Arcelormittal Orbit

Created by sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor and designer Cecil Balmond from 2000 tonnes of steel it weighs as much as 265 double-​decker buses. The Orbit is the UK’s tallest art sculpture at 80m and was a brilliant symbol for the 2012 olympic games. Being Winter it was dark before we even got there which meant that we wouldn’t be able to see as far as you would in the daytime but that didn’t make the views any less spectacular.
We finished supping our prosecco and decided to brave the 455 stairs it takes to walk down to the bottom rather than take the life. Be warned, once you start to descend there’s no changing your mind unless you want to head all the way back up again!

I was dubious whether the orbit would be worth a visit as I live nearby and am lucky enough to have a pretty great view. I went up with a Groupon voucher which included free champagne, and I was pleasantly surprised! We spent a couple of hours just looking out over the view, sipping from our drinks and relaxing and then taking a wander down to the lower level where you can view and zoom in on the view. We walked down the stairs on the outside to exit (you can take the lift up and back down) and my legs were a little wobbly by the end, but I wouldn’t have done it differently.
Will get five stars when the slide is added!