Tower Bridge, London

Tower Bridge, London (must see)

Tower Bridge鈥攜es, that famous one with the twin towers and rising roadways鈥攕urprisingly didn鈥檛 swing into action until 1894. That鈥檚 right: it鈥檚 younger than your great-great-grandma鈥檚 fruitcake recipe, though you'd never guess it based on the number of fridge magnets it鈥檚 starred on. Indeed, in just over a century, it鈥檚 managed to become one of London鈥檚 most iconic symbols鈥攑ractically the Victorian era in bridge form.

Now here鈥檚 a royal twist: Queen Victoria wasn鈥檛 exactly thrilled about it at first. She worried the bridge might compromise the security of the nearby Tower of London, which at that time doubled as an armory. Still, they painted it her favorite color鈥攃hocolate brown鈥攁nd forged ahead, perhaps hoping that a well-dressed bridge would soothe Her Majesty鈥檚 nerves.

Under the hood (well, under the road), it was all quite steamy鈥攍iterally. Sophisticated steam-powered engines lifted the bridge鈥檚 bascules to allow tall ships to pass through. In its very first year, the bridge went up over 6,000 times鈥攖alk about an overachiever! These days, it opens around 1,000 times a year, and somehow, they鈥檝e managed to avoid any major mishaps. If you鈥檙e lucky, you might even catch one of those dramatic lifts in real time鈥攆ree theater, London-style...

For an unforgettable experience, take in the sweeping views of the Thames, the sci-fi egg that is City Hall, the gleaming glass Shard, and the chaos of central London from the top of the bridge. Better yet, grab a ticket and ride the elevator to the elevated walkways. Up there, you鈥檒l find a glass floor for peeking at the world below (great for photos, or mild panic), plus a museum showcasing the original steam engines鈥攂ecause nothing says Victorian romance like big brass machinery. Bonus points: Yes, there are restrooms at the top, so no need to 鈥渉old it鈥� at altitude.

And in case you wonder, why you should go?鈥擳his masterpiece of Victorian engineering also sparkles at night, and鈥攍et鈥檚 face it鈥攜our trip to London wouldn't be complete without seeing it.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in London. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Tower Bridge
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in London, England

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles

Harry Potter Walking Tour II

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles

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Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
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City of London Walking Tour

The City of London, often referred to simply as the City (with the capital C), is the historic and financial core of the British capital. Despite being just over one square mile in area (for which reason it is also lovingly dubbed the Square Mile), it holds immense importance as the original site of Londinium, the Roman settlement founded circa 43 AD. Over the centuries, this small patch of land... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles

London's Historic Pubs Walk

If there鈥檚 any more iconic symbol for London than Big Ben or the London Eye, then it must be the traditional English pub. And London sure is full of them, dating from pre-Victorian times to just about five minutes ago.

With so much history surrounding London there is no shortage of historic pubs to choose from. Whether you fancy half-timbered, rambling watering holes or small but perfectly... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.6 Km or 3.5 Miles

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