Initially, rolling plains, sea cliffs, coastal areas and Guinness drinkers comes to mind. Luckily, a friend from university moved to Dublin some years back and since we would be staying there for a few days, I asked her what can’t be missed.

Where Is Howth?

My favorite suggestion from her was not specifically in Dublin proper, but rather a small fishing village in the Dublin suburbs known as Howth. The district of Howth encompasses the majority of the peninsula known as Howth Head, which forms the northern section of the Dublin Bay. It was originally purposed as a small fishing village, especially with such as close location to the city of Dublin. As tourism as well as Dublin expanded, Howth grew into a more modern mix of residential development mixed with wild, grassy hills.

Getting to Howth

To get to Howth, which is conveniently located only 15 kilometers from Dublin city center, take the DART from the Tara Street Station to Howth DART Station. Depending on where you’re staying in Dublin, the departure station may vary. The ride takes about 45 minutes, and it goes for the most part along the coast, which offers stunning views of the water. If you prefer, you can also take the Dublin Bay Cruise, which depart from Dun Laoghaire and brings you through Dublin Bay.

The Howth Harbor

Once you’ve arrived at Howth, taking a nice walk along the pier, watching the local fisherman brings in the day’s catch or simply enjoying the beautiful scenery is a great way to start. The harbor area is located less than a 10 min walk from the train station, and is very simple to get to.

Exploring The Village

Or, another option to begin could be to visit the Howth Castle and Grounds, which is one of the oldest still occupied buildings in Ireland. The surrounding gardens are very nice, or if you’re feeling a bit more active, you can visit the cooking school in the Castle known as The Kitchen for half-day and evening classes.

Depending on your level of walkability, there are various trails to explore that bring you all throughout the peninsula. Maps are located at the train station, and the various walking trails such as the Bog of Frogs Loop and the Cliff Path Loop. As there are relatively large hills to climb, and limited shops throughout, I would recommend bringing plenty of water and some snacks along the way. Once you’ve reached the top, however, the views are totally stunning, and it is a frequently visited location for bird enthusiasts.

And Don’t Forget…

Also not to be missed on a visit to Howth, is the fresh seafood. Cod and ray are commonly caught locally, with fishing trawlers coming in and out throughout the day. The restaurants along the seafront also serve the catch of the day, such as the Oar House Fish Restaurant, The Brass Monkey or the Aqua Restaurant. As they are all located very close together, you can easily see which one best interests your taste and prepare for seafood so fresh you can pick it out of the water!

[Wikipedia], [Visit Dubin]

1. Castles, Castles and More Castles

As Ireland has a rather tumultuous history with conflict, castles were built by the British, Scottish and Irish all throughout the land as defense mechanisms. Even if you don’t have a specific castle in mind, plan a road trip through the countryside and you’re guaranteed to spot some castles!

One of Ireland’s most famous attractions, the Blarney Stone is located in the Blarney Castle in Cork County, one of the most visited castles in Ireland. Legend has it that if you kiss the Stone (a truly acrobatic feat) you will have eternal eloquence (just pretend that it’s not a little gross that millions of other people have kissed the same stone).

While the Blarney Castle may be one of the most popular, it is just one of more than 340 castles built in Ireland. That’s pretty astounding if you consider that the island itself is roughly the size of the U.S. state of Indiana (where there is definitely not more than 3 or 4 actual castles). Cahir, Kilkenny and Dunguaire Castles are definitely worth a visit- evoking the fantastical visions of medieval times.

2. The Cliffs of Moher

Over 12 km long, the Cliffs of Moher are considered one of Ireland’s most breathtaking sites. A straight drop of nearly 220 meters to the wild Atlantic Ocean the sheer size of the cliffs themselves are awe-inspiring, evoking the feeling of being at the end of the world. Coupled with the rough landscape and rolling hills of the country side behind you, the site popped right out of a postcard.

3. The Words: The Wild Atlantic Way

The Wild Atlantic Way is a nearly 2500 km long stretch of land along Ireland’s west coast, stretching from County Donegal to County Cork. A drive along this route will put you at one with nature and the wild Atlantic, spanning out as far as you can see from the coast. It is along this route that some of Ireland’s most stunning natural sites are located such as Connemara, The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher.

4. Four More Words: The Causeway Coastal Route

Another reason to get out and explore the untamed Irish countryside is the Causeway Coastal Route, stretching along the northeast coast of Ireland beginning in Belfast. The gem of this tour is the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprised of 40,000 basalt columns formed by molten lava that has cooled into dark hexagonal stone steps. Legend has it that a great Celtic warrior, Finn MacCool, built the “highway” to Scotland to battle a rival while scientists say it formed 60 million years ago.

Also not to be missed on this route is the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, a suspension bridge that hovers 30 meters over jagged rocks or the remains of the Dunlace Castle, which is said to have inspired C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia”.

[Huffington Post], [The Richest], [Readers Digest]

The Village of Hülsen

I recently stayed in a country cottage in a small village at the end of the Lüneburg Heath, known as Hülsen. This area is super relaxing and peaceful. With a large meadow surrounding it, you can find absolute silence and tranquility, with the sounds of nature as your background noise.

The house is just a short walk from the Aller River (next to the cottage), which runs through the neighboring villages and into the Weser further north and offers recreational activities such as fishing, biking along it or taking dogs for a nice long walk! As well, during the warm months people in the vacation homes along the river can have outdoor fires, the perfect way to end a summer day!

The town also has a traditional soccer club, SVV Hülsen in the heart of the village, every other Sunday you can find nearly half the town’s residents there cheering on their local teams!

Exploring the Lüneburg Heath

If you’re interested in exploring outside the town and deeper into the Lüneburg Heath, there are tons of options!

Perhaps the one of the most popular reasons for visiting this area is to explore the natural beauty Heath, one of the largest in Europe. There are many walking trails with parking facilities nearby such as Overhaverbeek and Niederhaverbeek, northwest of Bispingen.

As well, there is a Wild Park, hole to around 140 animal species such as snow leapards, polar foxes, brown bears, Siberian tigers, wolves, elks and others like these little goats! Many of the species are native to Germany or live in the northern hemisphere. The park is also home to many old and rare breeds of domestic animals.

From the top of the Heath’s largest hill, Wilseder Berg (a whole 169 meters!) there is a beautiful panorama of the surrounding area, and if you’re lucky on a clear day you can see as far as Hamburg. This is a really popular spot, especially in the summer.

For a quieter trail, the Freuedenthalweg and Hermann Bilung Weg are over 100 km with trails for cyclists and walkers alike.

Also nearby is the Heide Park, in Soltau, this is the largest amusement park in North Germany. It’s a bit expensive, but really big. You can spend the whole day there easily. I went a few summers ago from Hamburg and it was really fun!

The Serengeti Park in the south of Bad Fallingbostel is the largest safari park in Europe, with four zones: Animal World (an open safari park), Water World (with a mix of water rides and activities), Monkey World (with safari tours through the terrain) and Leisure World (a leisure complex with a high ropes course, baby park and play scapes for children).

The Walsrode World Bird Park (Vogel Park) in Walsrode, is the world’s largest bird park and one of the top ten zoos in the world for number of species.

[Wikitravel]