Piccadilly Circus, London, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

Piccadilly Circus is the busy road junction at the heart of London's West End, known for its giant illuminated screens and the winged statue on the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain. It has been a meeting point for Londoners and visitors for generations, and it links Regent Street, Piccadilly, Shaftesbury Avenue and the streets around Soho.

The story behind it

The best known thing at the circus is the fountain, unveiled in 1893 to honour the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, a Victorian politician and philanthropist who campaigned against child labour and for education for poor children. The sculptor, Alfred Gilbert, chose not to make a plain portrait statue. He created a winged archer instead. Everyone calls it Eros, but it is generally said to represent his brother Anteros, the god of selfless love, which suits the earl's charity work. Gilbert's model was his teenage studio assistant, Angelo Colarossi, and the figure was one of the first major sculptures cast in aluminium.

The statue has moved around. It was taken away in the 1920s while the Underground station was rebuilt below, and it came back in 1931. During the Second World War it was sent out of London to Surrey for safekeeping and returned in 1947. Since then it has stood at the edge of the circus rather than in the middle.

What to look for

• The slender archer balanced on one foot at the top of the fountain, with his bow aimed out over the traffic.
• The aluminium finish of the figure, which looks quite different from the bronze of the fountain beneath it.
• The large screens on the corner buildings, which are the visual signature of the circus.
• The curved sweep of Regent Street leaving the junction, a reminder that the circus began as a planned crossing of streets.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 30 minutes to see the fountain, the screens and the surrounding streets. It is an open public space, so you can visit at any time and it costs nothing.
• Come after dark if you want the screens at their brightest, or in the morning for fewer crowds around the steps of the fountain.
• Soho, Leicester Square, Regent Street and Trafalgar Square are all a short walk away, so the circus works well as a starting or middle point on a longer wander.
• Pavements get crowded and the junction is busy, so take photos from the fountain steps or the pavement edges and watch the traffic.

See it on a quest

Playing London's lights: Explore Monopoly - Oxford Circus to Trafalgar Square lets you reach Piccadilly Circus on foot as one stop of a longer route through the West End. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

If you like a bit of spookiness, Ghost Hunt in London takes you through the city's streets, with the app telling you about each place as you reach it and a puzzle to solve on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Luminous London's West End UrbanHunt: The Prime Delivery is a good fit for the bright West End setting. You walk between stops, hear about each one as you get there and solve a puzzle in the real street. One ticket covers the whole group.