Dublin, Ireland

The Christ Church Cathedral

One of the biggest surprises to me personally. I fell in love with this city so hard, that this was probably the first time ever I was really sad to leave and to have to go back home. And it wasn't just because of the usual reasons like beautiful architecture, rich history, amazing views. No, not at all. Those responsible for my sadness for leaving were the extremely nice and sweet people and the whole mood that the city of Dublin has.

There wasn't one time where I felt like and outsider/tourist. No matter where we went (from a small giftshop to a fancy pub/restaurant we were always in a very warm friendly ton, hiding a jingle note.

Ha'penny Bridge

First day we booked a free walking tour and got lucky with our tour guide John, who mentioned at the end of the tour, was a stand-up comedian. I should've known that was the case, because of the way he played every story on the way to getting to know Dublin. Some of his stories stayed with us long after our walk was over. You'll be surprised what history is hidden behind one of the top sights in Dublin, namely the Christ Church Cathedral. The Heaven-and-Hell story... well, let's say that nobody in our group was ready for such twists.
Or the movie "P. S. I love you"? As it turns out, this film has also some history with Ireland, leading to Gerard Butler apologizing on National TV.

On this first day, late in the evening we ended up walking around the Guiness Warehouse for 2 hours before "hitting the pubs". At first I was really skeptic about going in, but it was worth it. all seven floors had to offer knowledge presented in fun and interactive way. Plus, you get to grab a free drink with a top-view of Dublin.

As we didn´t lose anytime on our first day getting to know the city streets and landmarks, we decided to have some indoor activities on the second day. They included visiting two whiskey distileries and a few recommended bars.

The Teeling Distillery got us by surprise. Here, we had the pleasure (and luck) to be welcomed by the owners´ father. A person whose knowledge on the whiskey industry made for a great introduction to our first ever experience in a distillery. It is a modern, functioning ditillery. thus making our tour much more interesting and informative, by simply being able to see it in action. We strongly recommend you to visit it, if you ind yourself in ublin one day!

Our second stop was the Jameson Distillery. It consisted of a cool front part, that serves as a bar and a second behind-the-curtains space, where we received a detailed description of the whiskey-making process.

At Porterhouse

Some good recommendations to have a drink and/or something to eat and not be surrounded by other tourist? After all, wouldn't it be more interesting beeing with irish people, experiencing some authentic night out at Dublin? Those are: Stag's Head - no music, but a very authentic atmosphere with interesting decorations;

At Mulligan and Hanes

- Porterhouse - my favourite place so far. Could be very crowded, but the food and live music will get you to experience the real Dublin;
- Mulligan and Hanes - a kind of mixture between the previous two, but a more cozy and unique atmosphere.