Powerscourt Gardens and Glendalough Monastic City

What to expect

Powerscourt Gardens - Ireland's landscape wonder
The main goal of our journey is the estate park of Powerscourt, which ranks third in the National Geographic's list of the world's best gardens. The history of Powerscourt, which I will reveal to you, spans 800 years: once a medieval castle stood here, later replaced by an 18th-century estate with an incredible landscape park that took over 20 years to create. You will learn how Marshal Wingfield acquired Powerscourt as an addition to a scarf from the queen's shoulder, see the Pepperpot Tower built in honor of the Prince of Wales' visit. And, of course, you will walk through the three Powerscourt gardens - the classical Italian, the unusual Japanese, and the "Beyond the Wall" garden, where foreign plants that are averse to Irish winds are collected. In the center of the estate, you will see Triton Lake with a working fountain, surrounded by lawns and flowerbeds arranged on unique terraces.

Glendalough Monastic City
In Wicklow National Park, we will visit Glendalough - one of the ancient monastic centers that existed in Ireland before the mass invasion of the Vikings in the 9th-11th centuries. Once Glendalough was a more significant religious center than Dublin, and seven pilgrimages here were equal to a pilgrimage to Rome. In the city, you will see the remains of 6 churches - special attention will be paid to Saint Kevin's Church, also known as "The Kitchen" (you will also learn about this curious nickname). We will also examine the 30-meter tower, a classic element of an Irish monastic city, and the entrance gates of Glendalough, which helped the monks guard against the endless stream of pilgrims: inside the gates, a stone was placed, touching which was considered the accomplishment of the pilgrimage goal.