A mecca for tourism, history, heritage and mystery, Stonehenge is on the bucket list of many visitors to the UK. It is surely Europe's best-known prehistoric monument. Immortalized in literature and film on numerous occasions, it is a Unesco World Heritage Site that still holds all its secrets. Indeed, there are still many questions as to why these enormous monoliths were placed there in the first place, and what techniques were used to move them. Recent renovations have seen the grassing over of a road that had spoiled the site's charm, and the construction of a new on-site museum that will tell you all you need to know about the site. While you can't get within 5 metres of the stones to ensure their preservation, you can admire them from the path around them and soak up their mystical beauty. Immerse yourself in this atmosphere and step back in time to the Neolithic era with the help of the excellent commentary on the audio guide, which will take you around the stones following the different orientations of the sun. A timeless experience.
Don't forget to book your visit online to guarantee admission. A shuttle bus from the modern visitor center can take you to the stone circle, 2 km away. Alternatively, you can take a walk and soak up the sights.
The site's history dates back some 5,000 years. Stonehenge was a Neolithic place of worship and burial, consisting of a ditch and an embankment. 4,000 years ago, the bluestones were brought down from the mountains of south-west Wales, and 500 years later, they were installed at the center of the circle of standing stones we see today, which originate from the Malborough Downs, some 30 km away. The site may have become a Druidic ceremonial place, but its origins are Celtic.
When the Celtic people, of Indo-European origins, arrived in Europe in the first millennium BC, Stonehenge was already abandoned. The Greek writer Ephoros describes the Celtic people as one of the four most remarkable barbarian civilizations, along with the Libyans, Persians and Scythians.
Reputed to be curious, intellectual, creative and resistant to any organized system, they undermined all the states of antiquity, without ever creating one themselves. Their favorite literary form was poetry, transmitted orally.
A must on this site: come on a solstice day when the sun is aligned with the axis of the megaliths.
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
Further information
Opening time and information on STONEHENGE
See website, times vary according to season. Online booking recommended. £22.70/adult, £13.60/child.
Owner's Message
Walk in the footsteps of your Neolithic ancestors at Stonehenge-one of the wonders of the world and Europe's most famous prehistoric monument.
Explore the ancient landscape on foot and enter Neolithic houses to discover the tools and artifacts of daily life. Visit the world-renowned exhibition and visitor center with 250 ancient artifacts and meet a 5,500-year-old man. With an audio guide in French and a 52-page souvenir guide written by Stonehenge expert and archaeologist Julian Richards, Stonehenge promises to be a fascinating day.
We look forward to welcoming you to Stonehenge, one of Britain's iconic sites.
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Members' reviews on STONEHENGE
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
They have a model village with replicas of the huts where stone age people lived and then you take a shuttle bus up to the monument itself. You get to walk around the monument and quite close to the stones. If you buy the inner access tickets (which are only available on certain dates, are a bit more expensive and sell out months in advance) you get to walk amongst the stones and have a guided tour by one of their knowledgeable in-house guides.
You can download an audio guide for free using the venue’s WiFi to your phone so it’s worth having your ear pods/headphones with you.
When you return to the visitor centre you can visit the gift shop which has everything you can think of with Stonehenge written on it.
In the cafe they have freshly made hot and cold food and drinks. It’s actually pretty decent for a museum cafeteria.
The staff are always friendly and professional.
You need about 2 hours to visit the whole site.
I’m a professional certified guide that goes there regularly and it’s one of my favourite historical sites in the whole of the England.
You must do a bit of research beforehand, visit the exhibition, buy the guidebook, and download the audio to fully comprehend its significance or… go an a guided tour.
It’s not easy to get there on public transport so I’d going from London, a cruise ship or Bath the best thing is to go on a tour.