The paper is concerned with large eddy simulations of high Reynolds number (Re=140, 000) circular cylinder flow. Because this flow problem involves most of the characteristic features of technical applications, it is an ideal test case for LES codes aiming at the computation of practically relevant flows. Based on a parallelized finite volume Navier-Stokes solver for block-structured body-fitted grids and the Smagorinsky model for the non-resolved Reynolds stresses, LES computations on six different grids (1.74 – 6.76 million control volumes) were carried out. The grids were clustered in the vicinity of the cylinder wall in order to resolve the thin laminar boundary layers (sub-critical flow) separating near the apex of the cylinder and forming the free shear layers in which transition takes place. The results were carefully evaluated and compared with available experimental data. In general, the LES results agreed fairly well with measurements.