Thread: Gibraltar

SPECIAL NEEDS Whilst steps are being taken to meet the special requirements of some of our visitors, some of Gibraltar's major attractions face particular difficulties in providing access for those who are in wheelchairs. However, to compensate in some small measure for this, the Gibraltar Tourism Board has arranged for free access to these persons into the following sites:

• Sites in The Upper Rock Nature Reserve
• The Alameda Botanical Gardens
• The Gibraltar Museum

Toilets for use by disabled persons are situated at Eastern Beach, Little Bay, Air Terminal, Market Place, Piazza and the International Commercial Centre at the northern entrance of Main Street. The Alameda Gardens will be opening toilets for visitors with special needs in the near future. Most taxis in Gibraltar are vanettes. There is however, a number of estates available. We hope that the friendliness, helpfulness and attention of local people can go some way towards compensating for any deficiencies in the physical provisions in buildings and amenities some of which are difficult to satisfactorily adapt. Legislation is now in place requiring all new public buildings to have facilities for the disabled.

The Gibraltar Museum

• THE GIBRALTARIANS GALLERY
  This recently opened gallery is dedicated to the inhabitants of Gibraltar. It features the lives and struggles which have forged our identity as a people. The Gibraltarians have settled in this little Rock and made it their home.
• THE GIBRALTAR STORY
  Not to be missed is this excellent 15-minute film which is shown at intervals throughout the day, and which summarises Gibraltar's long and intense history.
  
• MOORISH BATHS
  These lie within the museum complex partly under Bomb House and Ordnance House which are now the Gibraltar Museum. In 1906, an authority on Moorish Antiquities Mr Budgett Meakin wrote: "Except in the Alhambra there is nothing in Spain to compare with it; and in Morocco such baths may not be entered by Nazarenes or Jews, so that its interest is exceptional."
• ROCK MODEL
  There is an immense, magnificently detailed, model of the Rock which was started in 1865 and completed in 1868 by the officers of the Royal Engineers; the attention to detail is extraordinary, with every last window in every single building of the time being included! Around the display can be seen corresponding present day views of the Rock.
• THE GREAT SIEGE ROOM
  Here the weapons and artifacts from the eighteenth century siege are displayed and the events vividly described.
• PASSAGE OF TIME GALLERY
  Possibly the most fascinating of the galleries is the Passage of Time Gallery which takes you into a cave complete with archaeologists working in an excavation. There are also galleries devoted to the wildlife of Gibraltar and to the maritime role of Gibraltar.

Gateway to the Mediterranean

AS A CRUISE destination, Gibraltar has it all – location, facilities, unrivalled levels of service and an abundance of attractions – and its popularity is growing all the time.

With its prime location at the southern tip of Europe, guarding the gateway to the Mediterranean, it is an ideal port of call for cruise ships whose itineraries include the transit of the Straits of Gibraltar.

In 2004, 61 different ships made 168 calls at Gibraltar, bringing 162,780 passengers ashore. In 2005, we are expecting 180 calls with approximately 175,000 visitors, so the Rock's place in the major league of European cruise ports is unassailable.

The reasons are not hard to find. Gibraltar is an attractive destination which is being continuously developed – not just economically and commercially but also from a tourism point of view. The town has modern services available. The airport is only a five minute drive from the harbour, with daily connections to both Gatwick and Luton in the UK.

There are plans to extend the Cruise Terminal, expanding those facilities already on offer and to create additional amenities for cruise passengers, such as a Bureau de Change and a larger telephone centre. A new promenade has already been built, linking the Terminal with the town centre, to provide passengers with a pleasant introduction to their stay in Gibraltar.

Cruise Terminal

Cruise ships can berth alongside the Cruise Terminal within an hour of leaving the main shipping lanes. A total quay length of 940 metres allows up to four medium sized or two large sized vessels to berth alongside simultaneously. Additional berths can be made available elsewhere in the port if required.

The port's attractive and efficient Terminal makes a good first impression on passengers disembarking in Gibraltar.

Inaugurated in July 1997, this renovated warehouse has a pleasant neo-classical decor with a blue-and-yellow colour scheme evoking the sunny hues of the Mediterranean.

The building has a cool, airy atmosphere thanks to a specially insulated roof and stone-clad walls decorated with nautical scenes and paintings by local artists.

The Terminal has a range of facilities including telephones, bar/cafeteria, arts and crafts shop, display areas and a tourism information office.

Since it was first opened, the Terminal features stringent security measures to reassure both passengers and operators. The restricted zone is accessed from the public area by way of airport-style security systems such as X-ray machines and metal detectors.

The Port itself is a restricted-access area, with a visible but discreet security presence land-side, while harbour waters are patrolled continuously by Ministry of Defence, Police and Port Authority launches.

Perched on the very summit of the Rock of Gibraltar, with the sheer cliffs of the east face of the Rock to one side of the building and steep slopes leading to the City of Gibraltar on the west on the other is the Top Station of the Cable Car.

From this spot one has uninterrupted views southwards across the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa; westwards, of the City of Gibraltar and across the Bay to Algeciras; a birds eye view of Gibraltar airport and Spain to the north; and the blue expanse of the Mediterranean and the beaches and cities of the Costa del Sol to the east.

Every corner of the Rock oozes with history and it is worthwhile to take the time to find out a little about what you are looking at by either listening to a commentary on multilingual tapes available at the Top Station or by combining your trip on the Cable Car with a tour of the Rock.

You might learn for example about the spot where Admiral Nelson's body was brought ashore after his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, or of the many tunnels inside the Rock from where General Eisenhower masterminded the invasion of North Africa in World War II, or of the fact that parts of the first Cable Car to be built in Gibraltar can still be seen (although it took the form of a basket into which a man or some ammunition might be transported to the gun emplacements which used to be located close to the site of the existing Top Station).

The present Cable Car was originally constructed in April 1966 by Von Roll of Switzerland, and was extensively refurbished by the manufacturers in 1986.

Within the Top Station complex there is a self service restaurant, English pub and souvenir shop where you can have a meal or a drink whilst enjoying the views on one of the many panoramic terraces.

The Military Heritage Centre


Gibraltar has been of strategic importance since the days of the Phoenicians. Throughout its long military history the Rock has endured many sieges, the most famous being the Great Siege of 1783.

It was from that date, that the true development of Gibraltar's military defence began, a process that continued throughout the years until the Second World War.

Visitors can appreciate the great feat of engineering achieved at the Great Siege Tunnels, as indeed in all the other tunnels and chambers that have been dug in the Rock.

The Military Heritage Centre is housed in one of the many Batteries found in the Rock. In fact this particular Battery, known as Princess Caroline's Battery, is named after King George II's third daughter and was built in 1732. These chambers were further developed in 1905 to service the coastal defence 6 inch gun which was mounted on top of the magazine. The actual Battery still houses the original hoists used to arm the gun, as well as the shells and other artefacts used in those days. the armoury displays a selection of weapons used by the British Army in Gibraltar and there are also relics dating from the Great Siege of 1783 to the present day.

In the back chamber, known as the Memorial Chamber, visitors have the opportunity to honour and remember all those men and women who have, over the ages dedicated themselves to the service of the Nation in the Armed Forces. You will find the Roll Call of all the Regiments that have served in Gibraltar since 1704 together with the ensigns of the Senior Service and the Royal Air Force, all of whom have contributed to the peace and prosperity that we enjoy today.