- Kyoragbolton in Norway
- Hum city in Croatia
- Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland
- Giethoorn in the Netherlands
- San Juan Gastelugache in Spain
- Sculptures of Abbe Fouret in France
- Geierleigh bridge in Germany
Old, kind Europe with a large number of countries, cities, resorts is ideal for recreation. Each state has its own traditions and rich history. You can visit any country in Europe many times in a row, discovering new unexplored corners. There are plenty of amazing, unusual places in Europe.
Forget about the hyped and noisy capitals, spread a map of the region on the table and go to the hidden gems of Europe, where there are still few tourists, there is no good infrastructure, but there is something more - uniqueness and originality. These places will make a great impression and will remain in your heart forever.
In the Netherlands, find a water village, in Croatia - the smallest city in the world, in Norway, take a picture on a stone stuck between the rocks, in Germany, walk along a breathtaking cable car, in France, visit a rock sculpture park.
A visit to these attractions, many of which are not even found in guidebooks, can prompt a search for other unusual natural and man-made beauties.
Kyoragbolton in Norway
The Kjorag Plateau rises above the beautiful Lysefjord in the Rugaland region of Norway. This hill would be one of many in the country from where you can take beautiful pictures of mountains, rugged by fjords, if not for one famous landmark called Kyoragbolton. It is a large boulder sandwiched between two rocks at a height of 984 meters.
A convenient passage has been made to this stone-pea. Tourists climb a boulder to take spectacular photos. The main thing is not to look down! The cliffs near Kyoragbolton are also one of the most popular jumping spots. In summer, when the sun is shining over the fjord, tourist groups rise one after another on the Kjorag plateau.
The road to the plateau with a length of 4 km cannot be called easy, although during the ascent no special mountaineering devices are required. The way up starts from the Eagle's Nest cafe, which is located on a 500-meter high ledge. There is an observation deck near the cafe, which offers a gorgeous view of the fjord. Even if you have no desire to go to the plateau, do not be too lazy to get here from the cities of Stavanger or Lysebotn.
The Eagle's Nest cafe is small. Here you can only have a bite to eat before the further road to the plateau marked in red. From the cafe to the plateau, you will have to climb 500 meters along gentle rocks. For the convenience of tourists, handrails are organized here.
As soon as the last meters are overcome, all the burdens of the path will be forgotten, because the view from the cliff in front of the travelers is simply amazing.
How to get there: you can get to Kyoragbolton in two ways: from Stavanger, once a day, there is a bus to the Eagle's Nest cafe, from where the hiking route to the Norwegian "pea" begins. In the evening you can return to Stavanger on the same bus. In principle, very convenient. You can take a ferry from Stavanger to Lysebotn, and then walk 7, 5 km on foot to the "Eagle's Nest" along the mountain serpentine.
Hum city in Croatia
Hum, located on the Istrian peninsula in Croatia, is often called the smallest city in the world. According to the 2011 census, Hum has only two streets and 30 residents. Nevertheless, this is a real city, surrounded by a fortified wall, with an entrance gate and its own temple.
The miniature town resembles a cinematic set. It seems that now the command "Motor!" Will be heard, and the extras will flood the deserted lanes. Instead, travelers will find soccer balls forgotten on the street, clothes dryers, and perhaps the occasional local from whom they can buy a souvenir or a bottle of homemade olive oil. By the way, amazing brandy is made here, which is also suitable as a gift to family and friends.
There are several attractions in Hum and its surroundings:
- the seven-kilometer alley of Glagolitsa, which connects Hum with the neighboring town of Roc. It is decorated with 11 monuments, the first of which is the entrance gate to the city. These sculptures are dedicated to the Glagolitic alphabet. The fact is that until the 19th century, local priests used the Slavic alphabet. Now in Croatia, Latin letters are used;
- Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is located just outside the gate. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century;
- the Romanesque chapel of St. Jerome with frescoes from the 12th century;
- the popular restaurant "Humska konoba", which serves Istra cuisine;
- gallery-museum "Aura", which is a gift shop.
Getting to Hum is difficult if you don't have your own or rented car. The nearest railway station is located in the village of Yerkovchitsy, which is located under the Hum hill.
Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland
Giant's Causeway is located in a nature reserve outside the town of Bushmills in Northern Ireland. This natural wonder consists of 40 thousand basalt pillars of different heights, which appeared here in the distant past due to volcanic activity. The formation of these columns was made possible by the appearance of large cracks formed during the cooling of vast lava fields.
The name of the Giant's Causeway is explained by an Irish legend. It is believed that the field of basalt pillars used to be a bridge, which was built by one giant, who was at enmity with a neighbor. When the neighbor decided to visit the enemy himself, he found him sleeping at home. The giant's wife deceived her foe, saying that this was her little son. The neighbor, seeing the dimensions of the "baby", got scared of his "father" and fled, simultaneously destroying the crossing. So from the bridge of giants, only a small part remained, to see which thousands of tourists come every year.
The posts are generally hexagonal. The height of the columns does not exceed 12 meters. Most of the pillars rise 1-2 meters above the surface. The average width of each column is about 46 cm.
From the side, the Giants' Causeway resembles a springboard that slopes gently down to the sea. The maximum width of the Road is 180 meters.
In 1986 this unique natural monument became one of the UNESCO sites. At the same time, the Causeway tourist center was opened nearby, where you can get additional information about the Giant's Causeway, exchange currency, and buy souvenirs.
How to get there: There are tourist buses and trains running from Belfast and Bushmills to Giant's Causeway. The distance from Belfast to amazing rocks is 100 km. The Giant's Road is only 3 km away from Bushmills, which, if desired, can be walked.
Giethoorn in the Netherlands
The fairytale village of Giethoorn is located in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is built on tiny islands connected by canals with 176 wooden bridges. It is often called the Dutch Venice.
Giethoorn is visited by many tourists, but those who live there are much more fortunate than casual travelers. A typical day in Giethoorn for locals begins with boat trips. Despite the fact that each island has a walking path along the canals, getting around on the water saves a lot of time.
By the way, every tourist can also ask for a boat for rent, if he believes in himself. For those who do not want to sit on the oars, we recommend cruises on the local channels. The depth of the canal does not exceed 70 cm, it is completely safe to swim along them, however, in case of an accident, it is better to do this in summer, when it is warm. The length of all the canals in the village is 7.5 km.
Until recently, there were no roads in Giethoorn, only in the 90s of the last century the only bicycle path was laid here.
In Giethoorn you can visit:
- Museum-farm Old Maat Uus. The farm was founded in Giethoorn in 1800. The museum, which now works in it, presents an exhibition that tells about the life of local residents 100 years ago;
- the shipyard where flat-bottomed spoons are built;
- Museum of jewelry Old Earth, which also has a terrarium;
- museum of old cars, motorcycles and other equipment.
How to get there: to get to Giethoorn from Amsterdam, you need to take the train either to Stenwijk or to Zwolle, from where buses run to the desired village of Venice. Travel time is about 2, 5 hours.
San Juan Gastelugache in Spain
Gastelugache is a small rocky islet in the Bay of Biscay. The only building on it is the San Juan Gastelugache chapel. To get to it from a parking lot on the continent, you need to cross a narrow footbridge and then climb 241 steps.
The name "Gastelugache" is translated as "Stone Castle". The rocky formations on the island from the shore looked like the man-made supports of a fortress, which is why the locals gave this piece of land such a name.
A chapel dedicated to St. John appeared on the island in the 10th century. It is believed to have been erected by the Knights Templar, although this is unlikely to be true, since the Knights Templar was founded in 1119. Tombs of the 9th-12th centuries were found near the temple. The island of Gastelugache has always been considered an outpost that took the first blow of the enemy troops on itself. It was ravaged by pirates, captured by the British.
In 1978, the chapel was severely damaged by fire. It was restored after 2 years and reopened to the public. According to tradition, once you are near the chapel, you need to strike the bell on the church three times and think about the most intimate. They say that any wish will come true here.
There is a small shelter next to the chapel, sheltered from the wind, where you can have a picnic or watch birds. It is better to come here in spring or autumn, when there are not so many tourists.
Wind and water have worked nicely on the local landscape. The island has many natural arches, narrow passages in the rocks. From the chapel you can go to the rocky beaches, from which divers love to dive. The rocks are overgrown with herbs, some of which are endemic.
How to get there: from Bilbao you will have to take buses with one change to Gastelugache. The Bilbao-Bakio bus A3518 departs from the Moyua metro stop and will take you to the Bentalde or Olaskoetxe stops, where the A3524 bus stops, going to the chapel on the island (Gaztelu Begi stop).
Sculptures of Abbe Fouret in France
In the small village of Rotheneuf on the shores of the Gulf of Saint-Malo, there is a strange and attractive place - rocks on the coast, from which about 300 sculptures have been carved. All of them are made by the hands of one person - the deaf-mute Abbot Fouret.
At the age of 55, after a serious illness that deprived him of hearing and speech, the Breton abbot moved to the village of Rotheneuf. Over the next 16 years, from 1893 to 1909, he went ashore every day with tools to carve people and monsters from granite. All of his statues look out to the sea.
Researchers of his work especially highlight the sculptural image of pirates who lived in Rotenef 4-5 centuries ago. They sold smuggled goods, thereby making a living. Many sculptures are signed so that the viewer, if one appears, does not confuse anything. There is a sentry, a devil, an astrologer, a seducer, etc.
At the beginning of the last century, all images were painted in bright colors. Now the paint has peeled off, and we see just gray-brown rocks. Time and the destructive impact of the elements does not spare outdoor sculptures. Some statues began to lose clarity, small elements smoothed out. That is why it is worth seeing these stunning sculptures before they gradually disappear.
The section of the Rotenef coast with statues and bas-reliefs of the Abbot Fouret is recognized by the Museum. A small, purely symbolic fee is charged for entering the shore. The influx of tourists has not yet been observed.
How to get there: from the city of Saint-Malo to Rotenuf, where the sculptures in the rocks are located, there is a bus (a ticket costs 1, 3 euros). To get to the sculptures, just follow the signs. The exit to the rocks is on l'Abbé Fouéré street.
Geierleigh bridge in Germany
A wonderful attraction for lovers of heights and those who want to tickle their nerves was opened in 2015 in Germany. It is a 360-meter long suspension pedestrian bridge called Gayerlai, which connects the villages of Mersdorf and Zosberg. Until 2017, it was considered the longest suspension bridge in Germany.
One travel site soothes impressionable tourists who are wondering whether to step on this suspended miracle or not worth it: "The bridge is absolutely safe, as it has been in operation for only a few years." However, these words do not have a positive effect on everyone. According to statistics, 20% of tourists who come to the bridge do not dare to cross it.
The author of the construction of the Gayerlay bridge was the Swiss engineer Hans Pfaffen. He tried to give the bridge over Mersdorf Creek the look of Nepalese suspension structures. The bridge is thrown at a height of just under 100 meters.
The weight of the Gayerlay Bridge is 62 tons. He is able to withstand simultaneously 76, 5 tons of load, that is, approximately 950 people of average body condition. The bridge deck is made of 6 cm thick wooden planks spaced 1 cm apart.
The bridge is quite narrow, two people can barely pass each other, so tourists usually go in single file. In this case, beautiful photos will not work. It is better to come here at sunrise or sunset when there are no other curious people. Nobody charges a toll on the bridge.
Cycling through the structure is not permitted. It is better to roll a two-wheeled friend next to you. This is for security reasons. Steel railings are located at the level of 1, 4 meters, that is, they barely reach the shoulders of a walking person.
How to get there: The bridge itself can only be reached on foot or by bike. Tourists leave their cars in Mersdorf, where there is ample parking. A 1.2 km long trail leads to the bridge, along which there are signs "Geierlay". You can also get to Mersdorf by train from Frankfurt am Main (tickets cost 27-40 euros). He will take you to Treis-Cardin, where you need to take a taxi to Mersdorf (35-45 euros). On the way, tourists will spend 2 hours and 50 minutes.
