Ireland

Living room, marketplace and pub all in one: Dublin's pubs
The trendy Temple Bar district on the River Liffey may be touristy, but it enjoys cult status. You should definitely not miss a visit to a pub here - this unique mix of pub, living room and marketplace. There's always one nearby. There are said to be several thousand across the city. If someone unpacks their guitar or banjo, the party starts. Perhaps not always concert-ready, but certainly always rousing and original.

James Joyce already addressed the subject of pubs in his day and came to the following conclusion in his masterpiece "Ulysses": "Good puzzle would be cross Dublin without passing a pub", which roughly translates as "Dublin without a pub is like Ireland without sheep". What is surprising is the contrast between the city center and the Docklands, the former harbor district, which shines with new urbanity. Glittering glass skyscrapers and ultra-modern apartment and office buildings compete here with architectural highlights such as the congress center, the extravagant harp-shaped Samuel Beckett Bridge or the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre designed by star architect Daniel Libeskind. Tech giants such as Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and Airbnb have set up shop here. International names such as J. P. Morgan or PwC on facades and neon signs refer to the island's special status as an EU tax haven.

On the road in Ireland's "wild west"
An eye-catcher is Grand Canal Square, a square designed by the American landscape architect Martha Schwartz with triangular flowerbeds, fountains and red-painted poles, surrounded by first-class hotels such as Anantara The Marker Dublin. An attractive urban alternative to Dublin is Cork. Ireland's second largest city is located in the south of the country, on an island in the middle of the River Lee, and has just been named one of the best cities in the world 2025 by National Geographic magazine for its historic and cosmopolitan flair.

Galway, the young, lively student and coastal town with its beach promenade, club and art scene and the annual "Galway Oyster Festival", which is now known far beyond the country's borders, is also well worth a visit. Galway is also the gateway to Ireland's wild west coast: we drive along narrow, winding roads past meadows and pastures in all shades of green and through colorful villages with lush rhododendron hedges and hydrangea bushes. Sheep can be seen everywhere - with a color code for recognition. South of Galway, Ireland's most photographed cliffs, the Cliffs of Moher, plunge 200 m into the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by a roaring surf and blown by an omnipresent wind. As romantic as it may sound, you are never alone here. Day in, day out, busloads of selfie-stick tourists flock to the cliff edge like lemmings. The Wild Atlantic Way, the Irish alter native to Australia's Great Ocean Road or the American Highway No 1, was officially designated as a scenic route in 2014. Since then, it has been a tourist magnet, attracting travelers from all over the world. Nevertheless, here, for once, the oft-cited saying about the journey being the destination is true. The road winds its way along the Atlantic coast for over 2,500 km - and offers wow views around every bend along the way. Crash barriers? There are none. They would only spoil the panoramic view. As we drive along the Wild Atlantic Way, the wind suddenly blows the clouds apart. For a moment, the beach glistens like stardust and the sea shines in the deepest postcard blue. If you are luckier than us, you can sometimes even watch dolphins performing balletic feats as they jump out of the waves in sync and perform perfect somersaults.

"Best of Ireland" in Killarney National Park

Dense forests, wild waterfalls, mysterious lakes, winding paths - in Killarney, Ireland's oldest national park, you can literally feel the magic of the Emerald Isle. Pictures like from a "Best of Ireland" photo book on every corner. The famous Ring of Kerry, another breathtaking circular route that leads around the Iveragh Peninsula, starts right next door. Unfortunately, there are often traffic jams here in the high season. As an alternative, we recommend the Ring of Beara on the neighboring peninsula - just as spectacular, but without bus tourists, as the roads are too narrow for wider vehicles.

Hollywood has also long since discovered Ireland and its magical landscapes and immortalized them in films such as "Star Wars", "Harry Potter", "Braveheart", "In a Distant Land", "The Banshees of Inisherin" or the cult series "Game of Thrones". The almost Mediterranean-style south coast is less wild, but no less cinematic: rhododendrons, hydrangeas, ferns, cedars and even palm trees dominate the landscape here - thanks to the Gulf Stream.