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October 4, 2019February 22, 2020

Dublin castle

If you’re looking out for Dublin castle at Dublin, Ireland, don’t expect a castle standing separated somewhere on a hill. The wonderful ancient structures are integrated into a complex of buildings and you need to search a little bit to find them. In this location already in the 10th century, a fortress was built – but the buildings existing there today date back to the 18th and 19th century. This is also true for the wonderful round Record Tower, the most remarkable structure there today.

October 4, 2019October 18, 2019

Glasnevin

It sounds a bit strange but I really love to visit cemeteries. Sometimes they have a fantastic atmosphere like the Cimetière du Père Lachaise in Paris, France or the special local burial traditions are fascinating like at the Cementerio Cristóbal Colón in La Habana, Cuba. And often they are the starting point for interesting stories. The most beautiful graveyard of Dublin, Ireland is Glasnevin; here you can find a mix of all religions and the typical Irish combination of Catholic crosses and pagan symbols.

October 4, 2019October 18, 2019

Victorian greenhouses

It was a really rainy day when I went to the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland at Glasnevin, Dublin. In Ireland you need to always plan around the weather and if you don’t have enough time to do so you need to live with what you get. When I exited the bus near the botanic garden I recognized that I made a big mistake – I left my umbrella on the bus. It wasn’t very good at this windy time of the year but at least it gave some protection.

October 3, 2019October 17, 2019

Parkway Guesthouse

Finding a good place to sleep in Dublin, Ireland wasn’t fun. You’ve got plenty of options but the prices were close to those in London, England. And I dislike paying a fortune just for a short night in a hotel. Therefore I decided to book the Parkway Guesthouse, a bed & breakfast in the north of the city – not far away from O’Connell street (upper). That was a good and a bad decision at the same time.

October 3, 2019October 21, 2019

Roof garden

I love bars with good views, but the only one in Dublin, Ireland, seems to be the ‘Gravity bar‘ in the Guinness Storehouse (not accessible without a tour). Even though it hasn’t good views The Roof Garden is quite a nice alternative: It is a partially roofed terrace on top of the Fitzsimons Hotel close to river Liffey and the Temple bar region.

October 3, 2019February 20, 2020

Liffey

If you get to Dublin, Ireland, you will definitely stumble open the river Liffey. It runs through the city centre from East to West and at its shore, you will find good hotels, restaurants and bars. Unfortunately, they don’t really make use of the river there – next to the water there is on both sides a road. How beautiful this area could be if there would be a pedestrian zone. It is 125 meters long and has its main source in the county Wicklow not far away from Dublin where it runs into the Irish sea.

October 3, 2019February 23, 2020

Binn Éadair

Dublin, the capital city of Ireland is located close to the Irish sea. But when you’re roaming through the city you will not see much water – with the exception of the river Liffey. If you want to experience some sea-side life you can go to Howth, a fishermen’s village on the sea. Get there by taking the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) train starting at the Connolly station. It was the first and only time I had problems with language in Ireland: I was going to the right railway track were the trains to Howth should leave – and the train was going to Binn Éadair instead. I had to ask a local to understand that this is just the Irish name for that place – and it even sounds much better.

October 3, 2019February 23, 2020

Dublin zoo

The zoological garden of Dublin, Ireland, is the largest zoo in the country and one of the oldest in Europe. It was opened in 1831 and you can have a very long walk within the 28 hectares of ground. When I was there I was seeing rather few animals – but it was rather late and bad weather, most of them were inside. One of the former inhabitants we all know: the lion Cairbre (born 1927) was the face of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and we all saw it already multiple times before a movie started.

October 3, 2019February 22, 2020

Phoenix park

The Páirc an Fhionnuisce or Phoenix park is a vast garden in Dublin, Ireland, and one of the largest parks in a city in Europe. Its name doesn’t point to the legendary bird that can rise from the ashes; it comes from the Irish words fionn uisce which mean ‘clear water’. It is located in the East of the city and you can easily reach it from the luas stop ‘Museum’ and it is also a good option for a next stop if you visit Kilmainham Goal or the Museum of Modern Art.

October 3, 2019February 22, 2020

Wellington

While walking through Phoenix park in Dublin, Ireland, you might stumble open a giant memorial: the Wellington monument. With 62 metres it is the highest obelisk in Europe. It commemorates the victories of the Iron Duke, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. He won against Napoleon at the famous Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and was serving twice as a prime minister of the United Kingdom. But he also fought in other parts of the world like in the Netherlands or India.