You know that feeling when you expect magic and you get it... Well, the stones? I caught myself thinking, "Is that all?" Stonehenge is really smaller than the pictures in the textbook. The stones are huge, gray, and cracked in places. But they're just standing in the field. There's a fence around you, a well—trodden path under your feet, and you can't even get close (ropes are 15 meters away). What surprised me: 1. Acoustics. The guide said that the sound was reflected strangely inside the circle. I didn't check, they wouldn't let me in. 2. Heel stones. There is a small "Heel stone" to the side. They say a sunbeam rests on it on the day of the solstice. Well, not on my day. 3. Windmill. The English Field is a "Blow away the Tourist" attraction. I lost my hat. What infuriates: · Tickets. Expensive (about £20). And you have to buy them online in a week. You can't just drive up and walk in. · Crowds. People walk in circles like sheep. Taking pictures. They're trying to take a "magic selfie." There is no magic, there is a selfie. · Audio guide. He says in a boring voice: "Presumably, it was a temple... An observatory, perhaps... scientists are arguing..." In short, nothing concrete. The Council: Don't drive for Stonehenge alone. Take a tour from Bath or Salisbury — at least the cathedral is beautiful there. And dress up like the North Pole, even in summer. Result: It is a monument not so much to the ancient druids as to British tourism marketing. You can see it once in your life. You won't regret not going. But I won't go there a second time.

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Татьяна

Level 16 Local Expert

STONEHENGE, Great Britain. Stonehenge. After reviewing the natural geological site in Armenia, "Symphony of Stones," I wanted to write about a man-made one that I had visited earlier. This is Stonehenge, which has remained a mystery to mankind for five thousand years. There are 82 huge pieces of rock in the structure, which stand on top of each other. The weight of each of them is 5 tons. 30 blocks of 25 tons each, as well as 5 structures in the shape of the letter P. The construction was carried out in several stages over the course of one and a half thousand years. It is known where the stones were delivered from. It is clear how it was technically possible to build it without any mysticism, by the efforts of thousands of people with ropes, levers and incredible labor. But "how", not "why". What exactly was built? The temple? Probably. The observatory? Partly. A place of power where people came for healing? Yes, and such a hypothesis. Blue stones were said to have healing powers. It takes more than just labor to build such a facility. We need an idea for which people are willing to work, not expecting to see the result in their lifetime. What kind of faith motivated them? What kind of knowledge? Several incredible (to date, fantastic) hypotheses: Acoustic studies show that the sound inside the stone ring behaves strangely. Resonances, reflections, standing waves. This is redundant for an ordinary temple. And for a tool whose purpose has not yet been solved? One of the fantastic assumptions. Stonehenge is a Stone Age 3D printer. An acoustic resonator that, if properly tuned, could... what? Changing matter: an ancient regeneration capsule? A passage between dimensions? Perhaps the portal was activated for a few minutes at the time of the solstice.… Where was he going? Maybe to the place where the ancient architects got their knowledge about construction... Transmission of information. The network of megaliths all over the planet is the nodes of a single network. The ancient Internet based on terrestrial magnetism and sound. Stonehenge is the main server. Are Kailash, the Pyramids, Angkor, Easter Island and other similar monumental sites regional hubs? There are many more exciting versions. TIPS for visiting Stonehenge It takes about two hours by car or bus from London. Arrive at the opening or a couple of hours before closing. There are crowds of tourists and buses during the day. Early morning fog over the plain, silence and a completely different feeling of the place. Don't worry about rain or fog. The plain looks harsh, draughty, and mystical in bad weather. Don't forget to buy a souvenir, I bought a mug. The main thing is to leave time just to stand. No audio guide, no phone recording. Five thousand years have been looking at you, and it's absolutely amazing! Realize it... P.S. Someone from the entourage asked how she went to Stonehenge. I smiled that I didn't see any aliens, alas...)) Response: but they definitely saw you))

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Александр Владимиров

Level 30 Local Expert

How interesting he is... and how great it is that different people find something of their own in him. I can't say that I felt something mystical, that the truth was revealed, or vice versa - something was closed. But the trip there was definitely worth it. The journey from London to Stonehenge will take more than two hours, so I would advise you not to go directly, but to stop in, say, Salisbury - there you can walk around the pleasant quiet city, have a snack in a pub and then drive to Stonehenge - from there it takes only 20 minutes. At the entrance to Stonehenge there is a large parking lot, cafes and ticket offices. Tickets for adults cost more than 30 pounds. It's not cheap, but as I said, it's worth it. The cashier asks where you are from and gives you a brochure in your language. In Russian, as you can see, they give out -) At the entrance there is a reconstruction of the dwellings of our ancestors from the Neolithic. Very interesting. You can go into one of the huts and figure out what it was like for them there. I must say that the Neolithic is probably the main period in the history of mankind, with which Stonehenge is associated. Even at the entrance you will see hills overgrown with grass - these are Neolithic burial grounds. They are not specifically excavated, hoping that in the future technology will make it possible to do this as carefully as possible, and maybe even without excavation. After you visit the village of our ancestors, you can go to Stonehenge itself. It's a long way; it'll probably take 40-45 minutes on foot. Local sheep are walking along the way, and everyone passing by is delighted -) But you can use the free bus - it will definitely be faster. And so you arrive at the bus parking lot and you can see it in the distance... There is a fence around Stonehenge at a fairly decent distance, beyond which it is forbidden to enter. It is cleaned only twice a year - on the days of the spring and autumn equinox. Then, as the guide said, thousands, tens of thousands of people gather here - very different, very creative and singing, dancing; some perform rituals. I was here on a seemingly ordinary day, but it was also a bit unusual. The sun was hot when we arrived. Then it started to rain abruptly. Then a strong wind blew and it got colder. And all this in less than half an hour. Stunningly. The stones themselves, even now that some of them seem to have fallen, look surprisingly cool. So smooth, so precise... and considering that the stones of Stonehenge were placed in accordance with the movement of the Sun and Moon... It's amazing how our ancestors could have possessed such knowledge, which we (let's be honest) treat as not the most technologically advanced. And yet they knew something, they understood something, and perhaps they knew and understood more than we do now... As you know, different thoughts come here. On the plain, in silence, when no one, no tourists distract... But at some point it's time to leave. At the exit of the bus from the parking lot, of course, there is a souvenir shop - a very good one, with a very wide variety of souvenirs. Stonehenge is an interesting, amazing, steeped in history place. Someone is trying to find the truth here (in front of me, one girl lit incense, but she was gently asked to put it out). Someone looks at Stonehenge as a historical monument. Someone sees it as a scientific facility. But in any case, visiting Stonehenge is an important event, and if you have the opportunity to visit it, you should definitely come here.

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