Ireland: Galway

Galway rose to being a powerful fortified port in the medieval times going back to the 13th century – given its strategic position where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic – the city established a thriving wine, fish, and spice trade with Spain and France. The old town is known as Latin Quarter and one of the vestiges of this golden age is still beautifully visible today – the Spanish Arch built in 1584 along the city walls. The Latin quarter is fun to explore – curving medieval lanes lined with colorful pubs and restaurants, bookshops, jewelers, and more pubs. Just off the Latin quarter stands the Saint Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, the largest medieval parish church still in continuous use in Ireland, founded in 1320 and dedicated to the patron saint of sailors. And further beyond the Latin quarter Galway boasts many pretty embankments and falls.