Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

Solstice sunrise at Stonehenge, London hotels It's an event that has become more and more popular over the years, and with record crowds marking the 2009 Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, there has been a whole lot more publicity around the event and an increasing awareness of celebrating this symbolic occasion. The 2009 peak in popularity was due to a combination of fortuitous weekend timing and a decision reached nine years ago to lift the four-mile exclusion zone around the site. Despite an overcast morning, reports from the BBC indicated that spirits were certainly not dampened. With music, Morris dancing, and druid ceremonies, the record crowd of 36,500 revellers acknowledged the occasion peacefully, if not buoyantly. Watching the sunrise over Stonehenge would have to rank highly amongst the world's most enlightening and rejuvenating experiences - but what exactly is the summer solstice all about?

Celebrated annually in late June, the summer solstice represents the dawn of the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the peak of summer and indicates the transition to the shorter days of the approaching winter, and for this reason, has been held sacred since ancient times. These days, if you want to acknowledge the momentous occasion in this UK spiritual centre, there's more to think about than just booking your London hotels. According to spokespeople from English Heritage, the body that runs the day-to-day workings of the Stonehenge site, the car park was overflowing with some 6,500 cars even hours before the 2009 sunrise. Past years have been no exception, and future years will no doubt see a repeat of the same patterns. Reports indicate that even the A303, the main route into Stonehenge, was closed due to the volume of congestion.

It's an early morning start, technically the earliest rise of the year, but one that's well worth it. No matter where you find yourself in the Northern Hemisphere, there's sure to be summer solstice celebrations nearby. Find out more at tourism offices throughout the North America, from Los Angeles hotel information desks to Toronto tour-booking websites.