Top Things to See in Dublin, Ireland

Ireland is at the top of my travel to-do list, along with Japan, Spain, and Egypt. And maybe France (well, it’s a long list, you see). While it is a beautiful country and Dublin is certainly the first place I’d like to stop, I wish I could tell you it’s the history of the country, the beauty, and its culture that drew me to research it and come up with these things I must do when I visit Dublin. I’d be lying though, the reality is it started with a bit of an unhealthy interest in a certain Irish actor, now relatively big in the USA. If you want a hint, he played my favorite vampire of all times. Yes, that’s enough to plan a trip and think of how to book a hotel in Dublin City Centre.

So, leaving common, yet still crazy actor obsessions aside, here are the things I’d really like to see and do in Dublin.

1. Guinness Storehouse

Yes, this is where I’d start, not a museum, or college, or other landmark. I’d start with Guinness history because it had been the symbol of everything Irish long before anything else was. The first Irish pubs opened in Bucharest were sporting big Guinness logos, so it seems to fit well.

2. Visit some of the famous streets

Moving away from beer, a nice walk along Kildare street, O’Connel street, Dame Street, Merrion Square, would be perfect to take in the city, the atmosphere, its history and beautiful architecture. Of course, this will mean I’d need some sort of break, and where else if not a well known spot such as Temple bar? Yes, that is how we get back to the Guinness part of our story 🙂

3. A little museum time

Mind you, you’d probably pass some of these attractions during the walk I’ve mentioned, so the order in which you experience Dublin attractions is completely your choice. I’d like to see the National Gallery, the National Museum of Archaeology and History, for a little prehistoric and medieval taste of Ireland, as well as the National Museum of Decorative Arts and History in Collins Barracks.

4. More history, please

After the museums comes Dublin Castle. This 13th century landmark is certainly a must see. So is St. Patrick’s Cathedral, so that I can relate to more than St. Patrick’s wild parties when I think of this particular saint. The infamous Kilmainham Jail is also on my list, along with Trinity College and its treasure-rich library.

5. Outdoors in the hart of the city

I am a park girl, I just need to see a garden or something green and outdoorsy wherever I go. Luckily, I have St Stephen’s Green and Phoenix Parks to keep me happy. Or the Dublin Hills National Park, which looks breathtakingly beautiful.