| Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 | ![]() |
Dublin or Amsterdam - Which is better to visit.Country forums / UK & Ireland / Ireland | ||
I am deciding on my next trip to Europe and was heavily thinking about if I should go to Dublin and Belfast or Amsterdam/and somewhere in Belgium? When I go to Europe I usually go with the idea of site seeing and history. Which is why I have gone to Berlin and Munich for WWII history and Camps and Third Reich and also Rome and Istanbul for Ancient History of the Roman Empire. I really want to see the Titanic Exhibit in Belfast and I know I won't need a lot of time for Dublin/Belfast neither a lot of time for Amsterdam/Belgium maybe 5 days total. In Amsterdam I would want to see the Anne Frank Haus and go to the Red Light District. In Belgium it would be the beer and food. | ||
Ireland and the Low Countries have different histories and cultures. An apples/oranges comparison, I think. Don't discount Dublin's charms. With your military interests you could easily spend a half-day at the Collins Barracks, one of the national museums in the capital. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collins_Barracks_(Dublin) | 1 | |
There are two aspects to Irish history which I think might interest you on a visit to Dublin - the Viking era and the period 1913-1923 which takes in seminal events in the history of the Irish state (The Lockout, The 1916 Risiing, the following rebellion, partition and the civil war). There are some interesting Viking sites in Dublin but much of it has been destroyed by development over the Millenia - there is however Dublinia and Viking splash tours (which may be abit on the less intellectual side for you) and the National Archaeology Museum in Kildare St which has some great Viking/Battle of Clontarf stuff on but that may be here when you arrive. . In terms of the current centennial decade which is now being commemorated there is Collins Barracks as mentioned, Kilmainham Gaol (which is probably the better site IMO), the post office in O'Connell St, walking tours of the 1916 Rising, a Lock Out exhibition at the National Library (beside the archaeology museum), the memorial garden at the top end of O'Connell St, and many other sites such as the Four Courts (although this is particularly in relation to the Civil War). Ireland does have Guinness and some great small brew ales (although not all pubs stock the latter) and the party chaos of Temple Bar (which may be to your liking). | 2 | |
Thanks for the tips. I also believe Ireland especially Dublin is cheaper to get to from the U.S. than Amsterdam is. | 3 | |