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Landscape boulders, especially porous stones like sandstone or granite, can crack or break over time. Cracks occur when water seeps into the surface of the stone and freezes. The risk is highest when it rains during the day and temperatures freeze overnight since the moisture has time to penetrate deeper into the rock before expanding.

Yes, concrete is significantly stronger than masonry, especially if the concrete pour includes reinforcements, like steel rebar. Concrete is a uniform material that can withstand compression, sheer force, and tensile force as long as it’s reinforced. Masonry involves the use of mortar or grout to connect individual building materials, like brick, stone, or tile. Mortar and grout are also reasonably strong and resist compression well, but they don’t come close to the strength of poured concrete.

Europe is a continent made of many individual countries with a history of city life. In these cities, dirt roads were unsanitary and often shifted. The Ancient Romans started laying cobblestone streets in the 3rd century, which became an iconic feature of European cities. The durable and practical paving material proved to be extremely weather-resistant.

It is possible, albeit a lot slower, to break up a rock using water. You would do this by freezing and thawing the water. You could create some initial holes or cracks in the rock, then pour water into the cracks or holes and allow them to freeze (so it's best to do this in winter or in colder climates). Since water expands when it freezes, this puts pressure on the inside of the rock and causes it to crack. You could continue to pour more water in and let it freeze to continue to break up the rock.