Phelan Munzert, Arthur Höckner, Lennard Zündler, Max Reichmann
The quest for the perfect view
On Thursday, November 6, 2025, we met with all the students, who took part in the study trip, at 8:00 a.m. at the Baker Centre in London, from where our two-hour bus ride to the O2 Arena began. At the O2 Arena, we boarded the London Underground and traveled to London Bridge station. Then we walked as a group to the banks of the Thames, where group photos were taken in our classes with Tower Bridge in the background.
Afterwards, we had the opportunity of visiting Tower Bridge accompanied by our teachers or embarking on our own adventure through London. We opted for the latter and decided to visit The Shard, London's tallest building, to get the best possible view of the city. As we approached the enormous building, security guides immediately approached us and informed us that a visit was not possible due to a special event. They directed us to a similarly tall building in central London, and we instantly set off for it.
On our way, we passed many famous places, landmarks, and monuments, such as London Bridge and the Monument to the Great Fire of London. At the Fenchurch Building, better known as the Walkie-Talkie Building, we realized we needed tickets for it. However, we would have had to book them two weeks in advance, which we hadn't known. So we went to the nearest skyscraper, but we weren't allowed to go inside either.
After a long, desperate search, we were left with only one option: the Horizon 22 observation deck in the 22 Bishopsgate building. Upon arrival, our excitement was quickly dampened, as this attraction required an adult to enter. Our only option was to ask a stranger for a ride. So we did, and we were lucky, as we happened to approach two exceptionally nice Germans who agreed to accompany us. Once we reached the top, we enjoyed the best view of our lives, overlooking almost all of London. 254 meters above the ground, we saw numerous skyscrapers, Westminster Abbey with the Elizabeth Tower, the Tower of London with Tower Bridge, and the course of the Thames through London. It was truly fascinating, as the whole world suddenly seemed so small.
After saying goodbye to our "heroes," we headed towards the London Eye. On our way through London, we crossed the Millennium Bridge, which we all knew from the Harry Potter films. We passed the Tate Modern, and since we were hungry, we found a nearby restaurant and grabbed a bite to eat. Refreshed, we went to the London Eye, where we met up with the other students and teachers at 3:30 pm. In groups of about 20, we took a ride on the London Eye and enjoyed one last beautiful view of the British capital during sunset. To conclude this successful day, we took the underground back to the O2 Arena, where we had one last break before our journey back to Germany.
To sum up, this last day in London was the perfect end to an educational, exciting, but sometimes also quite tiring study trip.