Images of famous London buildings for Christmas cards

London is a fabulous setting for Christmas, every year people in their thousands flock here to shop, sight see and witness the west end lights. When the Christmas lights are switched on in mid-November the whole of London lights up. A walk down Oxford street and Regent street is well worth a look. As well as the lights, ice skating rinks appear all over London, between mid-November to mid-January these are a regular sight, they are mainly open in the evening. Each year a huge Christmas tree appears in Trafalgar Square (which is a present from Norway). The tree usually stands over 20 meters high, and is taken down on the 6th of January. Christmas trees have always been a Christmas tradition in the United Kingdom.

London is also a great place to get picture ideas for Christmas cards (Weihnachtskarten), as a photographer I was sent to London as part of a project for work to take pictures of famous London buildings, that would be published on Christmas cards for the festive season.

The Tower of London has much history attached to it, it was built by William the Conqueror in the early 1080’s, and has been used as a fortress, palace and prison. As the tower has seen out many Christmas’s over the years, I felt that it would work well on the front of any Christmas card. Taking the view of the tower from over the river, on a bleak, cold winter day with sunlight just touching the top of the tower it was every inch the Christmas picture.

The Houses of Parliament was my next choice for the front of a card, a view taken from side on to get in Big Ben, this was a picture I felt had to be on a Christmas card as it depicts the spirit of Christmas in and around London. Everyone waits for big Ben to chime 12 midnight on New Years eve and it is one of the reasons, visitors from all over the world flock to London at New Year.

A picture of Tower Bridge on Christmas cards would make a great photo, the picture would have to be taken at night, when the tower lights up, and the image of the River Thames would make the picture complete. 

St Paul’s Cathedral would be the next obvious building choice, many free concerts are held here during the festive season. From the 15th of December onwards there is array of events happening starting with the celebration of Christmas where the congregation and choir join in, there are carols on the 17th of December and then not to forget midnight mass on Christmas Eve. This old building celebrates what Christmas really stands for, and this is why any Christmas card with scenes of London at Christmas should have it on.

Although not a building of such the London Eye should be put on a Christmas card, again this lights up in the evening and is a major structure in London. Thousands of tourists ride on the London Eye each year to get a birds eye view of the city. The pods go very slowly enabling you to take in all of your surroundings.

Canary Wharf has to be used on any Christmas card of London. The fabulous buildings which look fantastic against the nights sky.

All of the cards should have a Christmas Greetings (Weihnachtsgrüsse) on, whether on the inside of the card or on the outside. If possible snow should be on the photo on the outside of the card. All the above buildings make a good choice for a Christmas card photo.