Must-see attractions in County Wicklow

Wicklow's most visited attraction is this magnificent 64-sq-km estate, whose main entrance is 500m south of Enniskerry. At the heart of it is an elegant…

Nestled between two lakes, haunting Glendalough (Gleann dá Loch, meaning 'Valley of the Two Lakes') is one of the most significant monastic sites in…

A stunning mansion in the Elizabethan Revival style, Killruddery has been home to the Brabazon family (the earls of Meath) since 1618 and has one of the…

Engaging hour-long tours at this craft brewery guide you through the brewing process, from milling local grains to mashing, whirlpooling, fermenting,…

Magnificent Russborough House is one of Ireland's finest stately homes, a Palladian palace built for Joseph Leeson (1705–83), later the first Earl of…

This fine Palladian mansion was the birthplace and Irish headquarters of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–91), the 'uncrowned king of Ireland' and one of the…

Wicklow's infamous jail was notorious throughout Ireland for the brutality of its keepers and the harsh conditions suffered by its inmates. The smells,…

Desolate and utterly deserted, the Glenmacnass Valley, a stretch of wild bogland between the Sally Gap crossroads and Laragh, is one of the most beautiful…

On the southern edge of the Powerscourt Estate, 6km south of Powerscourt House, is this picturesque waterfall. At 121m it's the highest in Ireland (though…

Wicklow's nickname, 'the Garden of Ireland', is justified by green idylls such as the 8-hectare Mt Usher Gardens, just outside the unremarkable town of…

Founded by Cistercian monks in 1148 and inhabited for nearly four centuries, this 56m-long, now-ruined abbey incorporates both Cistercian and Irish…

Finding your way out of this 2m-high Celtic hedge maze is harder than it looks. Watch others attempt it from the viewing tower; there's also a hedgeless,…

Glendalough's trademark is St Kevin's Kitchen or Church, at the southern edge of the monastic site. This compact structure, with a miniature round-tower…

At the head of the Glencree Valley, this cemetery is dedicated to the 134 German servicemen who died in Ireland during WWI and particularly WWII. Many of…

The considerable remains of Reefert Church sit above the tiny River Poulanass, south of the Upper Lake car park. It's a small, plain, 11th-century…

At 503m it's nowhere near Wicklow's highest summit, but the Great Sugarloaf is one of the most distinctive hills in Ireland, its conical peak visible for…

Along Bray's seafront promenade, this kids' walking trail links up five brightly coloured murals created by children's author and illustrator Chris Judge…

One of Ireland's rarest ceremonial monuments, this Neolithic stone circle is believed to date from 2500 BC. Its 29 upright stones form a circle 30m in…

Resident marine creatures at the only aquarium on Ireland's east coast include sharks, rays, eels, tropical and cold-water fish, piranhas, octopuses,…

Surrounding the ruins of an 18th-century mansion are these ornamental gardens, originally laid out in 1712 and replanted in the 19th century to reflect…