Ireland

Green hills, shamrocks and leprechauns usually represent the Emerald Isle or Ireland. Ireland is a beautiful country that offers a lot of breathtaking sights, cities and landscapes as well as a culture that is one of the richest and most interesting in the whole world. Ireland is also home to the warm and friendly Irish people. A good plus if you are visiting Ireland would be if you know how to speak in German as many Irish nationals take up German language course (Sprachkurs deutsch) in a German language school at one point in their life. If you are planning to visit Ireland, here are is a good list of places to see and things to do.

The Dublin Castle serves as original location where the Vikings stayed back in the 13th century. Over the years, it was used for a variety of purposes such as a military fortress, a prison, a court of law and a treasury. Presently, it is used for presidential inaugurations and state receptions.

You can have guided tours at the historical Kilmainham Gaol, which is a big but unoccupied prison. It is where many of the rebellions of Ireland were imprisoned. There were also fourteen members of the group Easter Rising who were executed here in 1916.

Another great and interesting place to go to would be the National Museum located on Kildare Street. It was originally opened back in 1980 and houses an extensive collection of Medieval and Celtic artifacts and some works of art. Artists and art lovers would surely enjoy going through their displays which show pieces from prehistoric Ireland and from other historic times.

You can also pass by the Guinness Storehouse which was opened back in 1759 by Arthur Guinness. Today, it is considered as one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland. It shows tourists the process of brewing, as Ireland is well-known for producing and exporting beer. There are many Irish people here that know how to speak German so if you took up some language courses in German, you would have an easier time communicating with them.

Another historic sport would be St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which is located on a land where a wooden church was built back in the 5th century. In 1213, the building which is now the St. Patrick’s Cathedral was built. It is named after Ireland’s patron saint. There is a well on the church grounds which was said to be the location where St. Patrick baptized his first converts into Christianity.

Another cathedral, the Christchurch Cathedral is another sight to see. Located near St. Patrick’s Cathedral, it is the main cathedral for Protestants in Ireland. It was founded back in 1038 and has been renovated a couple of times since, but there are some walls which date back to the 1100s. Tourists usually go there for the multimedia presentation which is shown beside the cathedral. It celebrates the medieval heritage of Dublin: Dublinia. It shows reconstructed archaeological digs as well as interactive displays, providing tourists and visitors the information on the challenges that Dublin faced during that era.

You can also go to Trinity College, which is Ireland’s oldest university, providing quality education to students since 1592. Tourists usually go there to see the Book of Kells, which is a manuscript containing Latin text of the Bible’s four gospels and has been beautifully decorated in the year 800 by Irish monks.

Lastly, you can bring your family or friends over to O’Connell Street or Phoenix Park as you travel to Ireland. There, you would be able to enjoy observing the wildlife.  There are also a lot of shopping areas to let you do your share of shopping. In Phoenix Park, you would also be able to see the 17th Century Ashton Castle which serves as the center visitors.

If these tourist spots are not enough, you can always go to Ireland to meet its wonderful, warm and accommodating people. Irish nationals are generally known for their friendliness and hospitality. It would also be good if you can communicate with them in a bit of Irish, as you would be able to know what it is like to talk with an Irish national. However, many Irish nationals do communicate in a number of languages such as German, as most of them choose to study a couple of German language course in good German language school (Sprachschule deutsch).