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DUBLIN
Dublin...in March...
THE TOWN
Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. The city is located on the east coast of the island. It has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages. Here is what our friend Wikipedia says: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin
The city of Dublin is nice to visit. However, it lacks spaces exclusively reserved for pedestrians, in our humble opinion. The cars and buses are omnipresent; the streets are noisy, which tires quickly, especially when you travel with children. But it is often possible to escape from the big arteries to the smaller quieter streets, or aim to the quarter of Temple Bar where a few pedestrian streets are available. But there it is very crowdy! The docks along the Liffey are also a good escape.
TOURISTIC GUIDES
Many sightseeing guides are available on the city of Dublin, and reserved for the city itself, which is appreciated. They are usually offered with detailed maps and advices for accommodation and restaurants. We had the guide 'A Great Weekend in Dublin' from Hachette. Practical, concise, it goes to the essential. However, the supplied card is very rapidly damaged when you handle it daily. And it lacks 'character'. A little bland. Some searches on the internet will tell you as much, and travel blogs will give you less standard or consensual opinions on the various points of interest of the city.
GOOD TO KNOW:
The tourist information points are numerous and easily identifiable with their big 'i'. They offer an impressive collection of leaflets on the different activities to be done on Dublin. So yes, they are advertising flyers, mostly for paid activities. But: 1. it gives you a good idea of what it is possible to do in town, 2. it can inspire you to find free alternatives to the suggested circuits, 3. it can make you spend an evening to go through the pile of 50 flyers ....
WHAT TO DO IN DUBLIN?
Downtown
It is nice to walk around. We've been doing it for miles! And our children did not flinch! too strong our monsters! Well, it still lacks pedestrian streets to our taste ... The traffic is dense in the city center, and it is heavy after a while, especially with children. But this is especially the case of shopping streets, which you can leave quickly to explore the adjacent streets much quieter, and the many green parks that Dublin offers. It allows to alternate the points of interest and to change atmosphere.
As recommended in all tourist guides, do not miss Trinity College, the Liffey Quays, the Grand Canal, St Patrick's Cathedral, the Guinness Factory area. You can easily spend 2 to 3 days walking around the different districts of Dublin quietly, in 'slow travel' mode.