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Giant's Causeway

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Giant's Causeway, Natural rock formation in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Description

The Giant's Causeway is a rock formation on the Northern Irish coast featuring approximately 40,000 basalt columns stretching from the cliffs into the sea. These stone columns form mainly regular hexagonal shapes that give the coastline a very distinctive appearance.

History

The columns formed about 60 million years ago through volcanic activity, cooling into their hexagonal shape. The site gained international attention after artist Susanna Drury created watercolor paintings in 1739, which were later published in the French Encyclopédie.

Culture

The site takes its name from an Irish legend about a giant building a passage across the sea. This story remains woven into how locals and visitors experience the columns today.

Practical

The National Trust visitor center offers exhibitions, guided tours, and audio guides about geology and folklore. The columns are freely accessible and best explored on foot, with changing tides offering different perspectives throughout the day.

Did you know?

The hexagonal columns formed through a rare geological process where rapidly cooling lava created natural cracks in this perfect geometric shape. This interplay of nature and geometry makes the site unusual in its regularity for a natural formation.

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Location
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Inception
January 1, 1979
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Operator
National Trust
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Address
Bushmills BT57 8SU, UK
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GPS coordinates
55.24083,-6.51167
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Latest update
December 20, 2025 15:32

AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide. Discover all places nearby (County Antrim).

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« Giant's Causeway - Natural rock formation in County Antrim, Northern Ireland » is provided by Around Us (aroundus.com). Images and texts are derived from Wikimedia project under a Creative Commons license. You are allowed to copy, distribute, and modify copies of this page, under the conditions set by the license, as long as this note is clearly visible.

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