Fabulous views of the River Thames from Tower Bridge

Tuesday 18^th March 2014 saw the launch of the New City of London Visitor Trail Map & App at Tower Bridge.

I was delighted to be one of the 140 invited guests who found out more about the features of this great new app while taking in the magnificent City views. 

Loyd Grossman, guest speaker, entertained the invited guests

John Scott JP, Chairman of the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee at the City of London Corporation, welcomed everybody to the launch and introduced Loyd Grossman OBE, Chairman of the Heritage Alliance, who provided an entertaining speech which gave mention to the virtues of the app’s lavatory locator. On this I totally agree with Mr Grossman as is just one of the thoughtful and really useful functions the City of London Corporation have included on the app to help visitors navigate their way round the City with greater ease.

The launch party at the West Walkway at Tower Bridge

The launch party was great fun and the location spectacular. I have visited Tower Bridge by day and marvelled at the views but in the evening it is even more memorable with the soft lighting transforming the walkways from pink to purple. 

Detail of the bridge's construction looking out to stunning views

The impressive and iconic Tower Bridge was the perfect setting for the launch given that it features in the app and that the City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charity, constructed and maintains it.

The City of London is often referred to as the Square Mile due to its small size so it's perfect to walk round. Although it's fairly compact there is so much to see from world famous historic landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral and The Monument to some fabulous cultural sites such as the Guildhall Art Gallery, Museum of London and Dr Johnson’s House all of which featue on the app.

Both the app and the maps offer exciting self guided tours which showcases the rich heritage and diversity of attractions in the City in a fun and engaging way!

A magnificent  view of the City of London

The iconic City skyline from left to right are Walkie Talkie building (aka 20 Fenchurch Street), the Cheesegrater (aka the Leadenhall Building) and the Gherkin (aka 30 St Mary Axe).

The app includes 15 different stories told by people who work in the City. I really enjoyed Niall Birnie, Team Leader of Open Spaces, talking about a one of the most charming spots in the City, St Dunstan in the East.

However my favourite feature of the app is the Insider's Tip which give away some of the City's best kept secrets such as the delightful Philpot Lane Mice.

The Shard and City Hall

There are also two paper maps, the City of London Vistor Trail and the City of London Children's Trail, the latter features Draco the Dragon and is accompanied with some stickers makes it a fun activity for families.

The City views became even more magical as night time descended 

The New City of London Visitor Trail App is available for download for free from the iTunes store, Google Play and from the City Information Centre, where you can use the free WiFi, pick up a map and purchase fast-track and discounted tickets for featured attractions. The app is compatible with iOS 6.0 and Android 4.0+.

To find out more watch the City Visitor Trail video.

Here are some more of the amazing views to enjoy as the City skyline transformed from evening to night time.

The Shard and City Hall

The City and the Tower of London

If you enjoyed reading this this you might also like find out more about the City of London on another blog post or read about Postman Park, my favourite place in the City, in my guest blog for Cemetery Club.

The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds

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