As the capital of the country that gets my vote for the friendliest in the European Union, Dublin is a sightseer鈥檚 delight: It鈥檚 safe, thriving and extremely accessible. Dubliners are energetic and helpful, and visitors enjoy a big-town cultural scene wrapped up in a small-town smile.
Part of the reason Ireland is one of my favourite destinations is that when visiting the Emerald Isle, I enjoy the sensation that I鈥檓 understanding a foreign language.
This is the land of great craic (conversation), where people have that charming and uniquely Irish 鈥済ift of gab.鈥� They love to talk and you鈥檙e glad they do.
On my most recent trip there, I opt to take Uber from the airport. My driver Paul calls to confirm the pick-up spot and says in a heavy Irish accent: 鈥淚鈥檒l meet you at the turd lane.鈥�
I ask: 鈥淭he what?鈥� He says, more clearly: 鈥淭he TURD lane.鈥� Before I ask him to repeat himself a turd time, I get it.
As we drive, I ask him about the economy. He says it鈥檚 鈥済rand鈥� 鈥� pointing out the crane-filled skyline. Dublin seems to be one huge construction site. But Paul then explains how it hasn鈥檛 always been this way.
During his childhood with six siblings, he says, 鈥渋t was 鈥榝irst up, best dressed.鈥� 鈥�
He joked: 鈥淧eople were so poor back then, for shoes your mum would paint your feet black and tie on a ribbon.鈥�
Ireland鈥檚 charming rough edge is being smoothed out by its new affluence. I notice the Irish don鈥檛 say the f-word so much. And the air鈥檚 cleaner, too 鈥� even the pubs are smoke-free.
With Ireland鈥檚 invigorated economy comes a heightened focus on tourism. On this visit, I聽discovered intriguing new sights and experiences, had a great time at some iconic spots and each night enjoyed fun and affordable entertainment.
Grafton Street is the place to feel the new energy of Dublin. Once filled with noisy traffic, it鈥檚 now a pedestrianized people zone lined with caf茅s, pubs and shopping temptations.
Grafton Street leads to St.聽Stephen鈥檚 Green, which used to host public whippings and hangings 鈥� that was a while ago 鈥� but has been transformed into a lush city park. On a sunny afternoon, it鈥檚 an inviting lunchtime escape.
The National Museum shows off Ireland鈥檚 history, with treasures from the Stone Age to modern times. Its archeology branch is itself a national treasure, displaying 4,000-year-old gold jewelry, 2,000-year-old bog mummies, 1,000-year-old Viking swords and the collection鈥檚 superstar 鈥� the exquisitely wrought Tara Brooch. A visit here gives valuable context to the sights you see as you tour the rest of the city and the country.
To see the fabled Book of Kells, arguably the most important and beautiful piece of European medieval art, head to Trinity College. This 1,200-year-old version of the four gospels is filled with illuminated manuscripts. With colourful pigments, braided letters and borders and animals crouching between sentences, it鈥檚 a jungle of intricate designs and a reminder that Ireland was a bright spot during Europe鈥檚 Dark Ages.
This trip was also my first chance to visit Epic: The Irish Emigration Museum. I had never fully appreciated the Irish diaspora until taking in this high-tech exhibit, which explains the forces that propelled so many Irish around the globe 鈥� including to the United States. With all the anxiety surrounding immigration in the U.S. today, it鈥檚 thought-provoking to learn how many Americans were just as wigged-out about Irish immigrants 160 years ago.
I鈥檓 less enthralled with one of Dublin鈥檚 most popular (and congested) sights 鈥� the Guinness Storehouse, sort of a Disneyland for beer lovers in outer Dublin.
Housed in the company鈥檚 old fermentation plant, this place is a pilgrimage destination for many, but it鈥檚 expensive and not a typical 鈥渂rewery tour鈥� with conveyor belts of beer bottles.
Instead of historic artifacts, you鈥檒l find high-decibel music and a tall, pint-glass-shaped glass atrium 鈥� 14 million pints big 鈥� soaring past four floors of exhibitions and caf茅s to the skylight. A highlight here is the top-floor Gravity Bar, with a commanding 360-degree view of Dublin and vistas all the way to the sea.
No visit to Dublin is complete without some good traditional Irish music. Joining a trio of local musicians for a three-stop musical pub crawl, I get a real education in trad music (and a nice Guinness buzz). With much good humour, the players explain and demonstrate their instruments at each stop, clearly enjoying introducing rookies to their art.
No matter what you see or do in Dublin, it鈥檚 an exciting time to visit. This dynamic city has a fine story to tell, and people with a natural knack for telling it.
Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow聽his blog on Facebook.