Dublin
In the heart of Dublin, Trinity College, Ireland's oldest university, founded in 1592, holds the nation's greatest treasure: the Book of Kells, a dazzlingly illuminated ninth-century manuscript of the four Gospels created by monks, its pages alive with intricate Celtic knotwork and color. To stand before it is to look straight into the artistry of early medieval Ireland.
Above the exhibit soars the Long Room of the Old Library, a breathtaking 200-foot barrel-vaulted hall lined with 200,000 ancient books and marble busts, widely held to be one of the most beautiful libraries on earth. The smell of old paper, the dark oak shelves climbing toward the curved ceiling and the long shafts of light make it a place travelers never forget.
Beyond Trinity, Dublin rewards exploration on foot: the literary history of a UNESCO City of Literature, Dublin Castle, the lively cobbles of Temple Bar, traditional pubs ringing with live music, and the Guinness Storehouse, where a pint tastes best in the sky-high Gravity Bar. It is a city built for wandering, and every corner has a story.
