Dublin

Dublin spreads along the River Liffey, with Georgian terraces on one side and modern bars on the other. Large ships dock at Alexandra Quay and a shuttle runs into the centre. Smaller vessels sometimes moor near the Ha'penny Bridge, which puts you right in the thick of things. Trinity College is worth the queue for the Book of Kells, a 9th-century manuscript that still looks impossibly detailed. Dublin Castle and the National Gallery are nearby, and Grafton Street has buskers most afternoons. The Guinness Storehouse tour ends with a pint on the rooftop Gravity Bar, which has a 360-degree view of the city. For food, try coddle (a bacon and sausage stew), soda bread, or a proper Irish stew at any pub with a fireplace and live folk music. Aran knitwear, Waterford crystal, and tweed make good souvenirs. The city is compact enough to walk, though trams and buses connect the main sites.