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