I can see my house from here!

Looking up the Shard

I thanked my lucky stars to have been given the opportunity to visit the Shard before it's official opening today. The View from the Shard is on two decks. One is enclosed and the other is a little more exposed.

 I wrapped up warm and with my camera we shot up 33 floors at an impressive rate of 6m/s. The second lift to reach the 69th floor was a double decker lift which matched the speed of the first super speedy lift. 

The high-speed ‘kaleidoscopic’ lifts ascend to the first triple-height viewing platform on Level 69. State-of-the-art interactive touchscreen telescopes enable guests to explore the views in greater detail, with information about 200 landmarks in 10 languages and alternative day, night, sunrise and sunset views. They are currently free to use but the credit card swiper at the top suggests to me they won't be free for long.

Being so high up (244 metres / 800 feet) did change the angle of the famous London skyline. When I looked up I saw workmen happily cleaning the windows on the outside, yes 244 metres up! Gulp 

The partially open viewing platform reminds you of the elements in which the Shard stands against everyday. I was glad to pop into the shop to warm up.

Visit The View from The Shard to purchase your tickets


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