Hengistbury Head meeting with history, wildlife, geology in England

Hengistbury Head is a fascinating place not only for  its wide variety of habitats including heathland, grassland, scrub, woodland, freshwater wetland and coastland but also for its internationally important archaeology and geology

Hengistbury Head is scheduled as an Ancient Monument.  People have been visiting Hengistbury Head for the past 12,000 years. 

There have been numerous archaeological excavations on the headland to discover

what our ancestors were doing here. By studying the evidence we can create a picture of what people were doing and what the headland looked like thousands of years ago. 

I had been there few time. My walk was started from Bournemouth where I loved to spend my time after my work. I loved walking close to beach feeling the wind in my eyes. The way takes about 1,30 hour by foot but it is very nice way to Hengistbury Head where you see the view on Isle of Wight, Christchurch and Bournemouth.

 

to read more about Hengistbury Head 

 

 

 

 

London's Tower Bridge

London's Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Its Victorian Gothic style stems from a law that forced the designers to create a structure that would be in harmony with the nearby Tower of London

.Plans for the Tower Bridge were devised around 1876 when the east of London became extremely crowded and a bridge across the Thames in that area of the city seemed a necessity. It would take another eight years - and lots of discussions about the design - before construction of the bridge started.

The bridge, designed by city architect Horace Jones in collaboration with John Wolfe Barry, would eventually be completed in 1894. Five contractors and nearly 450 workers were involved in the construction of the 265 meter long bridge. It took 11,000 tons of steel to build the framework. At the time many people disliked its Victorian Gothic design, but over time the bridge became one of London's most famous symbols.

I remember my first visit London and walking along Thames to see so famous bridge. It was wonderful view for this amazing structure. I could be there and looking on the view on the life of Thames.

Stonehenge - ancient stone henge sites and stone circles

Stonehenge – one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe. 

It was first place i visited after moved to Salisbury. Meeting with  250 ancient objects and coming face to face with a 5,500 year-old man was wonderful feeling with knowledge about a unique prehistoric monument.I need to catch the special bus to go to this magic place. The way took about 5 minutes during I could know about history of the place.

 The Stone Circle is a masterpiece of engineering, and building it would have taken huge effort from hundreds of well-organised people using only simple tools and technologies.

It is a rich source for the study of prehistory and holds a pivotal place in the development of archaeology. Many different theories have been put forward about who built it, when, and for what purpose.

Stonehenge does not stand in isolation, but forms part of a remarkable ancient landscape of early Neolithic, late Neolithic and early Bronze Age monuments.

Containing more than 350 burial mounds and major prehistoric monuments such as the Stonehenge Avenue, the Cursus, Woodhenge and Durrington Walls, this landscape is a vast source of information about the ceremonial and funerary practices of Neolithic and Bronze Age people.

It can also help our understanding of regional and international contacts from the 4th to 2nd millennia BC, and shed light on how prehistoric society was organised. 

 

 

Lake Czorsztyn in Poland

Lake Czorsztyn (Polish: Jezioro Czorsztyńskie) is a man-made reservoir on the Dunajec river, southern Poland, between the Pieniny and the Gorce Mountains. It owes its existence to a dam, which is located in the village of Niedzica.

The dam itself was completed in 1995. Its measurements are: 56 meters high, 400 meters long and 7 meters wide on top. The lake has the area ranging from 4,15 km². to 13,35 km². Usually, its area is app. 11 km²., with the length of 9 kilometers and width of 1,5 km. Maximum depth is 50 meters, and average depth is 17,6 meters. Total length of the shoreline is 29,7 km. Below the dam there is a much smaller Sromowce Lake, which regulates the water level of Czorsztyn Lake.

Main purpose of the reservoir is to prevent floods in the Dunajec river valley. Furthermore, it attracts a growing number of tourists. The dam is equipped with a 92 megawatt power plant. The lake is located in close proximity of several popular tourist spots, such as Pieniny National Park, Niedzica Castle, Czorsztyn Castle, and the tourist village of Kluszkowce. Among villages located by Czorsztyn Lake are Niedzica, Falsztyn, Frydman, Debno Podhalanskie, Maniowy, Kluszkowce and Czorsztyn.

 

Poland Landscape

Poland is a relatively low-lying country with 91% of its territory lying below 300 m above sea level. Although most of Poland’s territory is lowland, the country has amazing and versatile natural environment. In the north, Poland reaches the Baltic Sea with its beautiful sandy beaches and busy harbors. Glacial action in this region formed lakes and low hills in the otherwise flat terrain. Small lakes dot the entire northern half of Poland, however their biggest concentration is in the northeastern region known as Masurian Lake District. The area which is occupied by more than 2000 lakes and is densely wooded is a favorite destination for sailing and canoeing. This is also where the only primeval forests remaining in Europe extend being the mainstay of Poland’s shrinking unspoiled natural habitat.

Across central Poland a vast region of plains extends – the so called Polish Plain, used mainly for agriculture. To the south of central lowlands the terrain rises slowly and is again more hilly and diverse, dominated by highlands. Along the southern border stretch the mountain ridges of Carpathians and Sudetes. Tatra Mountains (part of Carpathians) have Alpine character and here the highest Polish peak is found – Mount Rysy, 2499 m (8200 feet) above sea level. Polish mountains offer wonderful hiking and skiing opportunities.
Approximately one-fifth of the territory of Poland is maintained as fields, pasture and meadows. About 27% of the total area is covered by forest. Several major rivers cross the country, including the Vistula (Wisla) in the center – the “queen” of Polish rivers and the longest one (1047 m / 667 mi), and the Oder (Odra) (854 km / 530 mi) which flows along Poland`s western border.

[ http://www.intopoland.com/poland-info/geography-of-poland.html]

The view on the sea is the best view for me

Poland - Niedzica Castle

Located in southern Poland, Niedzica Castle sits atop an ancient hill of limestone and shale that is approximately 30 meters above the Dunajec River. The castle holds secret treasures, ancient artwork, and the ghost of a woman who appears nightly. Along the road leading up to the castle is a sign that warns visitors that they are about to enter a haunted location. The castle itself is located on a small peninsula into the river, making it ideal to defend against any sort of threat. The castle that stands today was originally built in 1325 by the Brezevichy family.

There was a castle before this one, and it was named Dunajec Castle. It had about several owners in its existence, and there are now only walls that mark the original structure. The ghostly legends at the castle originate from one of the first owners of the castle, Sebastian Brezevichy. He traveled to Peru in South America, and he went on to marry a woman named Umina, who was an Inca royal. When war broke out between Spain and Peru in the 1860s, the Brezevichy family moved back to Niedzica, Poland. They brought along with them the Inca treasure of the family so the Spanish would not be able to take it.

The legend says that Umina was murdered in front of the castle by a treasure hunting thief, and the ghost of Umina appears every night to scare away anyone who comes close to the castle in order to protect her gold. Umina's father hid the treasure and he created a cryptic document so the treasure can be found again one day. However, no one has been able to break the code of the document up until this point. Umina is referred to as the "White Lady" of Niedzica Castle. Today the castle serves as an archaeological museum with suites that can hold up to 35 guests.