If you have the chance to go to Dublin, we recommend you set aside a few extra days to go on some outings in its environs, where magnificent scenery and picturesque villages await you. While a few posts ago we recommended taking the DART, the rapid rail transit system which plies the Dublin coast, to visit some of the beautiful villages there, today we propose a getaway to County Wicklow, which lies south of the Irish capital. You may well wonder what is so special about this region that you ought to extend your stay and devote some extra time to it. Well – nature walks, Celtic legends, lakes, waterfalls, mansions, historic heritage and a large dose of magic. How do you feel about that? Well worth it, isn’t it? Here, then, are some pointers to touring the area and a rundown of the venues you shouldn’t miss.

The Garden of Ireland

The splendid Wicklow Mountains National Park is one of the county’s major attractions. Situated just 30 kilometres from Dublin, it contains an area of approximately 20,000 hectares. Known as the “Garden of Ireland” for its size, variety and beautiful plant life, it is the favourite getaway destination for weekend trippers from Dublin, who go there to enjoy its natural surroundings or to do sport, such as trekking, cycling, fishing and white-water rafting.

The standout feature of this nature reserve are the Wicklow Mountains, which traverse it from north to south. The highest peak is Lugnaquilla, which rises to 925 metres, followed by Mullaghcleevaun at 847 metres and Kippure at 757 metres. Other landmarks include the river Slaney, which runs through the mountain range for a distance of 72 kilometres, and lakes like Lough Tay – also known as Guinness – as a stretch of its shoreline forms part of an estate belonging to the family that make the popular beverage.

The best way to enjoy this lovely park is to venture along the roads that cross it as they will lead you to the multi-faceted slopes carved out by nature here. It is a veritable gift on the eyes and one of the best ways to discover the Irish countryside.

Historical Attractions

One of the highlights of touring this area is discovering some of its historical vestiges – like Glendalough, a monastic settlement located in the Wicklow Mountains. Founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, and built mainly in the 8th and 9th centuries, it has endured until the present despite assaults by the Vikings and having been sacked by the English. As its name indicates, Glendalough – meaning “Valley of Two Lakes” in Gaelic – is a historical complex located in a valley with two lakes. The area around the Upper Lake features most of the surviving buildings, while the Lower Lake area has fewer remains. They are, however, older and are all related in some way to the life of St Kevin. The way the stone constructions – often in a state of ruin – are set in the natural surroundings is really stunning and makes an excursion to the site well worth your while.

Other interesting sights in County Wicklow are some of the stately mansions, such as Avondale House, the birthplace and home of Charles Stewart Parnell, and Powerscourt House with its magnificent gardens, completed between 1858 and 1875, which are among the finest gardens in Ireland.

Be amazed by the magic of this marvellous Irish county located less than hour from Dublin – book your Vueling now!

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Claire Gribbin

La Cervesera Artesana
The name (meaning “Craft Beer House”) may seem rather obvious, but they wear it proudly as this beer house was one of the first brewpubs in town to sport the “craft” label. Through glass panes you can see how they make seven types of Iberian beer, the brand adopted by the first microbrewery in Barcelona, dating from 1993. Their drinks are served on the premises and range from a stout to an acclaimed spicy beer. They went to Facebook to ask their customers which new variety they should bring out and the winning suggestion was a chilli beer. They’re working on it. They offer many others, too. The brewery, in the lower part of Gràcia, always has an upbeat atmosphere.

Homo Sibaris
Guillem Laporta is one of the beer activists with the most pedigree in Barcelona and his beer house, Homo Sibaris, is proof of the knowledge he has acquired. It is also one of the city’s most inviting beer cellars. Located in the picturesque Plaza Osca in the Sants district, its battery of handpumps has recently been augmented to fourteen. The brews that emerge from their spouts are made by Guillem himself (he has just crafted a bitter which is going to be the talk of the town!), in addition to other hard-to-find craft beers from around the world. Take a seat at one of their tables, or on the terrace, browse through the menu you will be handed, ask the staff and let them guide you. They always get it right.

Biercab
When Manuel Baltasar was deciding what type of beer house to open with his friends, he realised that good company was an essential element. Good company in the project – his partners include a beer distributor, a craft brewery in Navarre (Naparbier) and a master brewer from Belgium, Sven Bosch. And good company at the tables in his brewpub, located in the middle of the Eixample district. The tapas menu at BierCab is designed to pair well with their beers.Chef Ronald García prepares the dishes, notably ceviche de corvina (sea bass lemon-and-garlic marinade) with tiger’s milk, and sea bass sashimi with yellow ají sauce. Even non-beer drinkers ought to taste them, although stepping into BierCab without trying a single beer would be riotous. They have over 600 varieties, many of them Catalan, bearing in mind that these climes are now gripped with beer fever. “The best thing here is that everyone can find their own beer style”, Manuel promises.

Blacklab & Kitchen
Jing Cheng and Matt Bader met while studying architecture in Chicago and, after graduating, settled in Barcelona. A few years later, they turned their passion into a profession, setting up a brewhouse in the Palau de Mar, in the Barceloneta. Everything there is reminiscent of what they loved about the USA – the natural beers that Matt makes, the kitchen – they serve up hamburgers, sandwiches and soups, but tend to recommend the chicken wings and pulled pork buns – and even the gigs held on Saturday evening. Customers eat and drink among tanks where the house beers are fermented. They come in a thousand different styles and always feature some new creation.

Abirradero
Craft brewers inevitably treat their profession as a vocation, and they emerge relatively late in life at that. The triumvirate at Abirradero, in Poble-sec, bear this out, as it is made up of Nereo Garbi, a former publisher, Daniel Fermún, an IT technician, and Ivò Castells, a telecoms graduate. Half of the beers they list are their own creation, some in rather bizarre styles. With the assistance of journalist Sergi Bayó, they have even adapted the periodic table of elements to beer, to help newcomers discover the infinite diversity of this world. Accompanied by tapas designed to pair well with the beverage, a dinner at Abirradero will reveal the endless culinary possibilities of beer.

Book your Vueling to Barcelona and gear up to savour the finest craft beers in town.

Text by Josep Sucarrats of Gastronomistas

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