Giants Causeway in Great Britain, Northern Ireland Resort
Rating: 8,3/10 ( votes)  The Causeway of the Giants is probably the most famous place in Northern Ireland, since there are not so many such unusual natural attractions in the world. The giant's trail, this is the second official name of this place, is a unique tectonic structure that was formed about 60 million years ago. Basalt formations cooled over time and took the form of columns of an almost ideal hexagonal shape, some columns have four faces, some have eight. In height, the boulders have risen to 12 meters on the shore, some of them are in the sea, under water.
Open to the public and known throughout Europe, the Giants' Causeway began in 1692, when the local bishop began inviting a variety of guests to walk through this wonder of nature. A century later, in 1807, the popularity of the Valley reached such a level that scientists and ordinary tourists from many countries began to come here, stone blocks became the subject of study of an actively developing science. Officially, a national park was created on this site only in 1894, when the Society for the Conservation of Natural Beauty and Historic Interests was opened in Great Britain. In 1986, UNESCO included the Valley in its list of World Heritage of Humanity, and the adjacent territory was recognized as a nature reserve.
The Valley also has its own legend of appearance, which from century to century has overgrown with many variations, but the general features of the plot are preserved. According to this legend, the columns appeared here as a bridge built by the local Irishman Finn, who was so powerful and strong that he drove the columns into the bottom of the sea with his hands. According to various versions, the bridge was destroyed by a monster running away from Finn, so the columns have different heights.
The scientific explanation of the appearance of the Valley comes down to molecular processes that took place here millions of years ago - the cooling lava is very similar to the soil cracking in drought. The difference in the height of the basalt columns was confirmed by an experimental method: the slower the air temperature falls, the higher the cooling lava rises.
Now, despite the official status of the reserve, this territory is open to tourists, it is desirable to coordinate the excursion with the National Fund. This is done primarily to ensure the safety of tourists.
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