The Road of the Giants is the construction of the ancient giants. Northern Ireland
Pavement of the Giants
(Ireland)
In the north-east of the island of Ireland, on the shores of the North Strait, leading from the Atlantic to the Irish Sea, rise low, a little over half a kilometer, the mountains of Antrim.
They are composed of black basalts - traces of the activity of ancient volcanoes that rose along the giant fault that separated Ireland from Great Britain 60 million years ago. Covers of black lavas erupted from their craters formed the coastal mountains on the Irish coast and on Hebrides on the other side of the North Channel.
An amazing breed - this basalt! Liquid, easily flowing in molten form (basalt flows sometimes rush along the slopes of volcanoes at speeds up to 50 kilometers per hour), it cracks when it cools and solidifies, forming regular hexagonal prisms. From a distance, basalt cliffs resemble huge organs with hundreds of black pipes. And when the lava flow flows into the sea, sometimes such bizarre formations appear that it’s hard not to believe in their magical origin.
Just such a joke of nature can be observed at the foot of Antrim. A kind of "road to nowhere" separates from the volcanic massif here. From above, it looks like a dam paved with hexagonal paving stones, going 150 meters into the sea, and then suddenly breaking off. But the “cobblestones” of this paving stone are a bit too big: each one and a half meters in diameter! The dam rises six meters above the sea and consists of approximately 40,000 basalt columns. It looks like an unfinished bridge across the strait, conceived by some fairy giant, and is called "The Bridge of the Giants".
As early as 200 years ago, fierce disputes boiled over the alleged reasons for its appearance. Some scientists believed that the surf had exposed the fossilized bamboo forest, others thought that these were huge crystals formed in the waters ancient sea. It was only later proven volcanic origin amazing hexagons.
It is clear that the ancient Celts, who inhabited Ireland a thousand years ago, could not help but notice the Bridge of the Giants. And having noticed, they could not help but try to find an explanation for this unusual building, to the best of their imagination and in accordance with the traditions of their folklore.
One of the ancient Irish legends tells that the giant Finn McCool built the Bridge in ancient times in order to attack his sworn enemy, the giant Finn Gall, who lived in the Hebrides. Finn McCool drove the poles one at a time into the seabed until he built a dam across the entire strait, after which he lay down to sleep before the duel. Meanwhile, Finn Gall saw the road paved by his rival, and decided to outwit him - to attack first. On the shore, he saw a sleeping giant and was struck by his enormous growth. "Who is this? Is it Finn McCool?" he asked the giant's wife, who had approached. “What are you! This is just his son, he will not reach his father even to the waist! - she lied, deciding to scare the enemy.
Terrified at the thought that he would have to fight with such a giant, Finn Gall rushed to run along the dam to his native shore. But on the way, he caught himself and began to destroy the bridge. Only the beginning of it he was afraid to touch, fearing to wake McCool. That is why the remains of the dam go into the sea from the foot of Antrim ...
For a long time, this legend was considered just a fictional poetic story, not associated with any particular place. Only at the end of the 17th century did the Bishop of Derry become convinced of the reality of the existence of the Bridge of the Giants. But only a hundred years later, when an illustrated description of an unusual natural phenomenon with text attachment ancient legend, began a mass pilgrimage of the public to the coast of the strait. The popularity of the Bridge of the Giants was also facilitated by the fact that it is located just fifty kilometers from big city Belfast, and was not difficult to reach in a day on horseback or in a carriage.
In addition, the path to the mysterious natural dam ran along a surprisingly picturesque places. On the coast of County Antrim there is no shortage of beautiful coves, framed by black lava cliffs, cozy beaches, rocky islets with mysterious caves and high gloomy capes, protected by slender basalt columns, against which the foamy wave of the surf resounds ...
Interestingly, on east coast North Channel, off the coast of Scotland, basalt covers are also found in many places. They look especially impressive on small island Staff in the Hebrides, 120 kilometers from the Finn McCool Bridge. The waves that undermined the base of the island exposed the slender rows of 40-meter basalt columns that make up, as it were, the foundation of Staffa. From a distance it seems that the island rests on a palisade of black faceted piles.
In one place, the sea washed away the less durable part of the lava flow, carving out a giant cave-niche 60 meters deep in it. Its walls, base and vault are made of basalt hexagons, similar to those that formed the Bridge of the Giants. At one time, Staff Island was visited by the President of the London geographical society, the famous naturalist Joseph Banks, a member of Cook's first voyage. Shocked by the scale of the grandiose cave, quite suitable for a giant to live in, he suggested that it be called Fingal's Grotto, in honor of the legendary rival Finn MacCool. The name coined by Banks has taken root, and now both giants from ancient legend have a unique natural monument associated with the history of their rivalry.
The gloomy picturesqueness of Fingal's Cave has inspired romantic poets since the 18th century to create poems and ballads about this giant's dwelling. The Bridge of the Giants, or, as it was also called, the Path of the Giants, was no less popular with writers. The grotto and the path are described in many novels and short stories of past times. Byron and Shelley, Thackeray and Fielding paid tribute to basalt monuments. These romantic rocks were also sung by Russian poets, in particular Zhukovsky. Later, in the 20th century, the composer Mendelssohn wrote, after visiting Scotland, his famous musical play Fingal's Cave.
And Joseph Banks, already mentioned by us, appreciated these wonders of nature simply and expressively: “Compared to this, what are the cathedrals and palaces built by man? Just toy houses!”
But due to the inaccessibility of Staffa Island, most people know Fingal's Grotto only from photographs. Any inquisitive traveler can easily get to the Irish basalt dam from the capital of Ulster - Belfast. And, really, it is worth visiting Northern Ireland in order, like the ancient giants, to walk along the black hexagonal pillars polished by the sea of the legendary Bridge of the Giants.
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Origin of the Bridge Giants (the Giant's Causeway) What's in is shrouded in myths. The most popular legend is about a giant named Finn McCool ( Finn MacCool), who built such a unusual way across the sea to face his old rival. Scientifically more reasonable is the theory of the volcanic origin of this unusual natural landscape, according to which, about 60 million years ago, the flow of basaltic lava, cooling, created unique hexagonal stone formations, really very similar to the slabs of a giant pavement.
One thing is for sure, the Causeway of the Giants is one of the most interesting and picturesque natural attractions in Northern Ireland, and, by the way, the only site world heritage UNESCO in the country. The Irish themselves modestly call this unusual natural landscape "the eighth wonder of the world." The jagged promontory juts out into the sea and consists of more than 40,000 closely adjacent octagonal basalt columns that come to the surface in three separate outcrops. The most extensive of them is known as the Great Bridge ( the Grand Causeway) and is one of the most photographed places in Northern Ireland. It is truly a breathtaking sight at any time of the day. If photography is not your passion, then you can simply climb one of the columns, sit and watch the waves wash the shore, feeling the joyful excitement of being in such a special place.
Another thing that makes the Bridge of the Giants one of the most attractive places to visit is huge selection routes that will allow you to see in all its glory not only Mostovaya itself, but also the surrounding area. Rising from the mystical columns up the coastal slope, you can see the whole landscape in a completely different perspective. Spend some time trekking to one of the many nearby rock peaks and you can take in the view (and camera lens) of a significant stretch of scenic coastline from a dizzying height.
The lower path along the coast leads east to observation deck in the form of an amphitheater in Port Rheostan ( Port Reostan) past impressive rock formations such as the Organ ( the Organ) are clusters of vertical basalt columns resembling organ pipes. You can also walk along the cliff top east past Heimney Stakes Point ( Chimney Stacks) to Dunseverik Township ( Dunseverick) and even further.
Bridge of the Giants: How to get there
One of the compelling reasons to visit the Causeway of the Giants is that it is ideally located on one of the most beautiful stretches of the Northern Ireland coast in County Antrim ( County Antrim) about 2 miles north of the township of Bushmills ( bushmills). Closest (just under 80 km) international Airport located in Belfast - "Belfast International Airport", and internal (about 55 km) - in Derry ( Derry). There are regular buses to Bushmills from the mentioned airports. At the service of inveterate motorists - car rental. Also, you can get to Bushmills by ferry from the French port of Larne ( Larne), but this way will take almost a day.
Bridge of the Giants: Life Hacks
Tourists are told about the phenomenon of the formation of a unique natural landscape in the information center "Sights of the Bridge of the Giants", which is built on a hillside and surrounded by high black basalt slabs imitating the columns of the Bridge of the Giants. In the center there is an exhibition describing the geology of the region, as well as a tourist information center, a restaurant and a shop. The opening hours of the Center vary depending on the time of the year. In July and August, that is, in the midst of tourist season, The center is open from 9.00 to 19.00, from March to June, and also in September and October, it is open until 18.00, and from November to February - only until 17.00. The entrance price is 10.50 GBP for adults and 5.25 GBP for children, and includes the cost of an audio guide to explore the rocks. The entrance fee is reduced by £1.50 if you arrive by bus, bike or on foot. If you arrive by car, you must pay for parking, the price of which is included in the price of the combined ticket to the information center. You can't just pay for parking. The visit itself landscape park free. Tours run every hour.
From the center there is an easy 10-15 minute walk down the slope to the pillars themselves, but the more interesting route is to get to the cliff and then go down Shepherd's Steps ( the Shepherd's Steps). Less prepared tourists will be delivered by a special minibus from information center to the Bridge of the Giants and back for 2 GBP (about 1.30 USD).
If you're serious about the art of photography, be sure to grab a tripod and try to arrive just before sunset, when the sun turns the rocks a mesmerizingly soft orange and the whole landscape looks truly fabulous. Even with bad weather, which is honestly not uncommon, you can still get some incredible shots. And the higher the waves, the more dramatic the landscape will look. Great photos are also taken at dawn, when the light is softer and there are significantly fewer people around.
Giant Boot ( The Giant's Boot) is one of the funniest objects on the Bridge of the Giants and another opportunity to take original photos. It is said that a huge stone, shaped very much like a boot, was lost Irish giant Finn McCall ( Finn MacCool), when he was running away from his enemy - the Scottish giant Benandonner ( Benandonner), chasing him on his way to the Irish coast.
In addition to the unique beauty of the geological monoliths, the Antrim Coast region is a haven for many wild seabirds and home to rare plant species. Here you can find, for example, the so-called frog orchid (frog orchid)- the smallest and least known in the orchid family, spring saxifrage (vernal squill)- wild flower, native of Ireland, and sea fescue (sea fescue).
From the Giant's Bridge Coast, it's easy to get to ancient castles and stunning beaches, sheer cliffs and historic watchtowers, as well as small towns and villages filled with friendly local residents and great pubs. Also, a few miles to the east there is another object, very popular among fans of extreme sports - suspension bridge.
Pavement of giants - unusual a natural phenomenon, which will not leave anyone indifferent, because it seems that it was created not by nature, but by some huge and powerful giant from a fairy tale. LifeGlobe has many articles on different parts of the Earth, and this miracle of nature occupies a worthy place among them. In the north-eastern part of Ireland, on the shores of the North Channel, there are low, a little over half a kilometer, Antrim Mountains. Their basis is black basalt, they were born thanks to the activity of ancient volcanoes located along a huge fault that tore off Ireland from Great Britain 60 million years ago. The lava from their craters solidified and formed these mountains on the Irish coast and in the Hebrides, on the other side of the North Channel.
Basalt is a liquid, flowing molten rock (from the slopes of volcanoes, basalt rivers sometimes pick up speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour). After cooling, the basalt becomes hard and cracks, creating regular hexagonal prisms.
From afar, the basalt slopes look like large organs with thousands of black pipes. And if the lava flow reaches the sea, then such whimsical figures that it seems as if they appeared due to some kind of magic. One of these formations is
There is a pavement of giants at the edge of the foot of Antrim. The original “road to nowhere” departs from the volcanic massif here. From a height, it looks like a dam paved with paving stones, protruding into the sea for as much as 150 meters, and at the end abruptly breaks off. But up close, you understand that the cobblestones of this paving stone are a little too big to be laid by a person: each one and a half meters in diameter ...
The bridge of the Giants rises above the sea by six (and in some places the height reaches 12) meters and consists of about 40 thousand basalt columns. It resembles an unfinished bridge across the strait
This amazing formation is a clear evidence of powerful volcanic eruptions. Volcanic lava erupted from cracks and crevices in the ground with great speed and power. It erupted so quickly that it did not have time to solidify before it covered the ground in deep, hot places with molten rock
The Pavement of the Giants is sometimes called the Path of the Giants, and this is natural - after all, with just a glance at it, it is clear that if she served someone dear, then this someone was very big and strong
The stone columns that form Giant's Causeway are the most popular example of an unusual formation formed by cooled lava. Although similar formations can be observed in other parts of the world. But there the columns vary greatly in size (from centimeters to meters in diameter) and often differ in the number of faces
The most striking feature of the rocks Bridge of the Giants is an orange layer in the form of a clear line on the vertical surface of the basalt. This layer creates a natural terrace, to which a path among the rocks leads. The terrace is 10–12 meters thick and consists of soft, loose, red-brown material. In fact, this is an intrabasalt layer - vegetation that has changed chemically under the influence of heat in humid conditions with a lack of oxygen.
A few centuries ago around possible causes The formation of the Bridge Giants were fiercely debated. Some scientists claimed that the surf exposed petrified bamboo thickets here, others said that it was giant crystals born at the bottom of the ancient sea. Only after the lapse of time was the volcanic origin of the fantastic columns and hexagons proven.
It is obvious that the ancient Celts, who inhabited Ireland a thousand years ago, deified the Bridge of the Giants. They also tried in every possible way to find an explanation for this unusual pavement, which greatly influenced their folklore and religion.
One of the legends says that Finn McKumal, having decided to fight with the terrible one-eyed opponent Gallus, in order not to get his feet wet, drove a series of columns into the bottom of the Irish Sea, creating a bridge here. Tired, he lay down to sleep. At this time, Gall saw the road built by his opponent, and decided to deceive him - to attack first. On the shore, he saw a sleeping giant and was frightened of his huge one. "Who is this? Is it Finn McCool?” he asked the giant's wife passing by. “What are you! This is just his son, he has not grown to his father’s waist!” - she lied, deciding to intimidate the enemy even more. Terrified at the thought that he would have to fight with this giant, Gallus rushed to run along the pavement to his shore. But on the way, he decided to destroy this bridge. Only the first part of it he was afraid to touch, for fear of waking McCool. That is why the remains of the dam lead into the sea from the foot of the mountain ...
According to another legend, Finn's wife fed Gall with cakes, inside of which she baked flat iron ingots, and when the giant began to break his teeth about them, she gave the second cake, simple, to her son, who calmly chewed it. Imagining how strong the father of this rather big baby is, Gallus fled in fear, breaking the bridge along the way.
For many years, these legends were considered just made up. beautiful stories not even related to any exact place. And only at the end of the 17th century, the Bishop of Derry was convinced that the Pavement of the Giants really exists. But only a hundred years later, when an illustrated description of a unique natural phenomenon was published (the legends about the giant were also described there), a mass pilgrimage of tourists to the coast of Ireland began.
The Giant's Bridge is also popular due to the fact that it is located only fifty kilometers from Belfast, and it is very easy to reach it in just a day on horseback. In addition, the path to the mysterious dam led through amazingly beautiful natural places
In these places there is no shortage of beautiful bays, quiet beaches, rocky islets with deep caves and sharp gloomy capes, protected by powerful basalt columns, against which foamy waves break with noise
It is curious that on the eastern shore of the North Channel, near the coast of Scotland, the same basalt blocks are found in many places. They look especially impressive on the small island of Staff in the Hebrides archipelago, 120 kilometers from the Giants' Trail. The waves grinding the shores of the island exposed even rows of 40-meter columns. From a distance it seems that the island lies on the foundation of these black honed piles.
New Zealand also has amazing stone formations on the coast -
The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland is a unique natural phenomenon: interconnected basalt hexagonal columns create amazing landscapes that resemble a natural pavement. The trail is the result of activity ancient volcano; the ledges were formed during the cooling of the lava flow. There is another version of the appearance of a bizarre trail: the road was built by the hero of Celtic myths Finn McKumal.
The pavement of giants really could serve as a road: the columns different heights(from 6 to 12 meters) seem like a ladder, and the cracks are the result of a sloppy layout of the nature trail.
In 1986, the Bridge of the Giants was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
To visit the Path of the Giants, you should choose comfortable clothes and shoes, best of all - with rubber soles.
It is better to plan a trip to the Bridge of Giants for the period from late spring to autumn. There are no tours of the Giant's Path during winter. Be careful: the weather in the north of Ireland is quite changeable. At strong wind and in the rain it can be dangerous to approach the cliff.
Tourist office where you can get detailed information about the Causeway of the Giants and buy souvenirs, located at 44 Causeway Road. When buying a ticket, tourists receive an audio guide in Russian (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Japanese and Mandarin are also available).
How to get there
The bridge of the giants is located in the north-east of Northern Ireland, 100 km from Belfast. bus service connects the Giant's Trail and Belfast: tourist buses run (mainly in summer time), can also be reached by bus 252, which runs along the picturesque coast of Antrim.
From the end of spring to the beginning of autumn, you can get to the Bridge of the Giants by tourist buses from Bushmills, as well as from another attraction of Northern Ireland -. In summer, minibuses also run from the Tourist Office.
From Belfast and Londonderry you can also take the Translink trains (www.translink.co.uk). Closest to the Bridge of the Giants railway stations- Portrush (Portrush) and Coleraine (Coleraine), from where regular buses follow to the coast.
Steam Railway connects Bushmills and Giant's Trail; the station is located 200 meters from the main entrance to the natural park.
Travel time from Belfast by car is about an hour and a half. Follow the M2 to the junction with the A26. Turning right, follow until the turn onto the M2. After passing the town of Ballymena, continue on the A26 to the town of Ballymoney. Turning right, follow Ballybogy Road to the junction with Priestland Road. Turn right again and continue to Causeway Road.
Location
The Causeway of the Giants is located in County Antrim at .
