The Shard towers over the whole of London, at 310 meters high (over a thousand feet). It dwarfs "the Gherkin" just across the river, St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye and everything else on the skyline. In fact, it's not just the tallest building in London, but the tallest building in western Europe.

Aerial view of The Shard, London's tallest building — Photo courtesy of fsse8info

There was a lot of opposition to its building - spending millions on another new building in times of crisis - but now that it's open, the buzz surrounds the building. The architecture is stunning. The Shard was designed to be a dynamic symbol of regeneration, and the people behind the building hope that it will become iconic to people all over the world.

And it seems everyone wants a piece of the action and to get their ticket to go up to the 68th, 69th and 72nd floor for the famous views. The view itself is a 360-degree look across London, up to 40 miles on a good day. That is from the 69th floor, and you can go up to the highest public viewing space on the 72nd floor. Looking up from here, you will see the sheets of glass that top this extraordinary building as they stretch their fingers towards the sky.

London's new skyline — Photo courtesy of Dave Catchpole

The view is currently open from 9 a.m.  to 10 p.m. daily until October 2013. Beginning in October 2013, the opening hours will be Sunday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is no time restriction on your visit to the top, although pre-booking is advisable.

All you need is a head for heights and just under twenty five pounds for an adult ticket (and eighteen pounds ninety five for children). The trip isn't cheap, but people that like heights say it's worth it.