award of being one of London’s most iconic landmarks. It consists of two castle towers, with a blue bascule bridge operated by hydraulics. Originally, steam used to power the hydraulics within it, but now they use oil and electricity. You can find out more about the technical details of Tower Bridge on their website.
Dont forget to see Tower Bridge at night
The source of power is not the only thing that has been upgraded. In 2009, LED lights were added to the bridge. Now it looks just as incredible at night as it does in the day. The towers shine like beacons and light up the Thames with shades of blue and white, while the other skyscrapers added a dash of red too. For this reason, I recommend coming both during the day and night, so you can compare the two sights. It’s also a good time to test out the night mode on your camera too.
Walking on Tower Bridge
Walking on Tower Bridge is an experience in itself too. The air is filled with the sweet smell of caramelised peanuts coming from the small stalls, ready to serve the many tourists who come here to admire this bridge. It is when you are up close that you can admire the intricate detail on the towers and the small spires on top of it. What fascinated me the most is how much effort has gone into its design and construction.
From the bridge, you can also see views of London’s skyscrapers and the Tower of London. You can even see the Canary Wharf skyline in the distance too. Another combination of the old and new in the City.
Other things to do around Tower Bridge
Other attractions you will find in this area include HMS Belfast, which is part of the Imperial War Museum (IWM) Collections. You can read my review of IWM London here.
At Christmas time, you can enjoy Christmas By the River, where different vendors gather with their market stalls. Some are food stalls that sell food from all over the world, while others sell souvenirs such as small ornaments and picture frames. So, as well as enjoying the sweet smell of caramelised peanuts, you can enjoy the smell of foods from all over the world. For more shopping, you can also visit Hay’s Galleria which is located near London Bridge. At Christmas, this looks amazing too with all the decorations and lights, especially at night.
Verdict
Overall, The City of London is a fantastic place to see some of London’s greatest landmarks. As well as seeing Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, you can also see some of the most famous skyscrapers. It is good idea to come here both during the day and night, as the sights that you will see are so different that one isn’t better than the other. And when you leave this place, take a moment to reflect on the photos you have taken. See how they combine the old and the new…
To find out more about Tower Bridge:
https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/
Directions to Tower Bridge:
Build your own Tower Bridge: