Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
I went to the free secret rooftop garden in the heart of the City
I enjoyed a panoramic view of London with no crowds.
The only thing better than a 360-degree bird's eye view of the London skyline is a free 360-degree bird's eye view of the London skyline. I've been seeking out free viewpoints since I moved to this city in 2018 and so far I have quite the list.
Sky Garden is of course the most well-known spot for some free views, but it's so hard to get a ticket. I got tired of setting weekly alarms for their ticket releases and with the growing crowds that head to the Walkie Talkie, it hasn't felt worthwhile to me in a long time.
Enter The Garden at 120. It's not set in any famous buildings, so very few people know it exists. Even better, there's no booking system in place.
You just show up, wait in the very short queue, go through the airport-style security then take the lift up to the 15th floor. The entire process of entering through the grand hall took me exactly three minutes from ground to roof.
As the lift doors opened, the view stunned me into rare silence. London's buildings stretched out before me in breath taking beauty and I was almost blinded by the sun reflecting off the Walkie Talkie, which lies just next door.
To the west, I could see St Paul's Cathedral and, beyond, BT Tower's purple lights flashed its welcome at me. To the north, the City's skyscrapers dwarfed me.
The Gherkin, the Cheesegrater, and the Scalpel all towered over me and my fellow rooftop viewers, emphasising my location in the very heart of the City. To the east, Canary Wharf and all of East London stood proudly under the afternoon sun.
But the view to the south was the most spectacular of them all. Tower Bridge, the Shard, the old City Hall and all of South London spread out, making me feel the rush I associate so much with London and all its opportunities.
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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