Beautiful vistas and wild landscapes
Dublin is a real surprise as a city trip. Not only does this city have cozy pubs, a nice shopping street and historic buildings. You are also in more than half an hour in a completely different environment.
Do you want to experience even more Ireland during your city trip? Then set aside a day for the Wicklow Mountains. You are then completely away from the busy city and you also experience how beautiful the nature of Ireland is. We have booked a tour, but if you have a rental car, you can also do the route yourself.
Wicklow Mountains
Wicklow Mountains National Park covers part of a mountain range that spans most of County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. The upper slopes and mountain peaks are covered with heather and peat. The vistas are interrupted only by the forestry, plantations and the winding mountain roads.
Along the beautiful Dublin coast we drive towards Glendalough via Dun Laoghaire Harbour, Dalkey and Killiney. These suburbs on the far corners of Dublin are home to the rich and famous, including Ireland’s U2s Bono, Enya and director Neil Jordan. Behind the large gardens and fences we can catch a glimpse of these ‘holiday homes’, although frankly what you can see is disappointing. Which of course also makes sense.
The first stop is at a beautiful lake between the mountains. If you have more time, you can go hiking, horseback riding or take a nice bike ride here. But even just a short visit is already worth it and ensures that you are quiet for a while.
Glendalough
In the heart of the Wicklow Mountains lies Glendalough. A monastic city founded by St. Kevin, the remains of which are among the oldest Christian remains in Europe. The town is famous for its round towers, Celtic crosses and gives you a sense of the workings of an early Christian monastery. The setting really does look like the ‘old Ireland’ I had in mind, so really nice to walk through here.
In between we make several stops with nice views, but around noon it is time for a stop at a local pub for lunch. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and good old-fashioned home cooking of a traditional Irish pub. Not in the mood for a heavy meal? Next to the restaurant is also a sandwich shop where you can get something delicious.
Dublin is the nicest city in Ireland
After lunch, the return to Dublin begins. We continue the route through the glens and valleys of the Wicklow Mountains, stopping along the way at the beautiful Sally’s Gap and Guinness Lake, where scenes from the blockbusters Excalibur and Braveheart were filmed. Just down the road is Enniskerry, where the films PS I Love You and Leap Year were filmed. Enjoying the last of nature for a while, before we arrive back in Dublin.
Dublin is Ireland’s most fun city: it’s the capital, but it’s also the prettiest of them all. There is so much to discover in this city that you should not miss. Like tasting whiskey and guiness of course, but there are also so many cool places to discover in Dublin. It is a surprising city, but a trip to Ireland really becomes much more fun when you combine this city trip with the beautiful nature in the area!
