Whats The Fascination With Stonehenge?

BadPinkTink

Republic of Ireland is not part of UK
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
So as you all know, Im planning and researching for my first Disney Cruise in September 2020. I'm reading all the trip reports here on Dis and watching lots of YouTube videos of European cruises.

Almost everyone who does pre or post cruise days in England or on the transatlantic routes, all go to Stonehenge. Can someone explain the fascination with it? To me its just stones in a field, I have driven past it and its not something I would go out of my way to see. Yes I know its old, but I have been to other monuments and places which are just as old which are far more interesting to see and have alot more things to interact with.
 
That is because you live there, the mundane isnt fascinating. To me the canals and buildings in Amsterdam are not that interesting and I would definitely not want to live there, ever. Don't understand why all the people flock there. But people have seen the pictures and want to see it with their own eyes. That's one reason why we travel.

And as for stonehenge, the thought it was made by 'primitive' people, but still based on the sun, moon etc. I would love to see the summer solstice at stonehenge, if only there weren't 20.000 other people wanting the same. ;)
 


Same reason people go look at Hadrian’s wall, the former site of the Colossus, the ruins of the Colosseum, ancient graveyards, new graveyards, the Blarney Stone, ancient castles, occupied castles, museums of any sort, Disneyland/world in any country, Mecca, the Vatican, the statues on Easter Island, ancient battlefields, roadside historical markers, Yellowstone, Old Faithful, the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade, Pearl Harbor, worlds biggest ball of twine, etc: because they want to. Some know the history, some are a mystery, some are just wonders of the world. Everyone has an interest in something different that draws them to a particular thing or place.

For myself, I have no interest in anything found in any European country. Its just a rock in the ocean, followed by more rocks on another coast, then more rocks, with man made stuff, much of which I have here. Oh, and marginal to crappy weather. I’d rather spend my time warm with my feet in the sand. I can’t tell you how many people just don’t understand my lack of enthusiasm for walking around Europe soaking up a bunch of monuments to dead people, or my desire for tropical vacations. But many others do.

Everyone is different. You prefer real dairy cream to the exclusion of all else, I get drunk and enjoy Cool Whip straight from the tub. Some like rocks in a field, some don’t give to shakes about them. Everyone is different.
 
Stonehenge? Sometimes it's the history - sometimes because it's there. You will never really be fascinated with what's in your own backyard. Yet, I'm sure there's something on your bucket list that someone else with scoff at all day long. And I'm glad that's how it is. It makes the world that much more interesting.

While I won't understand why someone would waste their life away on another beach, getting drunk and fat and shortlived - and probably miserable to look at - I love it when I do it myself, hah.

Understanding history can improve how your live your future. Studying how a civilization did something has helped the next generation do it better. When Siri or Alexa is able to astoundingly tell you where to go, what to order, or, well, how to take your next breath, it has looked at the history of what you have done. And improved it. Every piece of innovation you see transpired when someone looked at the past and decided to make it better.

Of course, none of that is going to happen over a cruise vacation, but I digress...
 


oh I get the history part, we actually have a monument in Ireland which is older than Stonehenge and has its own connection to the Winter Solstice and I've been there multiple times. I've also been to multiple castles and historical houses in multiple European countries, I guess that when I went past it , I was just so underwhelmed by Stonehenge, compared to other historical monuments and places I've been to. Thats what I'm getting at, that it is just literally stones in a field, and only some of the tours even go right up to the stones, most people just stand in a roped off area to a bit off from the stones.
 
Thats what I'm getting at, that it is just literally stones in a field, and only some of the tours even go right up to the stones, most people just stand in a roped off area to a bit off from the stones.

I was there two months ago and you certainly seem to be going out of your way to try and discredit the place. You can walk around the entire perimeter of the stones, and in some parts you are just metres away from it. You used to be able to walk through and around the stones, but that stopped due to degradation and vandalism - certainly not the fault of the place itself.
 
We live in the UK and I think it's just one of those things we don't appreciate because it's here. I have to admit although I was very close to booking a Med cruise I found it hard to get excited about any of the ports. Rome is just a cheap short flight away, if I'm paying for a Disney cruise I want to go to places that I can't normally get to.
Stonehenge is an important historical site, I understand why overseas visitors would find it interesting.
We live next to the Ironbridge & I'm always amused to see coach tours excitedly coming over for the day. It's just somewhere I pop to for an ice cream with the kids when we're bored!
 
That is because you live there, the mundane isnt fascinating.
And that's the key. I grew up near San Francisco. Yeah, every time someone came to visit it was "Do we really have to go to Alcatraz/Fisherman's Wharf/Coit Tour/etc/etc/etc, AGAIN?"

Then, one year we didn't have a lot of money for taking vacation, so we opted to do weekend trips to places. We booked The Fairmont Hotel for 2 nights, drove to the city, parked the car, and became "tourists", only using the cable cars and buses to get around. We did all the tourist stuff that we could fit into 2 days. Including seeing Tony Bennett (who else?) And, you know what? I actually learned some things about a place I thought I knew.
 
We went a couple of years ago but we did a sunset tour that allowed us into the stone circle. I have to say that standing on the path outside the circle gives you a good view but standing in the circle puts the size of the stones into a much different perspective. The sunset was beautiful looking through the stones. That said, while we enjoyed the tour it was a once and done for us. There are so many things to see in London that I would recommend before going to Stonehenge.
 
I live in Central Florida and still can't figure out the appeal of Disney World. 😉 Haven't been since I got some free tickets 15 years ago.

Meanwhile, this conversation reminds me of the people who told me not to bother with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I ignored them, took an excursion to Pisa, and loved it.

Do what interests you. It doesn't have to make sense to others.
 
Stonehenge along with the Leaning Tower of Pisa frequently makes the biggest tourist traps in the world. They over promise and under deliver.
 

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