Dublin is the capital and largest city of Ireland. It is located on the east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey. Founded as a Viking settlement, the Kingdom of Dublin became Ireland’s main city. The city has many landmarks and monuments dating back hundreds of years that you can visit. Walk through one of the many parks Dublin offers; it has more green spaces per square kilometer than any other European capital city.
Ports
Lerwick is the capital of the Shetland Islands, 160 km north off the coast of Scotland. In 1999 the town of 7500 inhabitants was a host port to the Tall Ships Races, temporarily boosting the population by over 100%! The town itself is small, but there are beautiful sights to see, like Fort Charlotte, the Shetland museum and the ruins of Clickimin Broch. The island’s windswept hills are perfect for a strenuous hike, and will give you a good reason to replenish lost calories in the town’s tavern.
Ålesund is an intimate harbor amongst beautiful fjords, mountains and islands. Consisting out of seven islands, Ålesund is a modern city. In 1904 the city, once built largely of wood, was completely burned down by a sea of flames. After a period of planning, the town was rebuilt in stone, brick, and mortar in Jugendstil. Visit the Atlantic Sea Park on a rainy day or, if the weather is nice, go to the Sunnmoere Museum to see historic Norwegian houses and Viking relics.
