And he even used a light saber. The actor famous for his role as one of space's greatest heroes didn't need to use the Force to launch the new Skywalk at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar.
The best part may be the Stormtroopers chilling in the background.
Mark Hamill's appearance at the Rock of Gibraltar Skywalk was a dramatic opening for the state-of-the-art glass platform and viewpoint 340 meters (over 1100 feet) above the narrow channel where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic. The Skywalk's unrivalled 360-degree panoramas at the southern most point of Europe span two continents and three countries from one of Europe's – and the world's - most strategic viewpoints.
Historically, the nation to control the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco controlled sea traffic into and out of the Mediterranean. The entrance/exit between the Med and the Atlantic is unbelievably only 8 miles (13 km) wide. Gibraltar is the southern most point of Europe, jutting out from the tip of Spain. It's famously inhabited by Europe's only wild monkey population. Gibraltar consists mainly of an 1100 foot craggy rock with a town, sea port and airport hugging the base of the Rock.
It's like Nature designed the perfect military lookout point over the Strait.
The British have held Gibraltar since the early 1700's and it's now a British Overseas Territory. As recently as World War 2, Gibraltar was the maritime chokehold that had a make-or-break role controlling wartime naval and shipping movements.
The new Skywalk gives visitors to Gibraltar the same view over the surrounding lands and seas. It's built on top of the former military lookout with a view unimaginable anywhere else in the world: Europe and Africa. Morocco, Spain and the rest of Gibraltar below the Rock. And the place where two legendary bodies of water meet.
The sleek, modernistic Skywalk is made up of 42 panels of 4 cm (1 ½-inch) thick laminated glass. The walkway extends nearly 7 meters (22 feet) off its base on the Rock. 70m (230 feet) of rock anchors and 30,000kg (66,000 pounds) of steel secure the Skywalk to the Rock.
The Skywalk is within the Gibraltar Nature Reserve and links via walking trails to other sites within the Reserve including the Windsor Suspension Bridge and the famous Apes’ Den. Admission to the Skywalk is included in the Nature Reserve fee. The Skywalk is limited to 50 people at a time, so allow plenty of time to venture out onto the Skywalk and explore the Rock's peak.
Tongue-in-cheek Star Wars-themed opening ceremonies aside, a walk to the edge of the Rock of Gibraltar Skywalk truly does feel like being in another world. Towering over thousands of years of momentous human history. Straddling two continents. And suspended over epic seas and vistas.
Gibraltar is one of the world's most extraordinary places, a tiny but epic mountain outpost on the sea. For 3000 years Gibraltar has been a naval crossroads where history was made at the hands of nearly every early European civilization. Ancient Greek mythology says the Strait of Gibraltar was created by Hercules, and the Greeks called Gibraltar one of the Pillars of Hercules. Moors from North Africa settled Gibraltar en route to invade Europe. Gibraltar is named after a Muslim commander, derived from the Arabic 'Jabal Tariq', meaning 'Mountain of Tariq'.
A visit to Gibraltar will change the way you think about Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. If you're traveling in southern Spain, you can easily reach Gibraltar by land (by car, public transportation or even walking). Ferries from Morocco and other points in North Africa go to Gibraltar or the closest nearby ports in Spain.
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