Historic Hiking in Gibraltar

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View of Gibraltar

On the surface, Gibraltar appears to be little more than a boozy, sun kissed British overseas territory.  Best known for its status as a tax haven, the tiny 2 square mile town consists of a myriad of crumbling housing estates and cobbled roads lined with shops hawking duty-free alcohol sprinkled in with a few British high street brands.  However, few of us tourists make the trek down here for just the town.  The towering Rock of Gibraltar is the territory’s main attraction and in addition to some of the best hiking I’ve ever experienced, it’s home to (in my opinion) a treasure trove of grossly underappreciated historic artifacts and features.

From a geographic perspective, Gibraltar sits at the southern tip of the European subcontinent and it is separated from Africa by the 9-mile wide Strait of Gibraltar.  In antiquity, this was considered (more or less) the end of the known world.  Providing access between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Gibraltar has long been a sought after spot for both strategic military and trade reasons.  Over millennia, a wide range of peoples and civilizations have made their mark on the rock.  An avid fan of ancient history, I made it my mission to take a gander at some of its older sites starting from 40,000 BCE and ending in the 1400s.

St. Michael’s Cave
St. Michael’s Cave has a very unassuming tunnel entrance that opens up into a dazzling display of limestone stalactites and stalagmites carved by rainwater over countless years.  This is the first significant cave I had ever visited and I was floored by how organic and beautiful it was.  The cave has received several mentions throughout history and is also known to have provided shelter to Neolithic peoples (approx. 20,000 years ago) and Neanderthals (approx. 40,000 years ago) as evidenced by the skulls, cave painting and bowls that they left behind.

St. Michael’s Cave

The Mediterranean Steps
Originally carved in the 18th century by the British as a means of traveling from one major defense point to another, the Mediterranean Steps scale nearly 200 meters of sheer limestone rock face.  The steps make up a popular hiking path today and offer absolutely stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and Spain’s Costa del Sol in the distance.  It also passes by several structures and tunnels made by soldiers both in the 18th century and during WWII.  The hike, however, is pretty challenging.  While most tourist choose to climb up (from Jew’s Gate to O’hara’s Battery), it’s probably easier to take them down in the opposite direction.

Well worth the hike: View of the Med Sea from the Med Steps

The Pillars of Hercules
In classical antiquity, the Pillars of Hercules consisted of the Rock of Gibraltar and a neighboring peak across the strait in Africa (the exact peak is up for debate).  At the crossroads between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, this was a crucial spot in the ancient world. It was mentioned by Plato and was settled by the Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians, and even the Vandals .  Standing on Gibraltar’s peak and staring across the strait towards Africa put me through a bit of a time warp.  As the geographic features have not really changed since ancient times, I could have easily been standing on the same spot and sharing the same view as an early Phoenician did settler 3,000 years ago.

Pillars of Hercules — View of Africa

Moorish Castle
The Moors conquered the Iberian Peninsula around 700 AD, which subsequently led to a centuries-long power struggle for Gibraltar.  The origins of Gibraltar’s Moorish Castle date back to the 700s, but what stands today is a reconstruction from the Moors second time at Gibraltar’s helm in the 1400s.  Today, there is unfortunately not a whole lot left to the structure, but it still provides a glimpse into the region’s rocky past.

Moorish Castle with Barbary Ape in the Foreground

Hiking Review
As an added bonus to all this history, the scenery from Gibraltar’s hiking trails are second to none.  There are also plenty of barbary apes (macaques) and high-flying seagulls to keep you company during your walk.  The entire rock can be viewed in 1-day if you’re up to the challenge.  My boyfriend and I were able to get through most of it in 5-6 hours, though my legs are still feeling the effects of all that walking.
Trails crossing the rock are well paved and shared with vehicles.  The exception to this is the Mediterranean Steps.  They are incredibly steep, slippery and I would consider them to be dangerous if you aren’t in great shape. I would not recommend them for the elderly or younger children.

 

Though Gibraltar is a popular summertime destination, if you’re here to hike and see the historic sites on the rock I suggest coming in the cooler months.  The weather was perfect for hiking during my 2-day visit (early Feb) and I imagine the weather will stay cool for another few months or so.

Barbary Ape Taking in the View

Pertinent Information:
Getting to Gibraltar — 4 daily flights operate from London to Gibraltar (2x British Airways, 1x Easy Jet, 1x Monarch)
Getting to the Rock — Hike either towards Jew’s Gate or the Moorish Castle; Take the Cable Car (my recommendation); Take a Taxi

 

A Day on the Danube: Exploring one of Europe’s Mighty Rivers and the Wachau Valley

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In celebration of our last weekend in Vienna, we decided to hop on a riverboat cruise down the Danube, towards the famed Wachau Valley.  Meandering down one of Europe’s mightiest and most storied rivers, we passed by small town vineyards, rooftop fortresses and the obligatory nuclear power plant or two before reaching the fairytale town of Dürnstein.  After hiking up a mountain in flip flops and trying out the local apricot ice cream, we returned to Vienna on a beautiful Sunday night.

Onboard the Boat

The boat departed promptly from its dock at 8:30am and was filled with a mix of chatty locals and a few tourists.  Fairly nice as far as riverboats go, it featured a fully stocked kitchen serving Austrian favourites like wienerschnitzel, knödeln and sachertorte.  Already plump from indulging in spaetzle and other assorted goodies for weeks, we opted for coffee for breakfast followed by sausage and sauerkraut for lunch.

Danube River

After passing through Vienna, the scenery quieted down into a flat expanse of forest and trees.  Along us the entire way was an extensive bike trail which presumably covers a large length of the river.  With the water calm and the scenery light on action, I was eagerly awaiting our arrival into the Wachau Valley.

Krems, Austria

After 5 hours we finally reached Krems, the unofficial entrance to the Wachau Valley.  Here, the flat forest transformed into rolling green hills dotted with fairytale castles and romantic vineyards.  Though it had chilly earlier in the day, the sun came through in the afternoon, just half an hour before reaching Dürnstein.

Dürnstein, Austria

The first thing that you notice when arrive in Dürnstein is its distinctive blue abbey, which sits right at the river’s edge.  Behind it on a hill are the ruins of the town’s medieval castle which held England’s Richard the Lionhearted captive for a short time in the 1100s.  The castle is one of the most popular attraction in the Wachau Valley and requires a steep walk up the rocky hill.

View of the Danube

After 30 minutes of hiking (I stupidly did it in flip-flops), visitors are rewarded with some of the most amazing views in the valley. The area immediately around Dürnstein is occupied by small vineyards and the perfect little European farm houses that you’d see in guidebooks.

View from Dürnstein Castle Ruins

Further down the river from Dürnstein, the scenery becomes even more rural.  The mighty Danube snakes its way through the gentle hills which, upon close inspection, are sprinkled with the medieval foundations of castles and fortresses from days gone by.

Dürnstein

Back in town, Dürstein provided a charming setting. Nuzzled up against the hills, it has all the cobblestone streets and beer garden restaurants a tourist could hope for.  Along with wine, apricots are the hot commodity in town with shops along the main tourist road selling everything from apricot jam to ice cream, lotions and soaps.

View of Dürnstein Castle Ruins

For those visiting Vienna for more than a few days, I highly recommend a trip to the Wachau Valley.  Between the thousand year old castles, baroque abbeys and quaint farm houses it represents the Austrian countryside at its finest.  My only regret is that I didn’t have enough time to explore it further.

Beautiful Bruges

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Brugge

Not even Winter’s icy grip could shield the fairy-tale city of Bruges from waves of tourists.  Long known in Europe as the most intact and well-preserved medieval town, its popularity skyrocketed after the film In Bruges was released.  So, when I found myself spending a weekend in Brussels, I naturally drifted towards Bruges like a moth to a flame.

70 minutes from central Brussels via train, Bruges is probably the most common day trip from the EU capitol.  The train drops its passengers off outside of Bruges’ outer canal ring.  From the station, visitors can spot the town’s distinctive clock tower based in its medieval center.  Walking towards the tower, I crossed through cobblestones, softly rounded by centuries of wear.  The streets were small, quaint and full of beautiful shops selling the Belgian favorites such as chocolate, lace and beer.

Bruges Town Square - a UNESCO World Heritage Site

After 15 minutes of navigating through picturesque winding roads, I reached Bruges’ Markt – meaning market in Dutch, it’s more often translated as town square in English. Standing in the middle of this perfectly preserved medieval market square and UNESCO World Heritage Site was a pretty powerful experience. Bruges was at one point in its history considered to be the commercial capitol of the world, making this the middle age equivalent of Wall Street.

As the temperature dropped and the rain began to fall, the tourists began to scatter and the clip-clop of horses hooves around the square became more evident. In some respects, seeing Bruges covered in the dreary  grey of Winter provided a more authentic experience for me.  While the visitor numbers were still healthy, there was enough room to breathe and space to explore.  I could smell the horses as they pulled their carriages around the square, hear the distinctive Germanic tones some of the residents and for I second I caught a glimpse of life here 500 or 600 years ago.

Bruges Stathuis

Rounding the corner from the main square, we ran into Bruges’ old town hall, called “Stadhuis” in Dutch (city house).  Like the rest of the town, it was remarkably well preserved.  A modest 2 euros gained us entrance into the main meeting room and adjacent museum.  The Stadhuis’ main room was an impressive example of Bruges’ former wealth and prominence as a commercial hub.  It was covered floor to ceiling with ornate decorations and paintings, all helping to tell of tale of the most powerful city in Belgium.

Through with our history lesson, we decided to spend the rest of our time in town freely exploring its nooks and crannies.  We followed the path of one of its many canals, which took us through idyllic residential districts and gorgeous shophouses.  The sweet tooth in me couldn’t help but stop and gawk at each chocolate or candy store we passed.  After finally giving in and indulging in some of Belgium’s specialties – chocolate, waffles, fries, and beer – I must admit that this little country ranks very highly on my best-food list.

Belgian Sweets and Chocolates

As the day wound down and the cold air crept in, we made out way past the canal along Bruges’ medieval border towards the train station.  We made it back into Brussels for dinner with a camera loaded with pictures and my head full of memories.  Easily one of the best day trip towns I’ve ever visited, it is every bit the fairy-tale village it claims to be.