Royal County Down is a private club, but visitors are welcome to play the Championship Links (if reserved well in advance) several days a week. Northern Ireland is home to some of the world’s best links courses and you're welcome to play them even if your game isn't quite world class. You might not be able to play like Rory, but at least you can enjoy a round on the same courses he loves. With four major championships and counting, Rory McIlroy has raised Northern Ireland's game in the golf world. Tourism Ireland has painstakingly mapped the Seven Kingdoms to help fans plan their own quasi-medieval fantasy trips. If you dare, head north of the Wall into the Haunted Forest itself with a visit to Tollymore Forest Park. Stroll the Dark Hedges, an avenue of 18 th century beech trees more familiar to fans as the King's Road. Visit the Winterfell film set at Castle Ward and try your hand at archery or meet the Direwolves Odin and Thor. Visit spectacular sites from the show scattered around Northern Ireland on your own, or on specialized tours catering to fans of the Starks and Lannisters-some including choose-your-own costumes, bonfires, and feasts fit for a king. The real world Westeros features landscapes every bit as striking and unforgettable as those seen in Game of Thrones-and you can enjoy them without fear of being beheaded. Displays here include items salvaged from La Trinidad Valencera, which was one of the biggest ships in the ill-fated 1588 Spanish Armada before it came to grief just offshore. (The city never fell.) Learn more about the city's fascinating history at the Tower Museum. The ramparts are studded with seven gates and one of the continent's greatest collection of cannons including Roaring Meg-famed for the terrifying sound she unleashed during the 1689 Siege. Nearly a mile of stone walls, built between 1613-1618, encircle inner Londonderry (Derry) and provide a pleasant stroll around one of Europe's very finest surviving walled cities. But its heart is cloaked in 17th-century stone, an enduring engineering marvel of the age. Northern Ireland's second city is vibrant, modern urban center with one of Europe's youngest populations. Take a tour of the Old Bushmills Distillery, the oldest working distillery in Ireland, to get a behind the scenes look at small-batch whiskey production and sample a smooth dram for yourself. When the day is done wet your whistle at another famed attraction. And marvel at the Giant's Causeway, a 50-60-million-year-old pile of basalt columns, stretching into the sea, that has inspired awe and legends in equal measure throughout the long centuries of Irish history. Test your head for heights by walking the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge above the waves from clifftop to island and back. Stop at the ruined Dunluce Castle, perched on an ocean cliff so precipitous that the castle's kitchens dropped into the sea one night in 1639. There's a good reason-those who soak in this road's dramatic seaside vistas and emerald glens can't stop singing their praises. The Causeway Coastal Route is world-renowned. During summer months, the city's large breeding seal colony, often appear over the bow. Continue the adventure on a boat tour around Belfast harbor for a different perspective on Titanic history and the entire port of Belfast. (“She was fine when she left here,” some locals like to say.) Titanic Belfast is an engaging exhibition of reconstructions, special effects, and interactive features that help you experience the Titanic journey from the docks, to the decks, and even to the bottom of the Atlantic. Take a Passage on the TitanicĪrguably the world's most famous ship was born right here in the Belfast shipyards. Culture Northern Ireland has the skinny on performers and shows from folk, rock, and reggae to techno and classical recitals. Then dance the night away with an array of talented local musicians that you may not know yet, but will never forget. Take to the streets for a guided bus tour of musical Belfast including Ulster Hall, where Led Zeppelin first performed “Stairway to Heaven,” and “Van the Man's” childhood home. The Oh Yeah Music Centre's Belfast Music Exhibition proudly showcases memories and memorabilia of artists from Van Morrison to Snow Patrol. Modern bands that more than do their elders justice are on tap nightly at clubs and pubs all across town. Rock Out In Belfastīelfast boasts a proud musical history and the beat shows no signs of slowing down. Mix in welcoming smiles and jaw-dropping vistas, and it all adds up to ten travel experiences that simply can't be had anywhere else. Northern Ireland blends centuries of history with an engaging modern vibe that shows time definitely hasn't stood still.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |