The London Eye, which stands at 135 metres high, was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel when it opened on 31st December 1999. It remains Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK.

You can see up to 25 miles in each direction with views over some of the world’s most famous sights, including St Paul’s, the Palace of Westminster and Windsor Castle.

The London Eye was originally conceived by architects David Marks and Julia Barfield as an entry for a millennium landmark competition, the project took six years and the expertise of hundreds of people from five European countries to turn it into a reality.

Buckingham Palace serves as the London residence of Britain’s sovereign. When the Queen is in residence the Royal Standard is raised on the palace’s flag pole.Originally a large town house built in 1703 by the Duke of Buckingham, it was acquired by George III in 1761 as a residence for Queen Charlotte. It was greatly enlarged in the 19th century by architects John Nash and Edward Blore. It became the monarch’s residence after Queen Victoria made it her London home following her coronation in 1837.

“Big Ben” is the name of the principal bell that chimes the hours in the clock tower of Westminster Palace, though it is often used to refer to the tower itself.

There are two theories of how the bell got its name. The first suggests that it was taken from the nickname of a champion heavyweight boxer of the time called Ben Caunt. The second and more probable explanation, is that it was named after the bulky Welshman Sir Benjamin Hall, who was First Commissioner of Works from 1855 to 1858, and whose name was inscribed on the bell.

The site of the Houses of Parliament is the Palace of Westminster, a royal palace and former residence of kings. Its existing buildings contains nearly 1,200 rooms, 100 staircases and well over 3 kilometres (2 miles) of passages.The House of Lords and the House of Commons conduct their sittings here.The oldest part of the Palace still in existence, Westminster Hall, dates from 1097. The palace originally served as a royal residence until 1547, when Edward VI give the building to Parliament.

The Palace was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in 1834, and was rebuilt in Gothic Revival Style by architects Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Pugin in the 19th century.

The public entrance to the Palace is through St Stephen’s entrance in Old Palace Yard.

The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to as Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs.

It is still used today for regular worship and for the celebration of great events in the country.

Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894. At the Tower Bridge Exhibition you can enjoy views from the high-level Walkways and learn about the history of the Bridge and how it was built. You can then visit the Victorian Engine Rooms, home to the original steam engines that used to power the Bridge lifts.