Ireland

The Guinness Storehouse offers a tour through the brewery’s history capped by a pint enjoyed at the Gravity Bar, which looks out over the entire city. Dublin Castle and St. Patrick’s Cathedral add centuries of history within easy walking distance. A stroll along the River Liffey past the Ha’penny Bridge leads naturally into the Georgian squares of Merrion and St. Stephen’s Green. Dublin’s compact center makes it easy to move between history, literature, and a proper Irish pub in a single afternoon.

Galway Cathedral and the nearby Salthill promenade offer a mix of grand architecture and easy seaside walking, with views out over Galway Bay. The city serves as the main gateway to the dramatic limestone landscapes of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Every August the city fills for the Galway International Arts Festival, but even outside festival season its food markets and oyster bars keep the energy high. Galway’s small-town charm and big cultural scene make it a favorite stop on any Irish itinerary.

Just outside town, Blarney Castle draws visitors who climb its tower to kiss the famous Blarney Stone, said to grant the gift of eloquence. The castle’s gardens, including the Poison Garden, are worth the visit on their own. Cork’s Shandon Bells and the Butter Museum trace the city’s mercantile past, while the nearby harbor town of Cobh recalls its history as the Titanic’s final port of call. Cork offers a livelier, more compact alternative to Dublin’s bigger-city pace.