Things to Do in Europe

The Giant's Causeway is a cluster of approximately 40,000 basalt columns rising out of the sea on the Antrim Coast of Northern Ireland. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the area draws thousands of tourists each year who come to marvel at and photograph this natural wonder.

The Basics
While the legend surrounding Giant’s Causeway makes for an interesting story, geologists have a different explanation for the creation of the Giant's Causeway: volcanic activity. It’s said that millions of years ago, a volcanic eruption produced a lava flow that cooled quickly from both the top and sides, shaping the lava into hexagonal columns. Over time, the elements have continued to sculpt these columns into various shapes, and some are known to resemble objects. Notable formations include the Chimney Stacks, Giant's Harp, and Honeycomb, all of which are favorites of visiting photographers. Spot these formations and other stunning views framed by the windswept cliffs on your walk over the columns to the edge of the sea.
 
Although it’s possible to self-drive, many visitors choose to take a round-trip tour from Dublin with transportation and entrance fees to the Visitor’s Center included. Guided Causeway tours, with upgrades such as private tours or luxury coaches, often include stops at other nearby attractions such as the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, the Bushmills Distillery, and Dunluce Castle.

• Wear sensible clothing and footwear, as the stones can be slippery.
• An outdoor audio guide is available, in addition to another guide for visually impaired visitors.
• The site includes three parking lots and a park-and-ride area.
• Paths down to the causeway are partially accessible, as are the grounds.
• The Visitor’s Centre features a number of interactive exhibition; admission fee required.

How to Get to Giant’s Causeway
The Causeway Coastal Route, a popular scenic drive between Belfast City and Londonderry, is a self-drive option through County Antrim that includes a stops at Rathlin Island, Ballintoy, and the Giant’s Causeway. The causeway is about three hours drive north of Dublin and 1.5 hours north of Belfast by car; a variety day trips are available from both departure locations.

When to Get There
Opening times vary seasonally; check the Giant’s Causeway website for opening hours, including the Visitor’s Center opening hours. Expect wind and rain during winter.

Irish Folklore
These rock formations get their name from an old legend stating that Irish warrior Finn McCool built the path across the sea to face his Scottish rival, Benandonner. There are several variations of the story from this point, but each one ends with Finn dressing as a baby and scaring off Benandonner, who thinks the disguised Finn is actually the child of a giant and is too afraid to face his opponent. On his way back to Scotland, Benandonner tears up the path behind him, leaving just what exists today on the Northern Irish coast and the Scottish island of Staffa, which has similar rock formations.

Malta’s oldest and least-known prehistoric site is close to Marsaxlokk on the south coast. Excavations at the massive limestone cave complex at Għar Dalam in the 20th century led to the discovery of fossils of long-extinct mammals and provide firm evidence of human occupation of the island 7,400 years ago in Neolithic times. Bones and fossils of animals extinct before the Ice Age, including giant mice, dwarf elephants and hippos, can be clearly seen in a layer of rock more than 500,000 years old. Above this bedrock is a layer of loose rock formed a mere 18,000 years ago, which contained remains of deer and other mammals, and this is topped by a rock strata evidencing fragments of human skeletons and shards of tools and pots. It is thought that the first human settlers on Malta came across a land bridge from mainland Europe and existed in these caves – in fact there were still people living here in 1911 when excavations started.

The cave itself was hollowed out by water over millions of years and stretches more than 490 ft (150 m) underground; they also contain some spectacular stalagmite and stalactite formations. The first 263 ft (80 m) are open for viewing and there’s also a small museum on site, which relates the geological history of the caves and displays some of the bones, teeth and skeletons found on-site. There’s also a small botanical garden planted with indigenous Maltese shrubs and trees.

Lose yourself in medieval-era Salzburg on a stroll through Getreidegasse. The atmospheric laneway is lined with upmarket boutiques and shops.

Getreidegasse is as historic as it is pretty. Harking back to Roman days, the thoroughfare has always been the city’s high street, connecting Salzburg to Bavaria.

The street is lined with beautiful medieval and Baroque buildings, built by rich merchants over the centuries. It was in one of these buildings that Mozart was born in 1756.

The world's original geyser, this spout of hot water is the source of the English word after which all other geysers are named. Geysir literally means "gusher" in Icelandic, and this natural phenomenon in the Haukadalur geothermal region has been active for more than 10,000 years. Records of hot springs activity in the region date back to 1294.

Dwarfed by haughty buildings on all sides and surrounded by statues of great Scots, George Square makes sense of poet John Betjeman’s claim that Glasgow is “the greatest Victorian city in the world.”