Britain’s Best Views: The Shard, London

Discover the best views of Britain, from historical monuments to a 360 degree view of the city.

In this blog, we will tell you all about the views of The Shard, London.

There are several tourist attractions to visit in London. Everyone is familiar with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and of course The London Eye, but there’s one attraction we’ve not mentioned that you simply have to visit when in London to really see the glorious city at a higher level… The Shard, of course.

Back when The Shard was conceived, previously ‘London Bridge Tower’, its creators saw it as a building that would have a multitude of uses: a vertical city where people could live, work and relax, close to major transport lines in London. The first concept of the Shard was created by Renzo Piano in a Berlin restaurant. Renzo was meeting Irvine Sellar who wanted to redevelop Southwark Towers. During the meeting, Renzo sketched the first initial design of the shard on the back of a menu.

Nowadays it consists of world-class offices, award-winning restaurants, the 5-star Shangri-La Hotel, exclusive residences and the UK’s highest viewing gallery. And when we say highest, we mean it. The Shard is the tallest free standing structure in Europe and offers you a spectacular 360-degree view over London. Absolutely breath-taking!

London’s highest and best view is situated at the top of The Shard, on floors 68, 69 and 72. The viewing platform is almost twice as high as any other viewing platforms in London. To experience the marvellous view from the Shard, tickets can be purchased online beforehand here. And with unlimited access, you can stay as long as you want!

There’s more! This summer, the Shard took another step to make a visit even more memorable… and also, greener! The 72nd floor went green, not with envy but with astroturf, making it the highest lawn in London. In addition, weekly hosted Yoga mornings and sky-high yoga classes by Yogasphere will offer anyone a great kick-start of the day or even a great start to the weekend. What could be better than doing your weekly Sun Salutation feeling like you could actually touch the sun!

If you’re more of a night owl, then you can enjoy the view with a glass of bubbly and a great meal at one of the Shard’s sophisticated restaurants.

For more information, and to book your visit, click here.

Why not accompany your visit to the Shard with a stay at The Milestone Hotel. This luxurious, late-Victorian hotel overlooks Kensington Gardens offering close proximity to London’s best shops as well as London’s most renowned museums. You’ll get great service at this hotel. Indeed, it was voted as the number one hotel in the world for service by the Travel & Leisure Readers Choice Awards. The Hotel is only a short walk to High Street Kensington station, and from there, you have access to London’s greatest attractions. If your feet are tired after a long day exploring London, you could even jump into Milestone’s pool and let your stresses melt away.

If you are looking for something chic with a staircase that will whisk you away into a marble dream, the recently £30 million refurbished St Ermin’s will not disappoint. Upon entrance, you are greeted by a grand and theatrical lobby with ornate marble flooring, balconied double staircase and elaborate plasterwork. With numerous attractions and tube stations located nearby, you will be a short stroll from Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. The coolest part about the hotel? The roof is home to 20,000 Buckfast bees so you will definitely find their honey at your breakfast table!

Enjoy your view at The Shard!

The Shard image by William Warby Shard Observation Deck image by Bernt Rostad View from the Shard image by Ian Patterson