Chester Beatty Library

Lonely Planet review

Book of Kells , shmells... the Chester Beatty Library is not just the best museum in Ireland, but one of the best in Europe. This extraordinary collection, lovingly and expertly gathered by New York mining magnate Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968) - a man of exceedingly good taste - is breathtakingly beautiful and virtually guaranteed to impress.

The museum's outstanding collection is complemented by its impressive layout and design, especially the landscaped garden in front of the building and the rooftop garden on the third floor - perfect for sitting and enjoying your lunch.

Only one percent of the collection is on display at any one time and exhibits are rotated every six months. The ground floor contains breathtaking works from the Western, Islamic and East Asian worlds, including perhaps the finest array of Chinese jade books in the world. The European texts feature exquisite calligraphy, equal to that in the Book of Kells . The second floor has what is considered to be the best example of illuminated Islamic texts in the world.