Eastern extreme point of Europe on the map. Portugal: Atlantic Ocean, Europe's westernmost point, Dominican Cathedral
The three extreme points of Europe are the North Cape in northern Norway, Cape Roca in western Portugal and the city of Tarifa in southern Spain. All three are quite well known and are popular tourist sites.
Few people know about the easternmost point, but only a few have been there.
Europe, its borders and its extreme points. However, it's nice to realize that we, Rigans, live in the middle of the mainland...
Now we will visit the far east Europe.
But first, we will visit three popular points, so that later we have something to compare with.
Cape North Cape
Cape North Cape - the northernmost tip of continental Europe, has recently become a super-popular place of pilgrimage for tourists: visiting the North Cape is cooler than seeing Paris. Many have seen Paris. What about North Cape? Also many. On other days, up to 40 tourist buses and countless cars.
Cape Roca
Cape Roca in Portugal is the most western point Europe. There is a lighthouse on top Postal office, a restaurant and souvenir shop that sells certificates of visiting Cabo da Roca - Rocky Cape 140 meters high.
Tarifa
Tarifa - seaport in Spain. In Tarifa is located Cape Morroki, far out into the sea - this is the southernmost point of continental Europe. The surroundings of Tarife are the mecca of windsurfers and kiters, there are hundreds of them...
LIGHT
Very few people know the easternmost point of Europe.
Since the eastern border runs along the Ural mountains, it means that we should look somewhere there. However, there are no roads, no paths either. And the eastern tip of Europe itself until September 2003 was indicated in reference books only approximately: somewhere at the intersection of 67 gr. sowing latitude and 66 degrees. east longitude, in the Polar Urals, 130 km northeast of the city of Vorkuta.
Somewhere there is a watershed between the upper reaches of the rivers Malaya Usa and Malaya Shchuchya. The highest point of this watershed, lying on the "middle line" Ural mountains, which curves the farthest towards Asia, and is the desired easternmost point of Europe
In 2003 a group of enthusiasts from Belarusian city Brest, who had previously visited all three extreme points of Europe, decided to find and install on the ground a real fourth, eastern point. Having found it, the expedition installed a commemorative stainless steel stele in the form of a globe and two arrows pointing to Europe and Asia.
Later, other groups followed their path. And recently, already in the era of GPS and accurate determination of coordinates, a group of cyclists visited there.
Here are some photos from their trip and a comment from a bike ride participant.
SVETOCHKA, or SVETochka is the Easternmost European Point.
The way to it was as follows: the Moscow-Vorkuta train, ten kilometers along asphalt to the most remote area of Vorkuta, then 40 km along the embankment of the former Vorkuta-Khalmer-yu railway.
This is where the movement ON bicycles ended, the journey began WITH bicycles weighing up to 40 kg. The cyclists now bogged down in the mud, then wrenched through the tall grass, walked knee-deep in water, climbed the hills, got stuck in the moss, pulling the wheels out of the tenacious paws of the dwarf polar birches.
The last 15 kilometers were covered in seven hours. Already at dusk, having gathered the last of our strength, we approached the watershed. There was only one thing in my head - rather, in a tent and in a sleeping bag. Endless walking around cold water took away all the heat from the body. “Shaking” so that it was impossible to hit the bowl with a spoon ...
In the morning, the GPS showed that only 333 meters were left to the coveted point, the coordinates of which were entered back in Moscow, and gave the direction to the coveted height.
Taking a wheel from a bicycle, as proof that the bicycle had been here, they climbed to a height indicated on the map as “418 meters”.
At the height, the remains of a stele erected by the first expedition were found. The globe and stainless steel hands with the inscriptions Europe - Asia have disappeared. memorial sign was placed so that everyone could see it. This is what ruined him. Sparkling in the sun, it most likely attracted the attention of local reindeer herders...
So, SVETOCHKA is located at the extreme western height of the Urals with a mark of 418 meters . Behind it, the watershed goes down and to the east ...
This is the most eastern edge Europe.
SOURCES:
wikipedia,
Cape Roca in Portugal is the westernmost point of continental Europe, the place where the mainland ends and extends further to America itself. endless expanses Atlantic. Like many other "extreme" points of the continents, Cape Roca is a place of mass tourist pilgrimage, and, like for many other "most-most" (for example,) - its "extreme" is rather arbitrary. So, until 1979, Cape Finisterre in Spain was considered the westernmost point of Europe. Plus, if we talk not only about continental Europe, but also about the islands, then there are a lot of places more western than Cape Roca (for example, the west coast of Ireland and other places). Nevertheless, Cape Roca is really an incredibly beautiful place and its romance is felt to the fullest. This is the place where Europe ends, and if you are here in the evening, you can catch yourself thinking that you are the last European who sees the sun: darkness has already fallen on the rest of the places, and you are catching the last rays of the sunset...
Getting to Cape Roca from Lisbon is easy - half an hour by train to Sintra, and there bus 403 runs every half an hour to Cabo da Roca. This bus runs between Sintra and Cascais and on the way stops right at the cape.
2. The Atlantic coast here is incredibly picturesque!
8. A memorial sign is installed directly on the cape. This place is always incredibly crowded.
10. There is also a functioning lighthouse here.
12. Cape Roca is a place of mass tourist pilgrimage, but as soon as you step aside, you find yourself all alone in the midst of absolutely stunning reserved places. Inconspicuous paths lead along the slopes of the surrounding hills, walking along which is a pleasure. One on one with magnificent nature, rocks and ocean.
19. Having walked a couple of kilometers from Cape Roca through the hills, I came across a secluded wild beach surrounded by rocks. The descent along the rocks to the ocean is not easy, but it is worth it!
21. Half an hour of acrobatics on the rocks - and we are at the goal!
23. The waves in the ocean are very high and powerful - you need to swim with caution. The water in the ocean, by the way, is cool and almost the same temperature all year round - 18-19 degrees in summer, and 16-17 in winter. Considering that the air heats up to almost 40 in summer, it is extremely pleasant to swim in such water. Invigorates and refreshes. :))
24. After swimming, we will walk with a camera along the coast of this wild bay. Rocks of the most bizarre shapes and shapes, ocean waves, splashes, sand.... Incredibly beautiful!
Chronicle of extreme cycling.
History and geography.
The three extreme points of Europe - the northern one, the North Cape in Norway, the western one - Cape Roca in Portugal and the southern one in Spanish city Tarifa are popular tourist sites.
Cape North Cape - the northernmost tip of continental Europe - one of the most famous sights in Norway. Once it was a place of ritual sacrifices. now this mandatory seat pilgrimage of tourists heading to the new tourist center, opened in 1988 ... (http://www.rostravel.ru). …Visiting the Nordkapp is no less than seeing Paris. Many have seen Paris. But the Nordkapp... ...We counted 40 (!) Tourist buses, let alone cars of all kinds and can not be counted. Where they all came from is unclear. The road is very narrow...
Western point of Europe - Cape Roca in Portugal
south point Europe in the Spanish city of Tarifa
But for some reason there is no road to the fourth, eastern tip of the continent at all. In fact, she is. It is called "tractor" in the tundra, but about it later.
tractor road
And the eastern tip of Europe itself until September 2003 was indicated only in reference books, somewhere between 67 degrees north latitude and 66 degrees east longitude in the Polar Urals, 130 km northeast of the city of Vorkuta, in the area between the upper reaches of the Malaya Usa and Malaya rivers. Pike. Therefore, in 2003, a group of enthusiasts from the city of Brest - Georgy Gribov, Mikhail Venskovich and Alexander Filonovich - who had previously visited all three extreme points of Europe, decided to find and install a real fourth, eastern point on the ground. The expedition was joined by an employee of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, scientific secretary of the Moscow Center for Russian geographical society Sergey Bulanov and correspondent Russian newspaper Vladimir Barshev. Having reached the proposed border of the continent on an all-terrain vehicle, they checked the coordinates of the proposed point with the terrain, checked the coordinates on a satellite navigator and found out that the border on the map does not run along a real watershed, but with an offset of five kilometers. Having found the easternmost point of the watershed, the expedition erected a commemorative stainless steel stele in the form of a globe and two arrows pointing to Europe and Asia.
Easternmost European Point - "Light"
"Svetochka".
"SVETochka" - The Easternmost European Point. This name was invented by Sergey Gerashchenko - the head of the second expedition to clarify the most eastern point Europe. We had to bike to get there. Why on bicycles? The backbone of the expedition was made up of cyclists from the sports club "Malachite" of the Kurchatov Institute - Dmitry Yerak, Denis Zhurko, Oleg Zabusov. Some of them, including Sergei Gerashchenko, rode bicycles through all the "cultivated" extreme points of Europe. There is only one left - "wild". Thus, the second purpose of the trip was to establish a kind of velo record. When Sergey offered me to go with them, I immediately agreed.
In addition to the listed participants, post-graduate students of the Moscow Conservatory Maria Gutnik and Varvara Timchenko, student Dmitry Gavrikov, Rossiyskaya Gazeta columnist Vladimir Barshev and myself, photographer and videographer Nikolai Kasatkin, took part in the expedition.
I am not new to sports travel. At the age of 17 I became a tourism instructor, I have three ski trips of the highest category of complexity behind me. Until the age of 43, he was actively involved in cross-country skiing and orienteering, and participated in cycling races. I have been friends with a bicycle since childhood, but I have never been on a bike trip, although I dreamed about it. And now the dream comes true. I'm starting to prepare my gear. Expropriating my son's mountain bike, given to him two years ago. The beveled frame made my life much easier later on when I ran out of strength to throw my leg over the frame an infinite number of times. In Sokolniki huge selection trunks. I choose the most reliable. A few hours of searching on the Internet and I opt for the Mirage 80 bicycle backpack. Looking ahead, I will say that out of 9 bicycle backpacks different types This one turned out to be the most convenient. And most importantly, he was the only one who did not get wet when immersed in water. I buy a compact telescopic spinning rod and a new reel to replace the old, broken one, and I'm ready. All other equipment is left from the previous life. I weigh a backpack - 15 kg. Now a shoulder bag. It contains only video and photo equipment. Portable professional video camera Sony, SLR digital camera Nikon D200, interchangeable lenses, flash, batteries, memory, accessories - only 9 kg. Total loaded bike - 30 kg., Plus 9 kg. on the back.
Brakes and fenders quickly clogged with mud
With such a load, it is good to drive on asphalt and a flat road. Worse on asphalt uphill. It is possible on a good flat dirt road. Even worse is driving uphill on a dirt road. Quite badly - on clay soaked with rain. But you can’t drive through the swamp and steep clay slopes. The polar tundra met us limp and softened from two weeks of continuous rains.
Along the embankment from the former railway Vorkuta - Khalmer-yu
The sun, blue sky and a line from the song "on the tundra, on the railroad ..." met us on the first day of the trip. Ten kilometers along the asphalt to the most remote area of Vorkuta, the former village of Severny, and then 40 km along the embankment from the former railway of Vorkuta - Khalmer-yu. After the closure of the mine in 1993, the Khalmer-yu settlement ceased to exist, Railway was dismantled, and the embankment turned into a convenient road for local fishermen, hunters and lovers " silent hunting". All bulk roads around Vorkuta are backfilled with rock from coal mines. The rock, burning out in dumps, turns into a magnificent cinder cover. If cars and all-terrain vehicles didn’t break the road, creating huge puddles, then the road surface would be like in old cinder stadiums. visits Vorkuta a large number of tourists, mainly water workers and "pedestrians". Many foreigners come. At the station we met a group of cyclists from Czechoslovakia heading towards the city of Labytnangi. There, at the station, a lucky ticket was waiting for us in the person of an employee of the Vorkutageology enterprise and a passionate lover of cycling, Evgeny Nemtsov. A happy coincidence was that Vorkutageology was our starting point. Arriving at Vorkutageology, we began to refine the route by interviewing all-terrain vehicle drivers and geologists. All the questions ended with the same thing - the rotation of the thumb at the temple. There was only one answer - "guys, you can go there only on an all-terrain vehicle." From that moment on, the barometer of our enthusiasm went down.
We live in a wonderful country and we are surrounded by wonderful people. Everyone tried to help us in some way. Watchman Katya was busy with us like a mother. Helped boil tea, dry clothes as it was pouring in the morning. pouring rain and we all got wet. In the evening, Zhenya Nemtsov arrived and offered us a "tour" along the roads that we had to overcome. Zhenya Nemtsov - young, healthy, trained, set a good pace for us, so the rides turned into a thirty-kilometer race with a full set of obstacles, and even at dusk. Tired, we went to bed at 2 midnight and early in the morning in the saddle.
During the night, the road was a little windy, so it was possible to drive in places
Day two, on the hills.
When you look at the tundra, it seems that a wavy green carpet is spread around. Above this carpet, leaden-gray clouds hang very low, almost overhead. This is an optical effect. open space. The sight is unusual. In our middle lane, the clouds are floating high. And the light waviness of the green carpet is also very deceptive. If you go straight across the tundra, then this pleasant green carpet turns into a continuous alternation of swamps, lakes, streams, rivers and hills. The road diligently tries to go around all these obstacles, but often fails. Having passed the route, I mentally divided the entire path into several stages: high-speed, hills, swamps, mountain. Speed is something that can be overcome without getting off the bikes. After the ford across the Bolshaya Syryakha River, the artificial road ended and the tractor road went. Why tractor? Because, apart from all-terrain vehicles and special tractors with wide tracks, not one vehicle including bike. The exception is sleds drawn by deer, traces of which we constantly saw in the mountainous part. It still amazes me how these small animals drag huge loaded sleds over the ground, stones, steep mountain, in short everywhere.
How these small animals drag huge loaded sledges over earth and stones
It rained in the evening, but during the night and morning the road was a little windy, so that in some places it was possible to ride even on gentle slopes. Sometimes the sun peeped through, which gave hope for good weather. The road passed through a series of hills with a height of up to 280 meters, then smoothly climbing to the peaks, then descending into hollows and small swamps, crossing the beds of streams and small rivers. We either got on bicycles, or briskly rolled them up the slopes, rolled them through swamps and mud with a very decent average speed 5 - 6 km / h. As a gift, it was possible to fly several kilometers from the top of another hill at breakneck speed. In the afternoon, the road began to deteriorate sharply. We entered the swampy part. By the evening we saw two small tents near the road. One of our ladies had an electronic music bell on the steering wheel. As she passed the battened-down tents, she pressed the bell. A melody, surprising for these places, was heard, and faces appeared from the tents, on which the extreme stage of amazement was written. Two tourists "pedestrians" walked towards us along our route. The guys were shocked. Two weeks of nobody and suddenly nine people on bicycles in a swamp. A professional-friendly conversation ensued, from which I remembered one phrase: “Guys, further up to that mountain there will not be a road, but a complete ass. It will not be easy for you with bicycles.” I can only add that such a road was not only up to that mountain.
We either got on bicycles, or briskly rolled them up the slopes.
I did not suspect and was shocked how steep the slopes can be overcome by all-terrain vehicles? The tractor road descended steeply into a swampy hollow, crossed it and straight ahead, almost vertically, went up to the height of a three-story house. Despite the fact that by the evening there was almost no strength left, we somehow went down and through the swamp, but up ... Each bicycle was dragged out of the hollow by three of us. On this day, we stopped for the night at 12.00 Moscow time (at 2.00 am local time)
After the ford across the Bolshaya Syryakha River, the causeway ended
All swamps, bolts, swamps ...
We were divided into a "support" group and an "assault" group. Four rested, fished and slowly returned to Vorkuta, and five moved on. No one had confidence that we would reach it, and even more so on time. But the leader had an unshakable determination to reach at any cost.
We forded the tributary of the Malaya Usa
Leaving the "support" group, we forded the tributary of the Malaya Usa and entered a heavily swampy part of the route. There is no decent word to describe the road.
There is no such decent word to describe the road
Peat bogs were added to all the delights. We bogged down in a liquid slush, then weaved our way through the tall grass up to the ankles, or even knee-deep in water, then we climbed the next hill, then we got stuck in the moss, pulling the wheels out of the tenacious paws of the polar willows and birches. Fifteen kilometers were covered in seven hours.
For insurance, we transport bicycles in twos.
In the evening, after fording another tributary of the Malaya Usa and walking another ten kilometers through the hills, we came to a ford across the Malaya Usa. The current is very fast. For insurance, we transport bicycles in twos, one may not hold. Beyond the crossing the mountains begin.
Behind the crossing the mountains begin
Height 418
The mountains gave us stone placers and a large number of rivers, streams and streams. Several very steep and long climbs took away the last strength. There were abrasions, abrasions and blisters on the legs. Legs and face began to swell. We didn't have time to recover. At dusk, having gathered the last of our strength, we approached the watershed. There was only one thing in my head - rather, in a tent and in a warm sleeping bag. Endless walking on cold water took away all the heat from the body. "Shaking" so that the spoon could not get into the bowl. We were rescued by a calm and seemingly slow-moving big man Denis. In any conditions, he did not trust the kitchen to anyone. He patiently waited for the water to boil on a slow gas burner when he had the opportunity, collected dry branches of a dwarf willow for a fire, cooked soup and porridge, took care of the mushrooms that grow here in abundance.
In the evening, we did not understand that we had reached the goal.
The sun came out in the morning. GPS showed that only 333 meters were left to the cherished point, the coordinates of which were entered back in Moscow, and gave the direction to the height under which we spent the night. In the evening, we did not realize that we had reached our goal. The mood barometer went up.
Taking a wheel from a bicycle ... we climbed to a height
Taking a wheel from a bicycle as proof of our belonging to cycling, we climbed to a height indicated on the map as 418 meters. At the height, they found the remains of a stele erected by the first expedition three years ago - two pillars immured in stone. The globe and stainless steel hands with the inscriptions Europe - Asia have disappeared. The memorial was placed on western edge mountains for everyone to see. This is what ruined him. Sparkling in the sun, it attracted the attention of local reindeer herders. After checking the coordinates “by satellite”, we made sure that the discrepancy with the data entered into the GPS in Moscow differs by only a few meters. Then we had to make sure that this is the easternmost point of the watershed. We went down from the mountain to the pass and took measurements. GPS showed more western coordinates. Further, the watershed went to the west.
The easternmost point of Europe
So, it was confirmed that the "Light" is at a height of 418 meters. Having again climbed to the height, we decided to set up our sign on the very high point watershed. Having chosen a large stone a few tens of meters from the old sign, they built a pyramid from white quartz stones. A stainless plate with new coordinates of the eastern point of Europe was embedded in the stone, a time capsule was placed in the pyramid, and a small celebration was held. We take out the flags of the Malachite sports club, the Russian Cycling Club, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the flag of the Chernobyl 2000+ world cycling marathon. The photo session and video filming begins. Then fireworks and buffet.
Photo session and video filming begins
Home
It is easier to walk along the path once traveled. You know how best to overcome the ford or where it is better to bypass the impassable section of the road. We no longer wasted time on reconnaissance of the path, but climbed ahead.
We no longer wasted time on reconnaissance of the path, but climbed ahead.
It's easier to follow the path once passed
But fatigue accumulated and sometimes, we did completely incomprehensible things. For example, one afternoon, during a snack with tea, replacing our lunch, watching someone take out a “foam” - a sleeping mat, so that it would be more comfortable to sit, the signal to hang up went off in my head. I took out my tent and started setting it up. Everyone was watching me with curiosity. Finally, someone could not stand it and asked - "Have you decided to sleep?". And then I "returned to the ground" - before the overnight stay, I still have to stomp 15 km. Another time, after crossing the river, I forgot my backpack with photo-video equipment and went ahead. Usually I went ahead to choose a place for shooting, but in order to forget the equipment ... Again Denis came to the rescue. He had to carry two backpacks. Such incidents made everyone laugh and lifted our spirits on the campaign.
No wonder I bought a new spinning
No wonder I bought a new spinning rod. Spending the night on Malaya Usa allowed us to test the tackle. The result is two graylings and a pike of three kilograms. All fishing took 20 minutes. This was enough for us to cook pike soup in the evening and have a bite of lightly salted grayling. Because By this time, the salt supply had run out, and I had to use star soup concentrate as a pickle. Regardless, this dish was amazing.
On the last day we walked and drove 70 km. and late in the evening we drove onto the highway near the village of Severny. The return trip took three days.
Overnight on the way back
There were 10 km left before the finish line, when a strong bang was heard, signaling a burst camera. In the light of a flashlight, we change the camera. After a kilometer, the repaired wheel deflated again, and we immediately found a puncture on another bike. Apparently the Rephean Mountains (as the Urals were called in the old days) did not want to let us go so easily. By two o'clock in the morning we get to the Vorkuta Geologiya base, confident that we are not expected there. However, after many attempts, we manage to wake up the watchman and, to our great joy, the entire “support group” comes out to us, after the watchman.
We were received by the Mayor of Vorkuta Igor Leonidovich Shpektor
The next day, having washed and cleansed ourselves, under the lenses of local television, we drove up to the city hall. We were received by the Mayor of Vorkuta Igor Leonidovich Shpektor. Igor Leonidovich put a bus at our disposal. Thanks to this, we were able to see the city, warmed up in the bathhouse, tasted stroganina in the restaurant and managed to catch the train from Vorkuta to Moscow.
But in spite of all the difficulties, I would gladly go through these the most beautiful places. If anyone needs a guide, I am ready, but not on a bicycle.
Cape Roca or Cabo Roca (Cabo da Roca) is the edge of Europe, and if you are in Portugal, you should definitely visit the westernmost point of continental Europe.
Cape Roca is an important landmark for sailors. Until the end of the 14th century, all Europeans considered the end of the earth, after which the vast ocean begins. Indeed, you might think so, especially when you see the raging waters of the Atlantic Ocean, huge waves hitting the rocks and fountains of spray flying onto small footpaths along the coast.
Cape Roca is amazing and having been here, in one of the many souvenir shops you can buy a certificate certifying that its owner was at the "end of the Earth":
The cliffs hang over the ocean for 150 meters, and from this point you can enjoy panoramic views of coastline and on mountain range Serra de Sintra.
Historical writings say that in the sixteenth century there was a fort on this site, which played an important role in protecting the sea approaches to Lisbon, forming a protective line of the coast. All that remains of the fort today are some ruins and a lighthouse. The lighthouse, however, has already been modernized, and it still serves for ships sailing in these waters.
The cape is part of the Sintra-Cascais nature reserve, it is he who represents the greatest interest for tourists visiting these places.
Cape Roca on the map
The tour itself does not last long, because here on the cape there is only a lighthouse, rocks, and souvenir shops. Average, excursion route pass in one hour - this is a visit to the lighthouse and several viewing platforms to visit Cape Roca. Then another hour for souvenirs and warming drinks (tea, coffee) in the nearest coffee shop.
How to get to Cape Roca?
Cape Roca is located 18 kilometers west of the city of Sintra and 40 kilometers from Lisbon. The simplest and fast way to get to Cabo Roca is to rent a car.
If you are going to Portugal to see Cape Roca, then you need to get or less.
Food prices for Iberian peninsula about the same, you can compare with.
And if you like these interesting places, then probably do not give up on extreme sports -
Also from the city of Sintra walks public transport- 403 bus, the fare on which costs 4 euros, and in time the journey will take 40 minutes. The bus runs every hour in both directions from 9 am to 7 pm. But the schedule is not regular, but depends on the season, so it is better to check on the spot.
A taxi can be taken for 35 euros and the journey takes about 25 minutes, so if you have a group of four, then there is a reason to take a taxi and ride in comfort.
- The first lighthouse on this site was built in 1772, but the current lighthouse has been standing since 1842, and its light of 1000 watts is visible for 46 kilometers;
- In this part of the coast there are very few plants that grow inland in Portugal. This is due to the fact that constant strong winds from the ocean they bring salt with them, which kills many plants;
- The cape is marked by a stone monument with a cross on top. The inscription on the monument is a quote from the famous Portuguese poet Luis Camões (1524-1580): "Where the land ends and the sea begins".
The pedestal on which the quote is carved
Portugal, once the most powerful empire in the world, has already lost its former greatness, but this place has retained it. Those old times, in the era of the great geographical discoveries, ships set sail from the coast of Portugal to unknown distances, and the last thing they saw was Cabo Roca or the end of the earth.
