The EDF Energy London Eye is an attraction not to be missed when visiting London.

Go on a trip on the wheel and you will see amazing panoramic views of the City, with interactive maps inside your capsule explaining what each of the landmarks you see are. You might be able to spot the Olympic park in Stratford, Bin Ben, St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace.

The London Eye is the most popular paid for attraction in London, with 3.5 million visitors every year. It is hard to believe that this iconic symbol of London was originally intended to be a temporary structure when it was first built in 1999.

Its official name is the EDF Energy London Eye, and it stands 135 meters tall and 120 meters wide on the south bank of the River Thames, near Westminster Bridge and opposite the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The London Eye is a giant observation wheel, often incorrectly described as a Ferris wheel.

Around the wheel are 32 capsules, a number selected to represent each of the boroughs in London. The capsules are numbered 1 to 33, as there is no number 13 capsule for superstitious reasons. As the wheel slowly rotates, taking about 30 minutes to complete one rotation at a speed of 26 cm per second, visitors can sit or walk around inside the capsules and enjoy marvellous views over London of up to 40 kilometres in each direction. On a clear day it is possible to see Windsor Castle. The slow rotation of the wheel means that it can revolve continuously without needing to stop to let people on and off.

A Millennium Attraction

Originally called The Millennium Wheel, and later the British Airways London Eye, the formal opening ceremony was performed by Tony Blair on the last day of 1999, with the first members of the public riding the wheel in March 2000. The wheel took only 16 months to build, and at the time was the tallest observation wheel in the world (two larger wheels have since been built). It remains the tallest wheel in Europe. The Millennium Wheel was only given temporary planning permission by Lambeth Council to remain on the South Bank for five years, but the structure proved so popular that it was granted a permanent licence in 2002.

The yearly New Year’s Eve fireworks are launched from the base of the London Eye, from its top and from surrounding barges on the river, while the whole wheel is bathed in a stunning light-show. Good viewing spots are usually packed with people, and the hotels near the London Eye are fully booked with visitors wishing to get a close view of the dazzling celebrations.

Mark the Moment

Special occasions can be marked with an exclusive ride in a private capsule. These can accommodate up to 24 guests, and will give either one or two rotations of the wheel. Food and drink is served, with a choice of champagne, wines, spirits and tapas and nibbles. In the summer months, from June to August, visitors can enjoy spectacular views over night-time London with special ‘Eye Nights’ every Friday, when the London Eye stays open until 11.30pm.

The London Eye is a popular place for the romantic, with over 5,000 couples proposing marriage to date, and over 500 weddings taking place in its capsules. When the first civil partnership took place on the London Eye in 2005, the entire wheel was coloured pink using lights.

During the 2012 London Olympics, all tweets in the UK were tracked to see if the mood was negative or positive. The London Eye would be lit up each night to show how positive the feelings of the nation were.

For more information on this amazing attraction, click here.

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