SKYWALK

The Skywalk was opened on Wednesday 21st March 2018 by Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, AKA Luke Skywalker.

It is Gibraltar’s newest attraction and not for the faint hearted! Located at a former military lookout point, the glass platform protrudes out from the edge of the cliff over the Jurassic dune below and overlooks the Mediterranean.

A Nature Reserve ticket is required to visit the Skywalk.
info@skywalk.gi

WINDSOR SUSPENSION BRIDGE

If you are looking for a thrill and a great photo opportunity, do not miss out on the Windsor Suspension Bridge.

Located just above Apes Den on the Royal Anglican Way and spanning 70 metres, (just over 7 London double decker buses) over a deep ravine the spectacular Windsor Suspension Bridge is well worth the effort. Surrounded by local and World War II history, and overlooking the town and Bay of Gibraltar, you will not be disappointed.

A Walkers Ticket (NB available and valid until 31st March 2020) or Nature Reserve ticket is required to visit the Windsor Suspension Bridge.

MEDITERRANEAN STEPS

THE ENTRANCE TO THE NATURE RESERVE IS THE PLACE TO START, IF YOU FEEL LIKE A WALK AROUND THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN SIDE OF GIBRALTAR. THE VIEWS ARE FANTASTIC, BUT IT IS NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!

“And Her Britannic Majesty, at the request of the Catholic King, does consent and agree, that no leave shall be given under any pretence whatsoever, either to Jews or Moors, to reside or have their dwellings in the said town of Gibraltar”
(Article X – Treaty of Utrecht 1713)

Under the rules of the above-mentioned article Gibraltar had a problem, what to do with a fairly sizeable Jewish population? The area ‘Jew’s Gate’ is thus named because of the old Jewish cemetery dating back to the 1700’s. The cemetery was placed here specifically away from the prying eyes of any Spanish visitors, so the article was never seen to be broken. The last burial there was in the 1860’s but the cemetery is beautifully maintained to this day. It is now the official entrance into the Nature Reserve through which taxi’s and buses must pass.

Next to this is the entrance to the Mediterranean steps, roughly an hour long and strenuous walk through the fauna of Gibraltar that stretches all around the southern end of the Rock snaking upwards towards O’Hara’s battery. By the end of this walk you will have seen examples of the wild flowers unique to Gibraltar such as Candytuft, Thyme, Chickweed, Campion and Saxifrage. The views of the south and along the eastern side are worth the effort. As the name implies there are a lot of steep steps so if you intend to tackle it in the summer take a floppy hat, sturdy shoes or trainers and plenty of drinking water.

Good luck!

A Nature Reserve ticket is required to access the Med Steps.

GREAT SIEGE TUNNELS

PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF SOLDIERS MORE THAN 200 YEARS AGO AND EXPERIENCE THE SIEGE TUNNELS NEAR ENOUGH AS THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE FIRST DUG OUT USING JUST SPADES, CHISELS, HAMMERS AND BLASTING POWDER.

“The Spanish are digging in to the north and getting closer with cannon and shot Sir!” said the soldier. Governor of Gibraltar, General Elliott thought for a second, looked at the north face of the Rock where a small platform could be seen jutting out from the sheer cliff. “What I need is cannon on that notch!” he commanded. All around looked to the sky, some of the officers even scratched their heads in thought. Suddenly from the back the small voice of a Cornish tin miner, Sgt Major Ince was heard. “We could dig our way through the rock Sir.” A few murmurs, someone emitted a stifled laugh, the Governor said, “I like it!”

British ingenuity was at its best when during the Great Siege of 1779 – 1783 Governor of Gibraltar General Elliott set a competition and offered $1000 to anyone who could get a cannon on an area on the north face of the Rock called the ‘Notch’. An idea offered by Sgt Major Ince to cut through the limestone rock by hand was taken and the British set to work in 1781. The tunnels were dug using black powder charges, hammers, chisels and shovels. An amazing feat of both engineering and human effort these are a sightseeing opportunity totally unique to Gibraltar. Walking up the steep slope to the entrance of the tunnels gives you some appreciation of the effort of the men who built them, it must have been unimaginable. Even worse, as you walk through the tunnels, is the display case with the rations for the men. The case has a week’s rations that today wouldn’t last a day. Continue the more than 350-foot walk through the 200-year-old galleries and experience life as it was for them. Marvel at the cannons lining the holes looking out across the isthmus to Spain and shudder as you imagine the roar of the cannons firing in such a space. The tunnel is lined with ’embrasures’ a fortification that allows the firer to remain protected as the weapon fires. As you walk along the tunnels you will also see ammunition stores and some of the passageways leading to old WWII tunnels. The tunnels were completed in mid-1783 about 3 months after the Great Siege ended. At the end of the tunnel is St Georges Hall where legend says Lord Napier held a banquet for General Ulysses S. Grant 18th President of the USA. Interestingly for his efforts Ince was given a commission in the Army, a plot of land on the Rock still called Ince’s Farm and the Duke of Kent (Queen Victoria’s father) gave him a ‘fine horse’. There is no mention of the $1000.

You will be required to purchase a Nature Reserve Ticket to access the Great Siege Tunnels.

PRINCESS CAROLINE’S BATTERY

A GREAT VIEWPOINT WITHOUT THE NEED TO CLIMB TO THE SIEGE TUNNELS AND FROM WHERE YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THE RUNWAY AND THE FRONTIER.

Still operating and manned in the early 1980’s this battery has several WWII guns that though now decommissioned still watch over the Bay of Gibraltar. There is a great view of the airfield, the northern part of the city and the border into Spain. The name itself is a misnomer as the battery is really St Anne’s Battery. Princess Caroline’s Battery is located above it and houses the Military Heritage Centre, the road to it is accessed from here and hence the confusion. The guns, now silent, have been recently refurbished and worth a look as a reminder of Gibraltar’s more modern days as a fortress.