Location: London, Wielka Brytania

Pięć fascynujących atrakcji Londynu, o których nie wspominają przewodniki *******************Five fascinating London attractions that are not mentioned in the guides

 Language #1 - Read in English      Language #2 - Czytaj po polsku


If you only have time to venture outside of central London, you won't regret it.

Holland Park is located in the Kensington and Chelsea boroughs of West London. It has no strictly defined boundaries. It consists of a park and streets with Victorian houses, as well as numerous shops, hotels, and luxurious spas. The park itself is approximately 22 hectares (54 acres). Its northern area is forested, the central one has formed gardens, and the southern one is sports grounds. It was once the property of Cope Castle and Sir Walter Cope, Chancellor of the Treasury of King James I. It was named Holland House when the widow of Count Holland, Lady Rich, inherited the site. Actions during World War II seriously damaged the Holland House, only one wing and the front terrace remained. The Kyoto Garden is a beautiful Japanese garden situated in Holland Park, but I liked the roses the most anyway.

Canary Wharf is a lovely place during the weekend because there is no one there. It's almost empty. Weekdays are busy here. 120 000 people work here every day and it's the second-largest central business district of London (after the City of London). You will get there by DLR (Docklands Light Railway). Riding the DLR itself is great fun. The Oyster card is important here. The queue is fully automated. There is no driver, so if possible sit in the front row as it has the best view. Get off at Herons Quays and you can admire one of Britain's tallest buildings up close.
The Thames Barrier. A movable flood barrier on the Thames in East London. It closes when the water level is high and opens when the water level is low. Repeatedly she saved London from flooding caused by storms and high tides from the North Sea. It was built between 1974 and 1984, and the cost of the entire structure was £ 500m. Before June 2020, the barrier was closed 193 times. It survived 15 collisions with ships without any significant damage. No wonder, the main gates weigh 3,500 tons each. Initially, the dam was supposed to operate until 2030, but it was assumed that it would be functional until 2070. 
In 2012, Doppemayr company and Emirates airlines opened a cable car linking the Greenwich Peninsula and Victoria Docks called the Emirates Air Line (Emirates Royal Docks). It is managed by Transport for London. If you have Oyster card pay as you go, you can use it. You can also buy 'boarding pass' one way or return.  The cable car has 36 gondolas, 34 of which are always in use. Each can accommodate 10 passengers. They are adapted for disabled people, including wheelchairs with an extended footrest. The cable car is 1,103 meters high and the highest point is 295 feet (89,916 meters). At the Emirates Greenwich Peninsula station, I visited the 'Aviation Experience exhibition. It is small, but it has a large engine :), Airbus 380.
The cable car ride was amazing. The first sentence from the speaker: 'London is one of the most amazing cities in the world' made me realise that it is exactly the case. I didn't think of it that way when I lived here. I was breathless as I looked out over the Thames and the city. It is worth it, it is very much worth it and once again it is definitely worth going to this part of the city again. Not only because of the cable car but also to see the rest of the attractions: O2 Arena, Wakeup Docklands water park, sculpture Quantum Cloud,...
From Greenwich I took a water bus, i.e. the Thames Clippers boat. This page will help you plan your trip, or you can, like me, jump on one of the stops without planning. I used Oyster pay as you go because it was a one-way trip and it worked out the cheapest. This time I looked at the city from the riverside.
You will find a lot of such places in London. Just have to look around. Take time to step off the beaten track. Good luck. 





30 comments:

  1. Loved the photos again I haven't been over to Canary Wharf for ages :-)

    Have a Londontastic week 👍

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    1. It's a nice place... Thank you, you have a fantastic week too.

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  2. I think the Thames Barrier is amazing. I love the Cable Cars. What a concept. I would love to check those out.

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    1. The Thames Barrier left me in awe...

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  3. So beautiful pics.
    Loved the post.

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  4. Cool pics

    I Hope you will visit mine blog.

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  5. We did the Thames Clipper from both Tate Modern to Tate and Greenwich back to the city. Great way to see the sights! #WednesdayAroundtheWorld

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  6. It definitely pays to look around on your own for things to see! Thanks for sharing these wonderful places.

    It's great to see your post at 'My Corner of the World' this week!

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    1. There are so many places to see in London. It's worth to discover some of them in 'off the road' method ;o)

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  7. Beautiful shots of lesser known sites!

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  8. Such great shots of a great city!

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  9. Thank you for a great tour!. The cable car ride looks like fun. The flood barrier looks really interesting.

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    1. The flood barrier is one of my favourite things in London!

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  10. Looks like you had memorable tour. Thanks for beautiful images

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  11. Nice collection of photos!

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  12. Great photos! I was in London a couple of years ago and loved it. A great city! Thanks for sharing these photos and for linking up.

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  13. Interesting views and facts, very much indeed about the flood barriers -
    I have never knew this before and have not ever seen anything like it!

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    1. Check this out. It's amazing structure.

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