At first glance, you wouldn’t think The Dark Hedges is one of the most photographed places in Northern Ireland: after all, it’s just an avenue surrounded by trees and fields.

Looking closer, however, you immediately realize why this place is so loved by painters, photographers, and tourists.

The Dark Hedges is a short, quiet stretch of road near the town of Ballymoney in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Outlined by beech trees with twisted branches that, intertwine, have formed a natural arch, which makes that place magical and magical. Even if in recent years the branches of the trees have been pruned, the effect is always impressive and evocative.

This place originated in the eighteenth century when the Stuart family planted these rows of beech trees to impress visitors as they approached the entrance to their mansion, Gracehill House, named after James Stewart’s wife, Grace Lynd. Two centuries later, the trees are still there and retain their haunting and austere charm. Today, Gracehill House is a golf club.

There is also a legend linked to The Dark Hedges: it seems that, at sunset, the ghost of the Gray Lady appears in the trees and then silently disappears along the avenue, behind the last beech.

To visit The Dark Hedges and enjoy it to the fullest, it is advisable to arrive early in the morning, both because at dawn the atmosphere is fantastic and because after a certain time it is impossible to find a seat.

To reach this magical place, you have to travel 50 miles north-west from Belfast and then head towards the Antrim coast road, at Ballymoney. The Dark Hedges is only one street, so there aren’t many signs pointing to it. Not far away, it is also possible to visit the ruins of Dunluce Castle, an impressive medieval manor.

Even the world of cinema was struck by this setting, so much so that many scenes from the popular TV series “Game of Thrones” were shot in this enchanted place. Fans of the series can also visit all the other places that have been chosen as the set of the series: the Magheramorne quarries, the port of Ballintoy, Downhill Beach, the Tollymore Forest Park, nestled in the Morne Mountains, the ruins of Shane’s Castle, Castle Ward and Gosford Castle.