Slow Travel Dublin
Historic, walkable and full of local stories, Dublin is the ideal destination for Slow Travel. Discover how to embrace the quieter charms of doing less to emerge feeling energised and refreshed.
What is the best way to get to know a city? For some, it is by ticking off a long list of must-sees, counting down the bucket list of highlights, with itineraries that barely allow a stop to draw breath. But for those who have embraced the idea of Slow Travel, getting to know a city can be a calmer affair, with neighbourhood walks, morning coffee in the park, dipping into a food tasting or cooking experience, or exploring a local museum.
A historic, walkable city, Dublin is an ideal spot to enjoy at a leisurely pace, and with The Merrion Hotel perfectly at home in the heart of the city’s Georgian core, you don’t have to go far to enjoy an extraordinary range of architecture, art, shops and restaurants. The key to Slow Travel is remembering that you don’t have to do it all. The trouble with ticking off lists is that there’ll always be something you didn’t see, so why try?
Slow Travel is about getting away from all that, and settling in to richer, deeper experiences. It’s about striking up conversations with locals, or swapping stories with fellow travellers, and it’s about making time for yourself. As the best inveterate Slow Travellers know, a morning spent with breakfast in bed in your own hotel room, with the windows open, listening to the sounds of the city mingling with the calls of seabirds, is as valid a travel experience as getting up at the crack of dawn to be first in line for the latest attraction. It’s certainly one that will leave you feeling more relaxed at the end of your stay.
A Slow Day in Dublin
Try our guide to a Slow Day in Dublin to savour the best of all things local, and explore a sample Slow Travel experience.
Start with that breakfast in bed, or in the Garden Room restaurant, where summer mornings let nature wash over you as you wake up. Browse the local papers and make your plans. There’s always time for that extra pot of coffee, Dublin has been here a long time, and it is happy to wait.
Midmorning, wander down to the National Gallery of Ireland. Museums and Galleries in Dublin are mostly free, so you don’t have to do it all in a day. Find just one or two favourite artworks and take your time to enjoy them. A recent study by our neighbours at Trinity College has found that looking at art is good for wellbeing, so where better to find out?
Stop for a sit and a think on the way there or back at Merrion Square Park, where the Georgian buildings rise up around you, and peace settles on this special part of the city. Then return to The Merrion Hotel for Afternoon Tea, where at weekends, scholars from the Royal Irish Academy of Music while away the time as you sample pastries and cakes inspired by The Merrion’s celebrated art collection.
In the afternoon, make your way to Trinity College itself, and find a bench under one of the ancient trees by the sports grounds, and soak up the marvellous architecture. The red-brick Rubrics building, the oldest on campus, was built in the 1600s, while the Museum Building has intricate carvings, and samples of marble from all over Ireland in the foyer. These are the things you might miss when you’re rushing. Alternatively, if you’re in the mood for shopping, head to the Powerscourt Townhouse, a beautiful former Georgian mansion, where a mixture of local boutiques, including MoMuse jewellers and Cloon Keen perfumers mingle with cafés and restaurants, and there are antique shops lining the upper gallery. Look up and around you as you go, it is a simply beautiful building, and there is a lovely flower shop on the steps that lead to South William Street. You may not be buying, but you can still smell the roses.
Then head back for evening cocktails on the Terrace, and dinner in The Garden Room, to sample the best of local seasonal Irish food with a sip of something delicious, and make a plan or two for tomorrow.
A Slow Day In and a Slow Day Out
With a three day retreat, you might balance your Dublin explorations with a day in. From Friday morning yoga, to a Signature Spa Session, which includes a glass of bubbly on arrival, plus lunch or afternoon tea; make the most of your surroundings. After all, you’re in one of the most historic hotels in Dublin, so why not enjoy it to the full?
Sunny afternoons on the Garden Terrace are a slow delight, while on cooler days, the open fires in the Drawing Rooms are best enjoyed from the comfort of our very cosy sofas, perhaps with the company of good book. As evening draws in, it might be time to try a Whiskey Flight tasting in No 23, or sample a glass of our Henriot champagne. It was selected by a team led by the Merrion’s Peter MacCann, who is a member of the Academie du Champagne, and is made by the 8th generation of the Henriot family, so it’s one to savour.
Fully recharged, you might spend your third day exploring more. Located between the mountains and the sea, it is easy to discover Dublin’s hinterlands. Take the Dart to Howth or Killiney for a stroll by the sea, perhaps catching lunch at one of the fish restaurants at Howth. Or bring a book to Killiney, duck under the tunnel at the end of the station car park, and turn left to walk along the grassy sward in the direction of Dublin. At the end of the bay, find Fred and Nancy’s in a beautifully repurposed Airstream, serving coffee to swimmers and walkers. There are also beach saunas on site.
Maybe you didn’t see the latest, biggest, hottest new thing, but does that really matter? There will always be something else you’ll be told you simply mustn’t miss. Instead of trying to see everything, settle on one or two things, and build in time for taking your time. Embrace slow travel by staying for longer, let the city we love wash over you, and don’t forget to come back soon.
The Merrion Hotel Concierge can help with itineraries, guides and experiences for guests, including booking a car and driver, or ordering a Merrion Picnic Hamper to enjoy on a day out with our Merrion Hotel bicycles.