Also known as Derry, Londonderry is one of Europe’s best-preserved walled cities and the only one in Ireland completely intact. Within the 400-year-old walls stand landmarks like the 17th-century St. Columb’s Cathedral, the imposing neo-Gothic Guildhall and the Tower Museum, which illuminates over 14 centuries of history. Evocative murals in the Bogside neighborhood acknowledge the turbulent period of the Troubles in the past, while the modern Peace Bridge symbolizes hope for a harmonious future. In nearby County Donegal, soaring mountains, lush glens, rolling green pastures and serene lakes welcome you to Glenveagh National Park, where a romantic 19th-century castle invites exploration of some of Ireland’s most beautiful gardens. An equally scenic drive along a breathtaking coastal road leads to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Giant’s Causeway, a stretch of shoreline naturally paved with thousands of geometric basalt columns so astonishing that they inspired legends of a pathway constructed by giants.
Also known as Derry, Londonderry is one of Europe’s best-preserved walled cities and the only one in Ireland completely intact. Within the 400-year-old walls stand landmarks like the 17th-century St. Columb’s Cathedral, the imposing neo-Gothic Guildhall and the Tower Museum, which illuminates over 14 centuries of history. Evocative murals in the Bogside neighborhood acknowledge the turbulent period of the Troubles in the past, while the modern Peace Bridge symbolizes hope for a harmonious future. In nearby County Donegal, soaring mountains, lush glens, rolling green pastures and serene lakes welcome you to Glenveagh National Park, where a romantic 19th-century castle invites exploration of some of Ireland’s most beautiful gardens. An equally scenic drive along a breathtaking coastal road leads to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Giant’s Causeway, a stretch of shoreline naturally paved with thousands of geometric basalt columns so astonishing that they inspired legends of a pathway constructed by giants.