WICKLOW is Ireland's youngest county, only being constituted some 406 years ago in 1606. Which is like last weekend in some parts of Ireland.
But Wicklow’s origins stretch back into Ireland’s ancient history.
The centre of Christianity in the 6th and 7th centuries — indeed one of the main centres of European Christendom at the time — Glendalough was a centre of learning and contemplation.
It’s still a good place for contemplation — learning too for that matter.
This 1400-year-old monastic settlement sits in Gleann Dá Loch, the Valley of the Two Lakes. St Kevin's Monastery, consisting of a grey stone huddle of buildings clustered about the roundtower is surrounded by the steep wooded sides of the valley
Go in autumn or winter, and the ethereal atmosphere, the pillars of mists moving across the lough, the faint drizzle hanging in the valley — and you’ll understand why this has been a place of quiet pilgrimage for 1400 years.
Beauty abounds in Co. WickowJust a few of Wicklow’s many other attractions
The Wicklow Way
From Dublin suburbs into the mountains
One of the finest routes to take through the county is the Wicklow Way, the oldest of the Republic’s officially constituted walking routes.
It provides the perfect opportunity to experience Wicklow’s varied landscape - upland lakes, steep-sided glacial valleys, fast flowing mountain streams, forests and farmland dotted with gorse, hawthorn and birch.
Following a series of sheep tracks, forestry laneways and bog roads, the walk stretches from Marlay Park in Rathfarnham (Dublin suburbs) up into the Dublin Mountains and on to the valley of Glencree.
From here it rarely descends below 1600 feet, traversing the desolate Djouce Mountain until Glendalough finally heaves into sight
Glencree Cemetery
A poignant place
Glencree is a good place to pick up the Wicklow Way.
Before you set out, pay a visit to the German Forces Cemetery. German airmen who perished on Ireland’s shores during World War II are buried here. It’s a poignant place, tended by employees of the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge — the German War Graves Commission.
The cemetery holds 134 graves, mostly Luftwaffe or Kriegsmarine (navy) personnel. Fifty-three are identified, 28 are unknown.
Dr. Hermann Görtz, an Abwehr spy, is also buried there. In 1940, Görtz had parachuted into Ballivor, County Meath on an espionage mission. He committed suicide after the war, fearing he would be handed over to the Soviet Union.
Avoca village
Local pubs, international reputation
Set amid rolling hills and emerald fields, Avoca is the quintessential Irish village, known for its colourful buildings and its position by the River Avoca.
This was the location of the BBC series Ballykissangel, and has long been used as a film location.
Minimally enlightening about Ireland though BallyK was, it still captivated thousands of British people, giving them an interest in our country which many of them never had up till that point.
The historic handweaving mill, dates back to 1723. Drop by the Avoca Handweavers to watch artisans at work. If you’re in the market for woollen throws this is the place.
Powerscourt Estate
Glamour, glitz and gardens
Powerscourt Estate, one of the finest in Europe, has now been restored to its former glory, with beautiful Italianate gardens and — at the front of the house, — the sunken road that his Lordship made so that he and his good Lady might be spared the sight of his servants coming to work. No Downton Abbey was this.
Here at the foot of the Great Sugar Loaf Mountain lies one of the greatest collections of ornamental trees in Europe.
Giant sequoias, dwarf pines, copper chestnuts and a bewildering array of maples jostle for space amongst weeping ash and rowan trees.
The manicured lawns are marked out by Irish yews and giant copper beech trees - a magnificent example of an aristocratic garden with its statues and incomparable iron-work.
The ‘Big House’ contains the legendary ballroom where Princess Grace once famously danced the night away.
Mount Usher Gardens
Maples, palms, limes and golden larches
Powerscourt is beautiful, dramatic, impressive and any other superlatives you care to think of.
But not many miles down the road, on the banks of the Vartry River, lies another botanical treasure which in many ways is the equal of its rival.
Mount Usher Gardens at Ashford is not quite as manicured as Powerscourt - trees and shrubs have been introduced here from all parts of the globe and are planted alongside and amongst wild woodland.
Like all the great gardens of Ireland, Mount Usher offers ever-changing scenes as the seasons tramp through the land. But whenever you go, don’t miss the Davidia involucrata, the 'Handkerchief Tree' - a totally weird tree.
Kilruddery House
Gardens, and a huge back story
Kilruddery House — home to the Earls of Meath — is a stunning Elizabethan-style manor that offers a journey through time, beauty, and tranquillity.
Built in the 17th century for the Brabazon family — made famous in the O’Carolan melody Planxty George Brabazon — the estate boasts formal gardens, carefully crafted with a blend of French and English styles.
With its organic farm, tearoom, and seasonal events, Kilruddery blends heritage and nature, making it a destination for history enthusiasts and garden lovers alike.
The Great Sugar Loaf Mountain
Wicklow peak for hikes and views
The Wicklow Mountains cover much of the county, extending from the Dublin border in the North to the Wexford border in the south, with Lugnaquilla, the highest point, at over 3,000 feet.
The mountains are quite a tough climb in places but if you’re eager to tackle an easier peak, the Great Sugar Loaf is Wicklow’s Is very manageable.
It looks like a dormant volcano, its cone visible from miles away, but in fact it owes its distinctive shape, to its closeness to the sea.
The climb is relatively easy, although the final climb to the summit involves a bit of a scramble.
But from the top you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views over the Wicklow Mountains, Dublin Bay, and the Irish Sea.
Go for sunrise or sunset to catch the landscape bathed in golden light. The best access is from the Sugar Loaf car park in Kilmacanogue.
Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk
Spectacular coastal path with sea views and hidden coves
This seven-kilometre coastal walk between the towns of Bray and Greystones hugs the cliffs along the Irish Sea, offering vistas and a mix of wildflowers, seabirds, and, if you’re lucky, dolphins offshore.
End your walk in Greystones — it’s well equipped with cafes, pubs and restaurants.
A view of Lough Tay in Co. WicklowLough Tay
Dramatic views over a dark, brooding lake
Lough Tay, with its inky water and frothy beach of white sand, resembles a pint of Guinness from above – hence its nickname.
It’s part of the Guinness estate and often makes a cameo in films and TV shows. While access is limited, the view from the surrounding hills is pure Wicklow drama, especially on a moody day. And they have the odd one hereabouts.
Russborough House
Art, history, and elegance in a Palladian mansion
This grand 18th-century Palladian estate is more than just a stately home – it’s a museum of art and a window into Georgian splendour.
The Big House near Blessington is not only one of the finest stately homes in Ireland, it is also pretty certainly the most robbed house in Ireland.
Some sixty years ago Sir Alfred Beit and his wife Clementine, a cousin of the Mitford sisters, filled the house with art treasures.
This priceless collection was bank-rolled by Beit’s company, the De Beers diamond company.
In 1974 an IRA gang — which included Oxford graduate and daughter of an English millionaire Rose Dugdale — stole 19 pictures, including a Goya, a Vermeer, two Gainsboroughs and three Rubens.
The crime was solved by a local garda officer who became suspicious about a cottage rented to “a French lady with an English accent”. Well done officer.
Ten years later, in 1986, Dublin gangster Martin Cahill got away with £30million worth of the collection.
All were recovered over subsequent years, except for two.
Check you gran’s attic next time your at home. You never know what she might have been up to.
Today the masterpieces by Vermeer and Rubens are back, along with many more.
Dining in Wicklow
Bates Nua
Bates Inn opened in 1785 and since then, through various incarnations, has been looking after the hungry, and thirsty, folk of Wicklow and beyond. Today it serves what might be termed imaginative, urban European fare. And excellent it is.
Bates Nua Restaurant 3, Market Street, Rathdrum. www.batesrestaurant.com
Avoca Terrace Café
The Avoca Terrace Café in Powerscourt offers terrific views with your meal — a panorama of the sumptuous gardens against the backdrop of the Sugarloaf Mountain.
The food — everything from home-made soups to fresh, inventive salads — is entirely satisfactory; but it is the ambience of this ancient place that makes the restaurant happen.
A resonance of times past still cloaks the whole estate — you might imagine Princess Grace will arrive by Rolls Royce at the front entrance, then join you on the terrace for a cocktail
Avoca Terrace Café, Powerscourt Estate. www.powerscourt.ie
Woodenbridge Hotel
The Woodenbridge was licensed in 1608 as a coaching inn on the old Dublin-Wexford highway.
Its restaurant specialises in local produce. Prices include the view, and you don’t get better than The Meeting of the Waters, namely the River Aughrim feeding into the River Avoca.
Woodenbridge Hotel & Lodge, Vale of Avoca, Arklow. www.woodenbridgehotel.com
Johnnie Fox’s
This is Ireland’s highest pub, right up in the Wicklow Mountains.
OK. It can be touristy (less so in November), but the craic, food and entertainment guarantee a jolly end to the day.
The Hooley Show (€75) can actually be quite gripping after three or four pints — ballads, Irish dance etc.
Johnnie Fox’s, Glencullen. johnniefoxs.com
The Wicklow Heather
In Laragh, deep in the Wicklow Mountains, the family run Heather has been going strong for over fifty years.. Everything you might want from a good restaurant is box-tickable: cosy atmosphere, great food, friendly welcome. They’ve a great Christmas menu as well
The Wicklow Heather, Laragh, Glendalough. www.wicklowheather.ie
Where to stay in Wicklow
Wicklow Head Lighthouse
Wicklow Head Lighthouse has safeguarded the Wicklow coastline since 1781.
It was originally one of a brace of lighthouses constructed to eliminate the confusion among mariners who wondered if they were at Howth or Hook Head.
Today, the lighthouse provides self-catering accommodation — and this is the actual lighthouse you’re staying in, not the lighthouse keeper’s cottage.
It is a working lighthouse, with walls a meter thick. It went operational in 1818 when someone lit the candles. It went automatic thirty years ago in 1994.
Six octagonal rooms provide two double bedrooms and one bathroom, as well as a separate WC on the ground floor.
The lighthouse has central heating. But be aware, because this really is a lighthouse you should know that there are 109 steps to the kitchen, up on the top floor. Great views though.
Sleeps four, minimum of two nights, from around €636. Open all year.
Wicklow Head Lighthouse, Dunbur Head. www.greatlighthouses.com/lighthouses/wicklow-head/
Brooke Lodge
Brook Lodge is a country retreat known for its eco-friendly ethos, luxurious accommodations, and farm-to-table dining experience.
Macreddin Village has quaint, village-style amenities, including a golf course, organic bakery, and wellness spa.
Rooms from around €120.
Brooke Lodge and Macreddin Village. www.brooklodge.com
Druid’s Glen
Top drawer digs in Wicklow, with a round of golf thrown in. This five star luxury hotel guarantees pampered seclusion in the heart of the Garden of Ireland.
The course offers visitors’ golf the year round on verdant parkland courses, offering a veritable smorgasbord of golfing delicacies – bunkers, streams, trees, gorse, and views across the Irish Sea at every turn.
Rooms from €185.
Druid’s Glen, Newtownmountkennedy. www.druidsglenresort.com
Rathsallagh House
An hour's drive southwest of Dublin, this 580-acre estate is graced with a 1798 Queen Anne farmhouse.
Open fires in the drawing rooms, double-ended baths in the bedrooms, wooden beams and, needless to say Queen Anne furniture.
New Irish cuisine is sourced from 18th-century walled garden, and local grass-fed lamb and beef mean that meals are straight from farm to fork.
Various package deals available.
Rathsallagh House, Dunlavin. www.rathsallagh.com
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