Tower Bridge

Out of the 33 bridges that make up the city of London, Tower Bridge is undoubtedly the one that attracts the most visitors. Built in 1894, this unique bridge was designed to facilitate the crossing of River Thames at a time when the city was beginning to expand and its population was growing rapidly.  Built in typical English Victorian neo-Gothic style, the bridge consists of two 65-metre-high towers made of Cornish granite and stone from the Isle of Portland, which are linked by a footbridge. A real technical feat for its time, the bridge became the symbol of this cosmopolitan city, visited by thousands of travellers every year. Its hydraulic tilting mechanism used to enable large ships sailing to the dock to pass through. It is still the case today, although the system is now electric. The bridge opens around 3 times a day to let in boats or simply to impress visitors who eagerly await this moment. Inside Tower Bridge, a museum recounts the history of the bridge’s construction through various exhibition rooms, including the engine room, which explains how the weighbridge works. The pedestrian walkways offer a breathtaking view of London and have a glass floor that looks directly out over the lower part of the bridge and River Thames, making for a rather unusual visit. The bridge has also been a playground for aerobatics, with some pilots taking on the challenge of flying between the lower bridge and the pedestrian walkway since 1912, pushing their skills to the extreme! After this brief summary, I’ll let you enjoy this breathtaking bridge!