2016 Europe, Middle East, and Africa Travel Guide - (Page 25)

Dublin is a diverse mix of Old World charm, centuries-old medieval buildings, and trendy coffee houses, restaurants and boutiques all compacted into one multicultural city off Ireland's east coast. A melting pot of ethnicities where African salons, Asian markets and Russian shops convene, Dublin's "new"comers have brought new life to this thousand-year-old city where the past, seen at the 13th century Dublin Castle, the Gothic-style St. Patrick's Cathedral and historic Trinity College, is still revered. SEE: During the day, the National Leprechaun Museum exhibits familyfriendly displays recounting tales of Irish folklore, mythology and other Emerald Isle legends-from the first leprechaun sighting in the eighth century to Walt Disney's visit to Ireland, which became the inspiration for his 1959 adventure film, "Darby O'Gill and the Little People." SAVOR: Learn to pull your own pint of Guinness on a literary-, musical- or traditional-themed pub crawl around Dublin's best watering holes. SIGNATURE EVENT: Nobody does St. Patrick's Day (March 17) quite like Dubliners. The city's rowdy 4-day celebration enjoys fairs, musical performances, parades and good-natured revelry. STAY: The 52-guestroom Dean Hotel, Dublin's first new-build in nearly two years, opened in 2014 on the trendy Harcourt Street between two nightclubs, featuring a rotisserie on the ground floor, a bar and New York-style Italian restaurant on the roof, and cozy rooms outfitted with turntables, vinyl collections and Marshall guitar amps. CRUISE: Located six miles from the city-center, Dublin's port welcomes large cruise ships-think Princess Cruises and Cunard-at Alexandra Quay. FACTS May to August Ireland's got a few "magic roads"-stretches of roadway (normally found in off-the-beaten track locales) where a car rolls uphill when it's in neutral and turned off; but it's really just an optical illusion of the landscape GETTING THERE: Delta flies to Dublin from Atlanta and New York (JFK); to Shannon from New York (JFK) ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport CURRENCY: Republic of Ireland uses the Euro, while Northern Ireland's currency is the Pound Sterling LOCAL FOODS: Soups and stews as well as hearty breakfasts made up of meats (pork or black pudding), eggs and tomatoes BEST BUYS: Irish crafts and designs are better than plastic leprechauns; ceramics, textiles; glasswork; and cashmeres INFORMATION PLEASE: ireland.com BEST TIME TO GO: FUN FACT: 25 IRELAND Dublin http://www.ireland.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2016 Europe, Middle East, and Africa Travel Guide

Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Holland
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Ghana
Kenya
Morocco
Nigeria
South Africa
Senegal
Tanzania
Egypt
India
Israel
Turkey
United Arab Emirates

2016 Europe, Middle East, and Africa Travel Guide