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There are many strange rock formations around the world. The ones at Giant’s Causeway are astonishingly beautiful as well, situated on a rough coastline in Northern Ireland.
The UNESCO World Heritage List includes more than a thousand properties with outstanding universal value. They are all part of the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
Official facts
- Full name of site: Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast
- Country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Date of Inscription: 1986
- Category: Natural site
UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre’s short description of site no. 369:
“The Giant’s Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Geological studies of these formations over the last 300 years have greatly contributed to the development of the earth sciences, and show that this striking landscape was caused by volcanic activity during the Tertiary, some 5060 million years ago.”
My visit
This is what I write from my 1994 visit:
“The Glenns of Antrim are nine valleys all stretching down towards the coast. The coastline is partly cliffs. One of the highlights, indeed the world’s eighth wonder according to the Irish, is Giant’s Causeway. The peninsula is rocks, not unusual on a coastline. However, these rocks have the shape of multi-edged vertical pillars, like a bee-hive. Most of the pillars have six edges. Have a look at the picture, they are impossible to describe.”
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