11 Aug A Few (Really Good) Reasons To Visit The Magical Country Of Ireland
When traveling through Europe, you are spoilt for choice when looking for the best places to visit. There’s the peaks of Switzerland, lakes of Sweden, cultural excursions of Austria, food of Poland (sooooo much good food), and of course all the beaches and food of Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal, We ourselves have seen 28 of the 57 countries in Europe, and it feels like we’ve only scratched the surface…which is why we cannot stop planning more trips there! One epic travel adventure we really hope to do soon, is visit the magical country of Ireland, and here’s just a few reasons why.
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The Picture-Perfect Scenery
Possibly the number one reason why people apply for Irish citizenship, is for the scenery. There are dramatic seascapes, breathtaking landscapes, and picture-postcard vistas that will encourage even the not-so-fond-of-photography photographers to dig out their camera.
For waterfall fans, the Glencar Waterfall in County Leitrim is one enchanting highlight, and (enchantingly enough), its fairy tale beauty was the inspiration behind a famous poem by Yeats. Then there’s the glacial valley of Glendalough, with lakes, monastic settlements, and deep forests to explore. For all the Game of Thrones fans, there are a number of scenic filming locations you can visit, like the ancient Shillanavogy Valley in County Antrim (which was the home of the Dothraki), and the Mourne Mountains in County Down (which where Bran first met Jojen and Meera in the woods).
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The Many Festivals
Calling all those who like to “jol” or “twist a bit of takkie” (as we say in South Africa), meaning: all those who love to dance and party. The Irish certainly know how to party right (trust us, we’ve met a few Irish on our travels), as there are over 400 events running throughout the year (pre- and *hopefully* post-COVID-19 of course), covering everything from song and dance festivals, to those that celebrate Celtic traditions and literature. These are the 10 best music festivals in Ireland that we found, with the highlight being the Belsonic in June, as it often attracts many of the world’s leading music artists, but there are lots of other festivals too, especially around St. Patrick’s Day in March, where the whole country gets into party mode.
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The Opportunities For Adventure
Ireland is the perfect place to be if you’re a thrill-seeker, as there are plentiful opportunities for sky diving, gorge walking, diving, sailing, and much more…and the fact that you can do it all against the fabulous Irish landscape, should be reason enough to have an adventure holiday there. Climb a sea stack in Donegal, walk through hidden waterfalls at County Down, jump into the sea from the rocks of the Mourne Mountains, and experience these and other Irish adventures.
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The Pub Culture
Do the Irish have the finest beers in the world? It’s a hot debate and we don’t know for sure, but the magical country of Ireland is definitely the only place where you’re going to get a true taste of Irish hospitality. Ireland is one of the friendliest places in the world, and you’re guaranteed to feel this warmth at any of the country’s pubs where’s you’ll have yourself a good ‘craic‘ with one of the locals. Alongside the delicious lagers and stouts you’ll find in the local pubs, you will also be blessed with live Irish music (both traditional and modern) and lots of hearty grub, including Ireland’s famed beef and Guinness Pie. Check out this pub guide if you would like to know where to lift a pint in this green and pleasant country.
We haven’t mentioned all the reasons here, of course, like Ireland’s legendary castles, places of Irish folklore, or the country’s historical landmarks (and when we eventually get to visit Ireland ourselves you can be sure this list will be well updated!) But if you choose to make this magical country your next European destination, be sure to take a ton of pics and let us know in the comments below what bucket list items we should add for our trip there!
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The Instagram Opportunities of this Magical Country
We’ll just let the below pictures prove our point.
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