With family at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin

What a provocative title I chose! Well, we actually had lunch with family at the Guinness Storehouse and did part of the tour beforehand, and had a good time.

had it. Since we were only in the city for two days, we decided on one attraction, and since it was raining, the Guinness Storehouse was perfect for us. The alternative would have been the Jameson Distillery =)

Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse is Ireland's most popular attraction, with approximately 1.7 million visitors per year. I had a completely different idea of what it would be like. Since I had spent a few days prior at the Bushmills Distillery Having visited places where of course children are not allowed, I imagined a typical brewery tour here as well. But that is not the case at all.

The Guinness Storehouse is more of a museum that tells the story and manufacturing process, as well as the marketing, of Guinness across five floors. It's partly even playful, with real waterfalls and animations.

Gravity Bar and Restaurants

A highlight of the tour is the Gravity Bar on the seventh floor. From there, you have a wonderful panoramic view of Dublin and the surrounding mountains (hills) in the background. This place is great for planning your next stops in Dublin, as many sights are visible from up here. Incidentally, we also saw a family at the Guinness Storehouse here quite often.

We continue to one of the many restaurants and order our free Guinness, which is included in the entrance price of 39 EUR 🙂 Not a bargain, but the whole thing is still worth it. By the way, soft drinks are free for the kids. When we tried to order a mineral water, it only worked after a short negotiation. Kids prefer soft drinks, so water isn't free, but Coke or Fanta is. D'oh!

Temple Bar and Grafton Street

Enough sightseeing for today. We'll walk past Christ Church Cathedral, next to which lies a large Viking museum, the Dublina. Then we'll continue past the Palace and through the Temple Bar district, which is known for Dublin's nightlife. Once a disreputable area and part of the red-light district, it is now a party hub and tourist attraction. However, not for families =) We'll still wander around here a bit, not taking a direct route into the city. The typical Irish pubs, especially the pub „Temple Bar,“ ensure that you can vividly imagine the nightlife here even during the day.

The „Bahnhofstrasse in Dublin“ is Grafton Street. Go straight through Temple Bar, and you'll automatically reach your destination. Then it's time... open your wallets and shop, shop, shop. You can find everything your heart desires here. Amidst all the shopping frenzy, don't overlook the small and charming back courtyards. The narrow alleys also invite you to shop in even lovelier little businesses. We're going to the Disney Store and will buy the kids something nice to wear.

St. Stephen's Green Park and Shopping Centre

St. Stephen's Green, a large park in the center, is surrounded by Georgian-style buildings. Many streets in Dublin look similarly beautiful. If you walk down Grafton Street, you automatically arrive in this beautiful park. Small lakes and ponds with benches invite you to linger here. A great contrast and a wonderful green oasis in the middle of the metropolis of 550,000 inhabitants.

Despite the rather cool temperatures at the beginning of March, a few people are already out and about on the lush green meadows. We catch our breath for a moment, refuel with some sunshine and rest, and then head to the Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, which is of course right next to the park.

In the afternoon, we made a detour to a suburb where we were invited to dinner by acquaintances. This is how we comfortably concluded our trip to Ireland.

Coronavirus Bonus from Swiss

We traveled through Northern Ireland and Ireland for the entire month of February and the first two weeks of March 2020. We hardly heard anything about the Coronavirus in 2020 there. Except that our flight home was postponed by one day 🙂 Since we had only planned one day in Dublin, this came in handy. Thank you Swiss, for this extra day in Dublin.

Conclusion

Wow, Dublin is a beautiful city and it's great for traveling with family. We were not only impressed by the city center and the many great sights, but also by the friendly and nice people. The kids also loved it here. There is so much to do here, and no one in the family will be bored.

Have fun with the last pictures from Ireland for this year 🙂