Tower Bridge, London, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

Tower Bridge is the Victorian bascule and suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames beside the Tower of London in London. Opened in 1894, it was built to carry road traffic across the river without blocking the tall ships heading to the docks upstream, and it still lifts for river traffic today.

The story behind it

In the later 19th century, London's trade was booming and the city needed another crossing in the east, near the busy Pool of London. The design is credited to the City architect Sir Horace Jones, working with the engineer John Wolfe Barry. Construction took about eight years, and the bridge was opened in 1894 by the Prince of Wales to great celebration.

Its clever part is the pair of bascules, the roadway arms that swing up on a system of counterweights, so that ships can pass through in a minute or so. High-level walkways once let pedestrians cross even while the road was raised. As the port moved away from central London, the bridge lifted less often, and the walkways became part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition. One classic mix-up: this is not London Bridge, which is the next crossing upstream.

What to look for

• The two Gothic-style towers, clad in stone over a steel frame, with the high-level walkways joining them far above the water.
• The blue-painted suspension chains on either side, which hold up the shorter side spans while the central bascules do the lifting.
• The seam in the middle of the roadway, where the two bascules meet and split apart when the bridge is raised.
• The view downstream from the riverside path on the south bank, which frames the whole bridge against the Thames and the Tower of London.

Tips for your visit

• Walking across the bridge itself is free, and the pavements on both sides give different views, so cross one way and return the other.
• Allow 20 to 30 minutes for crossing and photos, and more if you go inside the exhibition and walkways. Check current opening hours before you plan that.
• Bridge lifts are published in advance, so look up the current lift schedule if you want to see the bascules open.
• Early morning is quieter on the pavements, and golden light in the evening is good for photos from the south bank.
• The Tower of London, St Katharine Docks and the old warehouses of Shad Thames are all within a short walk.

See it on a quest

Southwark Pirates: Adventure Walking Tour & Escape Game in London brings you to Tower Bridge on foot as one stop on a longer route through the Southwark area, with a river-and-pirates theme to match the setting. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets you a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look at the bridge more closely than you would on a quick photo stop. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no set departure time.