Farther afield, try the gracious 19th-century Tinakilly House, a Victorian Italianate country manor built for the captain of the ship Great Eastern, who laid the first successful transatlantic cable in 1866. Captain Halpin’s love for the sea is evident everywhere—the lobby’s central staircase is a replica of one of his vessels—and nautical memorabilia fill the common rooms and guest rooms, most of which are named after famous ships. With its 7 acres of gardens adjacent to the Broadlough Bird Sanctuary, Tinakilly is serene and wonderfully romantic, with a highly rated restaurant and an abundance of country pursuits. Twenty minutes away by car lies Wicklow Mountains National Park, where you can hike a stretch of the 79-mile Wicklow Way that runs through it. The country’s most important walking trail, it’s one of the best ways to experience the Garden of Ireland.
WHERE: 12 miles/19 km south of Dublin. POWERSCOURT HOUSE AND GARDENS: Tel 353/1204-6000; www.powerscourt.ie. POWERSCOURT GOLF CLUB: Tel 353/1-204-6033; greens fees from $66 (off-peak), from $160 (peak). RITZ-CARLTON POWERSCOURT: Tel 353/1-274-8888; www.ritzcarlton.com. Cost: $275 (off-peak), $450 (peak); dinner $100. TINAKILLY HOUSE: Tel 353/404-69274; www.tinakilly.ie. Cost: from $125 (off-peak), from $265 (peak); dinner $60. WICKLOW WAY: www.wicklowway.com. BEST TIMES: Apr–Jun for gardens in bloom; Jun for Wicklow Gardens Festival.
Leaving the Troubles Behind
BELFAST’S MOMENT
County Antrim, Northern Ireland
In the years since the quelling of its violent Troubles—the decades-long political conflict with Britain—Belfast has burst forth with renewed energy. The city first grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution, thanks to its linen, tobacco, rope, and shipbuilding industries (the Titanic launched from its quays in 1912). In 1922, though most of Ireland obtained independence from England, six of its 32 counties remained under British rule and became Northern Ireland, with Belfast as its capital. Evidence of the schism this caused can be seen in rows of working-class housing, which during the Troubles served as canvasses for painted murals by both Republicans, aka Nationalists (mostly Catholics, who wanted the 6 counties reunited with the Republic of Ireland), and Loyalists, or Unionists (Protestants, who swore allegiance to the British crown). Today, black-taxi tours let tourists see the public art created by both sides and tell the stories behind it.
Ceasefires, peace treaties, and power sharing in government by both sides have ushered Belfast into a new era. Its Victorian heyday shines again in newly refurbished buildings, such as the Crown Liquor Saloon, across from the Grand Opera House. Here you can tuck into a plate of local Ardglass oysters and sip a pint of Guinness while marveling at extravagant craftsmanship: mosaic-tiled floors, ornate mirrors, etched glass, and elaborately patterned tin ceilings. Spend an afternoon in the Botanic Gardens’ Palm House Conservatory, with its Victorian cast-ironwork and curvilinear glass, or at the block-long St. George’s Market, an indoor bazaar where vendors in hundreds of stalls sell antiques, flowers, and a vast array of produce and gourmet food. The former Ulster Bank headquarters, with its 1860s Italianate façade and interior bursting with pomp and luxury, is now repurposed as the Merchant Hotel. Take tea amid the Great Room’s towering black columns, gilded capitals, and carved putti. Outside, the Cathedral Quarter thrums with energy from galleries, clubs, artists’ studios, and music pubs.
The food scene is also thriving. Amid minimalist décor, Deanes fuses the classic with the unexpected, in dishes like roast quail with French-toasted gingerbread. For casual fare, walk a cobblestone lane to Nick’s Warehouse, an 1832 Bushmills Whiskey storehouse redone as an inviting restaurant with an open kitchen that turns out entrées such as pan-fried crab claw with fennel puree and warm peppered oranges; a plethora of wines is also on offer. Revitalization stretches to the waterfront too, the site of Belfast’s 2012 celebration of Titanic’s centenary, with a museum about the ocean liner, galleries, theaters, and parkland on the old dockyards.
Political murals painted from a Republican perspective during the period called the Troubles form the Solidarity Wall.
WHERE: 97 miles/156 km north of Dublin. BLACK-TAXI TOURS: Harper Taxi Tours, tel 44/28-90-742-711; www.harpertaxitours.com. CROWN LIQUOR SALOON: Tel 44/28-90243187; www.crownbar.com. Cost: lunch $24. MERCHANT HOTEL: Tel 44/28-9023-4888; www.themerchanthotel.com. Cost: from $225 (off-peak), from $350 (peak). DEANES: Tel 44/28-9033-1134; www.michaeldeane.co.uk. Cost: dinner $65. NICK’S WAREHOUSE: Tel 44/28-9043-9690; www.nickswarehouse.co.uk. Cost: dinner $50. BEST TIMES: Mar 17 for St. Patrick’s Day; Apr–May for Cathedral Arts Festival; Jul–Aug for Festival of the People; Oct–Nov for Belfast Festival at Queen’s.
Nature’s Masterwork
THE CAUSEWAY COAST
County Antrim, Northern Ireland
“When the world was moulded and fashioned out of formless chaos,” wrote William Thackeray, “this must have been the bit left over—a remnant of chaos.” Fortunately, the rugged scenery of Northern Ireland is easily traversed these days on the wonderfully scenic Causeway Coastal Route, with the first and most notable stop at the grand, strange, and astonishing Giant’s Causeway. Now under the attentive auspices of the National Trust (and Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage site), this honeycomb mass along the island’s northern coast is made up of more than 40,000 basalt columns (each a foot or two across) created by volcanic eruptions some 60 million years ago. Hopscotch around the tightly packed, mostly hexagonal formations—though some have four or five sides, others as many as ten—a few reach as high as 40 feet. Or wander along the cliff-top belvederes to marvel at the causeway from afar.
Stop for a tipple at Bushmills, Ireland’s oldest-known whiskey distillery (licensed in 1608 but with historical references dating from 1276), but go easy on the amber elixir if you want to brave the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, a wobbly path over a 75-foot-deep watery chasm to rocky Carrick Island. Here you can savor the diverse birdlife as well as the stunning views of nearby Rathlin Island and the more distant Scottish isles. As you take in the bracing air, ponder the legend that fabled giant Finn MacCool built the Causeway as a bridge to reach his ladylove on the Scottish island of Staffa.
Next, repair to the village’s Bushmills Inn, founded in the 1820s as a stopover for visitors traveling by horse and carriage to the nearby sites. Restored and updated, the rustically charming hotel offers spacious rooms, a popular restaurant, and plenty of nooks and crannies to cozy up with a good book and a locally brewed Caffey’s Irish Ale.
Equally majestic surroundings are the backdrop for Royal Portrush, one of two distinguished golf courses in Northern Ireland, and consistently ranked among the world’s premier destinations for the sport. Founded in 1888, Royal Portrush is the country’s most spectacular and, together with its friendly rival Royal County Down in Newcastle (see next page), it is considered one of the stiffest tests of just about every club in your bag. Challenges are made easier by spectacular views of sea and cliffs, and the striking façade of the 13th-century Dunluce Castle, the largest Norman castle in the North.
The elegant Ardtara Country House, in Upperlands, offers the luxury of a remote country side estate within easy driving distance of the Causeway and Belfast (see p. 76). The nine spacious rooms of the restored 19th-century manor house showcase antique furnishings, working fireplaces, and grand views of the expansive lawns and surrounding countryside, while the skylit dining room offers simply prepared local lamb, beef, and salmon.
Irish legend alleges that mythic hero Finn MacCool created the rocks as stepping-stones.
WHERE: Giant’s Causeway is 75 miles/120 km northwest of Belfast. Tel 44/282073-1855; www.giantscausewaycentre.com. BUSHMILLS INN: Tel 44/28-2073-3000; www.bushmillsinn.com. Cost: from $255. ROYAL PORTRUSH GOLF CLUB: Tel 44/28-70822311; www.royalportrushgolfclub.com; greens fees $95 (off-peak), $215 (peak). ARDTARA COUNTRY HOUSE: Tel 44/28-7964-4490; www.ardtara.com. Cost: from $145; dinner $45. BEST TIME: May–Oct for nicest weather.
Wuthering Heights
THE KINGDOM OF MOURNE
County Down, Northern Ireland
Made famous by the traditional Irish ballad with the lyrics “Where the Mountains o’ Mourne sweep down to the sea,” this distinctive granite range is Northern Ireland’s highest. The tightly packed Mournes are barely 7 miles across, with a dozen of the 50-odd peaks over 2,000 feet high. It resembles “earth-covered potatoes,” wrote C. S. Lewis, and is so remote (ringed by a single road, with just one other running through it) that it was neglected by both St. Patrick and the Normans and chalked up as ungovernable. Still, a web of ancient footpaths through open moorland and upland pasture makes it a rambler’s paradise, offering the best hiking in Northern Ireland.
It’s a safe and relatively easy climb up the highest peak, Slieve Donard (2,796 feet), where it’s said that if the day is clear, you can see all the countries of the British Isles. The ascent begins near Bloody Bridge, north of the lively seaside town of Newcastle. The challenging 22-mile Mourne Wall trek wends across 15 peaks; the wall was built in the early 1900s to keep livestock away from a planned reservoir.
In the shadow of the Mournes and at the edge of the Irish Sea, the lavish Slieve Donard Hotel takes its guests back to the heyday of early-20th-century seaside resorts. The turreted, Victorian redbrick hotel is traditionally furnished, serves classic Irish cuisine, offers hiking paths that begin on the manicured grounds, and puts guests within walking distance of the world-class links of the Royal County Down Golf Club, arguably the top course in Ireland. Expect a challenge, what with changing winds, long holes, small greens, and the distraction of what many consider the world’s most beautiful course.
Oysters and mussels at the informal and forever busy Mourne Seafood Bar, in nearby Dundrum, hail from the bar’s very own shellfish beds. For quiet accommodations in the heart of the mountains—and with the sea at your doorstep—stay at the Glassdrumman Lodge, a converted farmhouse with attentive hosts. Rooms offer views of mountains or sea, dinners blend ingredients from the gardens, and there’s a cozy lounge and an open fire.
Few roads cross the Mourne Mountains, the country’s highest range.
WHERE: Newcastle is 30 miles/48 km southwest of Belfast. SLIEVE DONARD HOTEL: Tel 44/28-4372-1066; www.hastingshotel.com. Cost: from $150 (off-peak), from $220 (peak). ROYAL COUNTY DOWN GOLF COURSE: Tel 44/28-4372-3314; www.royalcountydown.org. Cost: greens fees from $80 (off-peak), from $240 (peak). MOURNE SEAFOOD BAR: Tel 44/28-4375-1377; www.mourneseafood.com. Cost: dinner $35. GLASSDRUMMAN LODGE: Tel 44/28-4376-8451; www.glassdrummanlodge.com. Cost: from $150; dinner $55. BEST TIMES: May–Sep for nicest weather; 3rd week in Jul for Celtic Fusion music festival.
WESTERN EUROPE
The Pinnacle of Alpine Playgrounds
ARLBERG REGION AND KITZBÜHEL
Austria
Some of the choicest downhill skiing in the world can be found in the western reaches of the Austrian Alps. Wonderfully picturesque Arlberg ensures ample amounts of powder even when other resorts go bare. This area encompasses Lech, its most charming village resort, as well as Zürs, St. Anton, St. Christoph, and Stuben. In the sister hamlets of Lech-Zürs alone there are 35 lifts and cable cars serving a 65-mile ski circuit of groomed pistes and 75 miles of open, ungroomed runs, including the magnificent 12-mile Madloch tour. The ski technique named for Arlberg is practiced around the globe, and the area’s schools and instructors are among the best.
Lech’s smallest and best five-star hotel, the Gasthof Post, has been run by the gracious Moosbrugger clan for three generations, and is known for its homey ambience and excellent restaurant. For après-ski fun and food, Skihütte Schneggarei is popular with the young and beautiful. In St. Anton, après-ski central, the Lux Alpinae is a cutting-edge hotel with a modern façade of glass, metal, and wood that opens into an unexpectedly cozy lobby. For the lap of luxury in quaint little St. Christoph, stay at the Arlberg Hospiz, a winter-only inn and restaurant that exudes warmth and top-notch hospitality.
While the Arlberg resorts are sought out for their unspoiled character, Kitzbühel—equidistant from Innsbruck and Salzburg—is beloved for its fashionable, glamorous atmosphere. The town’s historic center of cobbled streets and pastel-painted medieval houses brims with trendy boutiques, lively casinos, and sophisticated clubs for off-mountain fun. Visitors can relax with hot chocolate and pastries at the well-known Café Praxmair. Set high on the sunny side of the Kitzbüheler Horn is the romantic and friendly Tennerhof Hotel, a quaint, converted 17th-century farmhouse. The eating is some of the best in town, so dine here even if you’re lodging elsewhere.
The smooth, mighty crags behind the medieval walled town are ideal for finding your ski legs—except, perhaps, on Kitzbühel’s difficult, world-famous Hahnenkamm downhill run. Heart-stopping cable car rides and 120 miles of awesome summertime hiking possibilities set it apart from other Alpine resorts.
Skiers in the region pioneered the Arlberg technique, but snowboarding is also popular here.
WHERE: 125 miles/201 km east of Zürich, Switzerland. VISITOR INFO: www.arlberg.com; www.kitzbuehel.com. GASTHOF POST: Tel 43/5583-22060; www.postlech.com. Cost: from $355 (off-peak), from $655 (peak). When: closed late Apr–mid-Jun, mid-Oct–Nov. LUX ALPINAE: Tel 43/5446-30108; www.luxalpinae.at. Cost: from $175 (off-peak), from $400 room only (peak). When: closed late Apr–Jun, Oct–Nov. ARLBERG HOSPIZ: Tel 43/54462611; www.hospiz.com. Cost: from $345. When: closed late Apr–Nov. TENNERHOF HOTEL: Tel 43/5356-63181; www.tennerhof.com. Cost: from $335; dinner $55. When: closed Apr–May, late Sep–mid-Dec. BEST TIMES: Dec–Mar for skiing; Jan for the Hahnenkamm races; Jul–Aug for hiking and biking.
Pulling the Right Strings
AUSTRIA’S MUSIC FESTIVALS
Austria
Few countries reverberate with as many world-class music festivals as Austria. The hills are alive with the sound of music, beginning with the spectacular Bregenz Festival (Bregenzer Festspiele) on a vast floating stage at the edge of picturesque Lake Constance (Bodensee in German), the Alpine lake shared with Switzerland and Germany (see p. 142). Puccini’s Tosca, Bernstein’s West Side Story, the music of Beethoven, Shakespeare’s plays: These are just samplings of the operatic, orchestral, and dramatic works performed here. The place to stay in charming Bregenz is the antiques-filled, 17th-century Hotel Deuring Schlossle, seated high on a hill overlooking the lake. The ivy-covered Baroque château has a highly regarded restaurant that has been ranked among the country’s finest for years. Take a ferry across the mountain-framed lake, or for stunning panoramic views of Austria’s westernmost province, ride the gondola up the 3,460-foot Pfänder Mountain.
Mozart’s glorious birthplace is the appropriate venue for Europe’s largest annual musical event, the Salzburg Festival (Salzburger Festspiele). More than 180 classic and contemporary performances—including operas, symphonies, recitals, and theater productions—concentrate on their native son while also offering works by other artists. Though banner events sell out well in advance, tickets to matinees for no-less-enjoyable chamber music or church concerts can be found at the last minute. (And don’t dismiss the hokey but fun Sound of Music tour, still going strong.) Rest your head at the Hotel Schloss Mönchstein, a 14th-century turreted castle built as the summer escape for the archbishops of Salzburg. Surrounded by gardens and 25 acres of parkland, the 17 luxurious hilltop guest rooms feature modern amenities amid 18th-century furniture and Oriental rugs.
The most distinguished festival in the world to honor Franz Schubert is the Schubertiade, held in the charming neighboring villages of Schwarzenberg and Hohenems, about 415 miles west of Vienna. Some 70 chamber ensembles, orchestral concerts, and recitals honor the Austrian-born composer’s works and the art of music-making in an intimate, idyllic setting. In nearby Hittisau, the family-run Gasthof Krone is a small hotel known for nurturing the arts; it runs free shuttles to all events during the festival.
WHERE: Bregenz is 126 miles/200 km northwest of Innsbruck 80 miles/129 km northeast of Zürich, Switzerland. BREGENZ FESTIVAL: Tel 43/5574-4076; www.bregen
zerfestspiele.com. Cost: tickets $35—$350. When: 4 weeks late Jul–Aug. HOTEL DEURING SCHLÖSSLE: Tel 43/5574-47800; www.schlosshotels.co.at. Cost: from $510 during festival; dinner $80. SALZBURG FESTIVAL: Tel 43/6628045500; www.salzburgerfestspiele.at. Cost: tickets $20–$420. When: 5 weeks late Jul–early Sep. SOUND OF MUSIC TOURS: Tel 43/662-8832110; www.panoramatours.com. HOTEL SCHLÖSS MÖNCHSTEIN: Tel 43/662848-5550; www.monchstein.at. Cost: from $510 during festival. SCHUBERTIADE: Tel 43/5576-72091; www.schubertiade.at. Cost: tickets $45–$80. When: 2 weeks late Jun, 2 weeks late Aug–mid-Sep. GASTHOF KRONE: Tel 43/5513-6201; www.krone-hittisau.at. Cost: from $180 during festival.
From Picturesque Peaks to Lakeside Splendor
GROSSGLOCKNER ROAD AND HALLSTATT
Austria
Feast your eyes on the essence of Alpine beauty as you ride along the lofty Grossglockner Road, Austria’s white-knuckle, breathtaking drive. Named after the country’s highest peak and traversing some of Austria’s most scenic regions, it was an important trading route between Germany and Italy in the Middle Ages. The road (aka Highway 107) was built between 1930 and 1935, and while most adventurous motorists strike out today from Salzburg (and head south) or from Lienz (and head north), the road actually begins in the heart of Hohe Tauern National Park. Almost 700 square miles in size, the park has 300 mountains over 9,840 feet, 246 glaciers, lush valleys, and dozens of pretty villages that provide a good meal and simple overnight lodging. Spectacular vistas of the park’s centerpiece, the towering 12,460-foot-tall Grossglockner, make it hard for drivers to keep their eyes on the hairpin turns. The 47-mile strip from Bruck to Heiligenblut is the most riveting, highlighted by the Edelweiss-Spitze and Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, two awesome peaks at 8,500 feet and 7,800 feet, respectively. Throw in the fantastic 6-mile sector called the Road of the Glaciers and you’ve got an unforgettable journey.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 14