The CN Tower in Toronto is the tallest structure in North America standing at a huge 553 metres, and was the tallest structure in the world for 31 years until the monstrous Burj Dubai building went higher last year. The tower is basically a communications tower used for broadcasting TV and the like and opened to the public as a the world’s highest lookout in 1976. The tower has two visitor levels one at 346 metres and another one 100 metres higher at 446 metres offering amazing views of the surrounding city and lake, and on a good day you can even see into the USA and Niagara Falls. One highlight of the tower is a glass bottom floor where brave people can see nothing below their feet- it really is a weird feeling. The tower is a member of the Federation of Great Towers and was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The glitzy Surfers Paradise of Australia’s Gold Coast is home to the world’s tallest residental tower which is on of the tallest buildings in the world. Standing at a 322.5 metres above street level the Q1 is taller than both the Chrysler Building in New York and the Eiffel Tower in Paris and it is built less than 100 metres from the magnificent Surfers Paradise beach. The observation deck on the 77th and 78th floors offer specatcular views of the highrises of the Gold Coast and give views from Brisbane to Byron Bay and miles out to the Pacific Ocean. The tower also offers one of the world’s fastest elevators taking only 42.7 seconds to reach the top floors.
The Sears Tower in Chicago has been the tallest building in the USA since 1973 and we have found this cute little ad on You Tube. It features a couple of pidgeons who explain the massive tower which attracts more than a million visitors a year to it’s skydeck and is 610 baseball bats high- what amazing facts. On a good day you can see over 50 miles and see states Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin and spectacular views of lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Read the rest of this entry »
The Fersehturm is one of Berlin’s more striking icons, close to Alexanderplatz this tour was built by the former German Democratic Republic and rises 268 metres above street level. There is a visitors platform at 204 metres which offers some spectacular views of Berlin stretching well over 40kms on a good day. As with all good towers it features a revolving restaurant and souvenir shop. The tower was built to house communications antennas for television, radio and the like but he tower also was used as a powerful expression of the East German Government to the west of their Utopian socialist dreams.
Located in Shanghai the Oriental Pearl Tower is a TV tower that is the 3rd tallest tower in the world and at 468m it’s the tallest in Asia. Looking like a building from the Jetsons the buildings observation decks, shopping mall and hotel are given names like Space Module, Space City and Space Hotel. The building itself has become a symbol of Shanghai and modern China, it’s one of the most photographed buildings in Shanghai, especially at night when the light show takes over. The building attracts around 3 million visitors a year so if you ever in shanghai make sure you check out it out, there are 3 observation decks, shops, bars and a revolving restaurant located in the building as well as a small hotel.
The Eureka tower is a 92 story residential skyscraper which has just opened in Melbourne Australia. It now offer’s one of the worlds most scary experiences a walk in a glass cube 88 floors above the city. Called Skydeck 88, visitor enters a glass cube with opaque walls this is slowly extended out 3 metres from the building then with the magic of the latest LCD technology the glass becomes clear and there is nothing than glass holding you in 88 floors and 300 metres above Melbourne offering 360 degree views of the city. The ride is one of the scariest 5 minutes you will experience.
The Olympic tower or Olympiaturm rises 290m into the Munich’s sky and offers magnificent views of the Olympia parklands and surrounding city on a clear day you can even see the Alps. Built primarily as a communications to support the 1972 Olympic Games the tower houses a gourmet revolving restaurant with a 360 degree trip taking 49 minutes. The tower does have observation deck with fantastic inside and outside views but it is a little hard to find the entrance. The complex seems to promote the attraction as the world’s highest rock and roll museum. Which it is not quiet, there’s a heap of tickets and posters and the odd item on show from some of the big names who have played the stadium over the 30 odd years
No holiday to London would be complete with out a ride on the London Eye it is truly breathtaking. This monstrous observation wheel is 135 meters high, the biggest in the world- although Singapore is building a larger one and knowing how Japan loves Ferris wheels, they probably won’t be too far behind.
The attraction isn’t cheap but it is well worth the time and money, they say an average of 10,000 visitors travel on it a day.
If you are lucky enough to be in London on a clear day you will see close to 40 kilometers but even if it is cloudy you will get a great view of the city, Big Ben and other popular London landmarks.
It’s best to get there early to avoid the rush at the ticket box. The ride takes about 30 minutes to do the one circle. The capsules are all glassed in and very comfortable, there are 32 in total and they each hold about 20 people. Security is paramount and inspectors check the capsule after each trip and there are restrictions on some items being taken onto the ride.
The wheel is an amazing engineering feat, the amount of steel in the structure is amazing, it is claimed there is over 2100 tones of weight in the structure, which travels 26cm per second around the 424m circumference. Read the rest of this entry »
