Cobblestone

building materials · roads · history

Natural rounded rocks. Cobblestones are stones that form naturally in rivers and streams, where water smooths them into round, bumpy shapes over many years. People discovered these ready made stones were perfect for paving.

Built to last centuries. Streets paved with cobblestones are so durable that many European towns still have cobblestone roads that are hundreds of years old and still work great today.

Setts are different cousins. Setts, sometimes called Belgian blocks, look similar to cobblestones but are cut and shaped by workers into more regular, uniform blocks instead of using naturally rounded stones.

Bumpy but special. Walking on cobblestones feels different from smooth pavement because of all the little bumps and gaps between the stones, which helped horses and carriages grip the road better in the old days.