St. Pancras International

Once a mere hour away from the wrecking ball, St. Pancras was saved,  largely by the efforts of Sir John Betjeman, whose statue  now inhabits the main hall. A marvel of British engineering, imagination and  architecture, St. Pancras, in addition to being the gateway to  Europe, is a tourist destination in itself.  When built, the arched roof was the largest wrought-iron span in the world.   It remains the largest in Europe.  And the station also holds the  longest champagne bar in Europe--a dubious and arbitrary distinction  that only the British could be proud of.  There is also a really cool statue with a nice butt.