A nice photo of Giant’s Causeway / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Sean Lucas

History of Giant’s Causeway

Scientific study proves that the impressive formation known as Giant’s Causeway is a result of volcanic activity during the Paleogene period. Due to the large amount of volcanic activity in the region, the area had a lava plateau which eventually cooled and contracted. In the instances of rapid contraction, columns shot up from the ground. These columns are what make up the Giant’s Causeway.

Legends and Myths

Although today we know the scientific explanation for the creation of Giant’s Causeway, citizens and explorers of the past made up legends to explain the formation. The most popular of these legends is one involving the Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill. The myth claims that he was set to battle his Scottish rival Benandonner. When the time came for them to fight, Fionn mac Cumhaill had fallen asleep. His wife covered him with a giant blanket as he slept and told Benandonner that it was their infant son. Upon seeing the size of the baby, Benandonner fled and ripped up the rocks in his escape. This is said to be what created Giant’s Causeway.

A classic view of a typical rock formation at the Giant’s Causeway / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by code poet

Visitor’s Information

For years the area has been without a visitor’s center, but in 2012 a center will be completed and feature exhibits about the formation of the Giant’s Causeway as well as some of the most popular legend surrounding it. Most people enjoy simply walking around the formation and taking pictures of the incredible landscape. There are some buses to the area but most visitors arrive by car as there is ample parking available. While there is no admission fee to tour the Giant’s Causeway, there is a parking fee of £6 per vehicle. Keep in mind that the attraction opens at dawn and closes promptly at sunset throughout the year.

Other Regional Attractions

The town nearest to Giant’s Causeway is Antrim. This town is full of historical landmarks, exciting attractions and plenty of culture. Head to the town’s shoreline of Lough Neagh in order to experience traditional Irish coastline. Although it is often too cold for swimming, there is still plenty of exciting recreation to be had there. Other popular attractions in the region include the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. This is a fun and exciting attraction costing £4 per person. The bridge might feel unsteady, but it is very safe and is regularly checked as a precaution. Children in particular love the excitement of the swinging bridge.

Nearby Accommodation Options

There is an abundance of accommodation options available in the area surrounding Giant’s Causeway. As one of the more popular destinations for European holidays, local hotels and guesthouses are prepared for larger numbers of travellers, especially in the summer months. If you would rather stay in a city, look for apartments in Northern Ireland rather than inns and small hotels. Private apartments for rent are available in nearby cities like Belfast and Lisburn.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Hungarian Snow

Another interesting mountain range is Börzsöny which is protected by National Park of Duna-Ipoly. It lies at the Slovakian border, above Budapest, and includes also popular Hungarian towns of Visegrád and Nagymaros.

The park is also famous for many castles and forts. It is a pleasant, mostly forested landscape that waves together with the banks of the Danube and Ipoly rivers, interwoven with series of waterways and wetlands. Only in the Börzsöny mountains there are more than 335 different springs and streams. This area is one of the least accessible parts of Hungary. There are no roads, but you can get there by the narrow gauge railway which is also interesting and popular technical monument here. Of course, the best way how you can get to know the landscape is on foot, but be careful, some parts of the park are not accessible at all due to protection.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Tamas Ring

Most features of the landscape were created by volcanic activity, there are an extinct volcanic cones, steep ravines or bizarre rocks. Fourteen million years ago these places were occupied by the great volcano, about 1400 meters high. After the eruption, the central part of the volcano failed down, so today we can see the remnants of the crater. The highest point of Börzsöny mountain is Csóványos peak with a height of 939 metres above sea level, offering a panoramic view of the region. However, there are also other peaks and hills where you can enjoy beautiful views, such as Hegyes-Tető with the great vista of the Danube. In good weather conditions, you can even see the Slovak High Tatras mountains from some hills.

The area a home to many rare and protected animals, especially reptiles, amphibians and birds including several species of eagles. There are also wild cats and martens. It boasts also a varied composition of plants, including the relics from the post-glacial period.

Börzsöny Mountains are not very visited areas, in comparison with Balaton, Budapest or any of the Hungarian thermal aquaparks. But the prices here are reasonable and the romantic local scenery is an alternative for less demanding, but interesting holiday – especially for hikers and cyclists.

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Stromboli, Sicily, Italy by Steven W. Dengler

Because of its continuous activity, the island of Stromboli is home to less than a thousand people. The most recent major eruption of the volcano was back in 2009. However, because there is a constant stream of minor eruptions that occur on a regular basis, the island has become known locally as the Mediterranean Lighthouse. There are three different craters in the peak of the volcano which currently rises 926 meters above the sea.

For more than 2,000 years, Stromboli has been erupting and has maintained a fairly recognizable pattern. Since lava does not tend to flow during the eruptions, there have been very few explosive occurrences. However, there have been a number of exceptions to this.

Today there are three villages located on the island. The villages of San Vincenzo and San Bartolo can be found along the north-eastern shorelines while the village of Ginostra can be found along the south-western shores.

Back in the early 1900s, the population of the island was quite large. It was home to several thousand people. However, by the 1950s as a result of multiple migrations, the population of the island dropped to only a few hundred. Coupled with the recent increase of volcanic activity over the past few decades, the population of Stromboli never reached more than a thousand inhabitants.

Most people who plan on visiting Stromboli chose to take the ferry to the island in order to spend the day marveling at the volcano before returning to Sicily by nightfall.

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