Awe-inspiring Attractions in Galway

Located on the west coast, Galway is the fifth largest city of Ireland. Galway is an exciting holiday destination because it is a popular site where several festivals, fun-events and activities are held. This city is capable of capturing its visitors so beware of its beautiful attractions. Yes, Galway has a number of attractions that are marvelous and capture the person who pays a visit to this city. Some of its most popular and awe-inspiring attractions are as follows:

St. Nicholas’ Church

St. Nicholas Church is a place of worship that is located in heart of Galway. It is important and popular at the same time because it is the prevalent medieval parish church in Ireland. It dates back to 1320 but its building has been renovated since then. Most of the people visit this church because they believe in the story that Christopher Columbus prayed in this church in 1477 before sailing off to discover America.

Lynch’s Castle

It is a 16^th century castle that belonged to the Lynch family. This building has now converted into a bank but its front part still amazes the visitors with carvings of gargoyles. Yes, this building is still quite impressive and is one of the most visited attractions of Galway. While visiting this building, you will find some genuine fireplaces that are still inside this castle. There is a special exhibition room in this castle which contains artifacts from the reign of Lynch family. This room is opened for visitors from Monday to Wednesday and on Fridays.

The Spanish Arch and Galway City Museum

Spanish Arch is located at a place where the river meets the sea. It also dates back to 16^th century but still it attracts the visitors towards itself. It was originally called Ceann an Bhalla (Head of the Wall) but then its name was changed in the honor of Spanish merchant galleons which landed near it. The Spanish Arch now serves as the gateway to Galway City Museum. The Galway Museum is also an attractive place to visit as its galleries shows culture of Galway from 1800 to 1950. Some temporary exhibitions and events are also held here. From here, you can enjoy views of River Corrib, Galway Bay, Spanish Arch and Claddagh.

Salmon Weir Bridge

Salmon Weir Bridge shows cultural and historical aspect of Galway city. Crossing the River Corrib    from the Cathedral to the city’s courthouse, Salmon Weir Bridge is an exciting place to visit. People come here to see spectacular views extending up to Wolfe Tone Bridge. Summertime is the best time to visit Salmon Weir Bridge as at this time of year, you can see the shoals of salmon making their way to Corrib for spawning. You will also find anglers fish in the water below. But it does not mean at all that Salmon Weir Bridge is only visited by tourists in summer. Throughout the year, it remains the favorite place of tourists and locals as well.

Galway Cathedral

Galway Cathedral is such an attraction which should never be missed in a visit to Galway. It is one of the largest and most beautiful buildings of the city which stands on Nun’s Island. It is featured with an octagonal dome and reaches to a height of 145 feet. The striking interior of the building is adorned and featured with rose windows and beautiful wall paintings.

These were some must-visit and worth-seeing attractions of Galway. Visit this city in these summer holidays and have a wonderful time.

Tourists’ Favorite Places in Dublin

Dublin is capital and the largest city of Ireland which is located near the midpoint of east coast of Ireland. It is the cultural hub representing Irish traditions. There are lots of attractions in this historical city of Ireland for tourists and families as well but some of them are so beautiful that they have become favorite places of tourists. Thousands of tourists pay a visit to this attractive city every year. Some of the most popular and favorite places of tourists include:

Dublin Zoo

Dublin Zoo is spread over an area of 60 acres and consists of beautiful gardens and animals enclosures. There are more than 235 animals in this zoo including giraffes, chimps, hippos and tigers. A petting zoo is also a part of Dublin zoo where tamed animals are kept. These animals include goats, pigs, donkeys and sheep. These animals are free to roam about providing visitors a chance to interact with these animals. But you can’t do the same while watching crocodiles in Reptile House.

National Museum of Ireland

National Museum of Ireland provides a chance to the visitors to see the ancient and historical aspect of Ireland. Here you will find the items related to Ireland’s decorative arts, archeology and natural history. Items displayed in this museum include jewelry of 8^th century BC and medieval antiques like Ardagh Chalice and Tara Brooch. In short a visit to this museum will show you entire history of Ireland.

St Stephens Green

St Stephen Green is a public park that is located at the top of Grafton Street. It is a beautiful park that provides a chance to get relaxed after spending a busy day. Here in this park you will find radiantly kept gardens and plants. The garden is also featured with a lake that is a home to beautiful ducks and other different birds. Apart from the beautiful gardens, there are also some statues and memorials paying homage to personalities like Robert Emmet and James Joyce.

Sea Safari

Sea Safari is a fun filled activity providing the tourists a chance to see beautiful and attractive sights. The boat journey also provides to have a look on Dalkey Island, Lambay Island and Kiliney Bay. Here you will also get a chance to see some sea life including seals, puffins, dolphins and many more. It’s a perfect excursion tour for those people who love natural scenes and beauty.

Guinness Brewery

Covering 64 acres of land, Guinness Brewery was founded in 1759. It boasts of being world’s largest beer exporting company. You can’t pay a visit to the brewery but you can watch and visit Guinness Hop Store. Its top story has been transformed into a bar from where you can view magnificent scenes while sipping your favorite beer.

These were some of the places in Dublin that are most liked by the tourists. If you ever get a chance to travel to Dublin, don’t miss these places to visit.