Mount Saint Michael
Mount Saint Michael is a rock in the ocean 70 meters high, five hundred meters from the shore, located in the county of Cornwall. It is the most famous landmark in the county. A port was located on the mountain, through which tin and copper were traded from 350 BC. After the capture of the island by Julius Caesar in 56 BC. he was left to hermits. The most striking event that caused the pilgrimage to this mountain was the appearance of St. Michael to a local fisherman in 495. After that, the mountain became one of the most important holy places visited by pilgrims to this day.
In 1135, a Benedictine monastery was built on the mountain by Bernard Le Bec of the Norman Abbey of Saint Michael. In the 15th century, King Henry V of England declared war on France. and during it seized this island. Throughout its history, the island has been a monastery, a fortress, a place of pilgrimage, and eventually became the private property of the St Aubyn family in 1659. Today, the island is connected to the mainland by a pedestrian dam, but anyway, at high tide, the dam is flooded and can only be reached by boat.
WALES
According to fashionissupreme, the capital of Wales is Cardiff.. A hundred years ago it was the largest and noisiest port in the world, the center of the coal industry. Today, the docks have been converted into a complex of restaurants and entertainment venues. The main attraction of the city is Cardiff Castle, built in the 11th century. Normans on Roman fortifications. The National Museum of Wales has a rich collection of works of art: Botticelli, Tiepolo, Turner, Gainsborough, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Boudin, Braque, Derain, Vlaminck, Rodin, Max, Ernst, Magritte.
Wales has more castles per square kilometer than anywhere else in the world, from romantic ruins to majestic fortresses. The most famous castles built during the reign of the English king Edward I, who conquered Wales in the 13th century, make up the “defensive ring”: Harlech Castle, towering on a cliff in the center of Wales, Conwy Castle, located at the mouth of the river and Bowmaris Castle on the island of Anglesey and, of course, the most impressive castle of Caernarfon.
Approximately one fifth of Wales has the status of a national park. To the north is Snowdonia Park.. On its territory there is Mount Snowdon with a height of 1068 m. About 500 thousand tourists annually climb to its top: some climbing a rock (mostly climbers), others walking, others using the local mountain railway. In the park, in addition to the beautiful coastal strip, there are many rivers, lakes, waterfalls, forests, moorlands, glacial valleys, as well as burial chambers of the Stone and Bronze Ages, Roman forts, Norman castles, ancient railways and the remains of mining settlements.
In the county of Pembrokeshire on the west coast of Wales, there is the smallest city in Great Britain, the city of St David’s, which is home to only 1,500 people. It is known only because of St David’s Cathedral, who was the first of the Celtic missionaries who brought Christianity to the barbarian tribes of Western Europe. In 589 he founded a monastery on the site where the cathedral now stands. The cathedral was built in 1131-1181 by order of Bishop Bernard after the canonization of St. David. Every May and June, the cathedral is the center of a classical music festival that lasts 9 days.
The people of Wales are famous for their love of music and song. You can become a witness and participant of the annual festival of international music, held in July in the town of Llangollen.
Longleat Manor located in Wales, Wiltshire. The estate covers 3,520 hectares of landscaped parks, woods, lakes and farms, and at the center of the estate is Longleat House, an example of Elizabethan architecture. Longleat House was built around 1580 and is one of the most beautiful and stately houses in Great Britain.. In 1966, the first British safari park opened here. Visitors to the safari park drive successively through the themed enclosures “East Africa Reserve”, “Monkey Jungle”, “Big Game Park”, “Deer Park”, “Pelican Pool”, “Tiger Territory”, “Lion Country” and “Wolf Forest” whose names speak for themselves. You can take a leisurely boat ride on the lake and see the “gorilla park” and “hippo pool”. The estate also houses the world’s largest hedge garden maze, opened in 1978.
Chepstow Castle is located in the Wye Valley in South Wales. The castle stands on the banks of the River Wye and guards the crossing over it. The castle is the UK ‘s first castle built entirely of stone. Its construction was started by William the Conqueror in 1066, and in 1200 the Earl of Pembroke added two towers to the castle, his sons – a gatehouse and a barbican (a building that defends the drawbridge). During the 16th century, Richard III built more comfortable living quarters and the castle began to look more like a palace. The castle was opened in 1953 and welcomes visitors with life-size models of its inhabitants and rulers. Opposite the car park, in an 18th-century house, is the Chepstow Museum, where you can learn about the history of the area.
Durham
The city of Durham is home to a cathedral and a castle, which were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. Construction of Durham Castle began in 1072 by order of William the Conqueror. Since the 11th century, the castle has been the seat of archbishops appointed by the British Crown. He served to protect the border with Scotland. In 1837 the last Archbishop Van Mildert helped found Durham University and donated his castle to it. The castle is still inhabited by students of University College, the oldest of the 14 university colleges. Adjacent to the castle is Durham Cathedral of Christ and Mary, the finest example of Norman architecture in England.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Capital of Northern Ireland Ireland – Belfast . This is a rather unattractive industrial city. However, here you can find something interesting. The main feature of the center is Donegall Square, surrounded by impressive Victorian monuments. On Donegall Square is the town hall – a real example of mixed architectural styles. It also houses the Linen Hall Library, which houses the main treasures of Irish literature.
The region in the north of High St. is the oldest part of Belfast, known as the Entries. The area was virtually destroyed by bombing during World War II, and today only a handful of pubs remain, reflecting the spirit of the past. The Grand Opera House is also a landmark of Belfast. It was bombed several times, but has been restored and now shines with wealth. The history and culture of the city is presented in the Ulster Museum next to the university. In the suburbs of Belfast are the zoo, Cave Hill country park, Belfast Castle, which theoretically dates back to the 12th century, but the current building was built in 1870, and Stormont is the former seat of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, and is currently the residence of the Minister of Northern Ireland.
In Ireland there is a natural monument Giant’s Path listed by the World Historical Heritage Foundation. It consists of 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns created by cooled lava 55 million years ago.
