Waterford
Waterford city is located in the south east coast of Ireland and is known to be the most ancient town of the country. Throughout its history, Waterford was coveted by the Vikings and English who successively failed to conquer the city until 1650, earning it the name of «Urbs Intacta Magnet Waterfordia» (Waterford remains the untaken city) and thus acknowledging its fierce resistance. Besides its ancient historical legacy which remains an important part of the city’s architecture and identity, Waterford is recently famous for its crystal and glass production showcasing its unique local know-how and expertise.
Hotels
- Fitzwilton Hotel:
Fitzwilton Hotel is a beautiful 4 star boutique luxury hotel located in the centre of Waterford. It is a true institution in terms of luxury, quality and leisure and has a strong modern character in its design. The Fitzwilton Hotel provides large rooms which will perfectly welcome your whole family and its advantageous location will allow you to serenely discover the city. Moreover, you will find on the ground floor of the hotel an excellent restaurant, Chez K’s Bistro, offering a diverse selection of products in order to satisfy everyone’s taste.
- Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf Resort:
The Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf Resort is an emblematic historical landmark which hosted the famous Fitzgerald family for centuries before being turned into a prestigious hotel. The hotel is located in a private island on the eastern part of Waterford and offers a splendid setting surrounded by nature. It is the perfect place to enjoy intimate holidays and even more if you are a golf fan. Indeed, here you will find Ireland’s only true island golf resort with top facilities.
Restaurants
- Bodega:
Bodega is one of the most praised restaurants in Waterford because of the quality and freshness of its products. The collaboration with the local food providers allows the restaurant to both put forward the local food scene and offer worldwide famous dishes. This original approach between localism and globalism has been granted several awards reflecting the ever growing demand. Nonetheless, a lunch or dinner at Bodega will guarantee a good experience in a friendly environment with an excellent range of choices for wines or cocktails.
- Geoff’s:
Geoff’s is a traditional Irish pub offering great food and drinks. Its central location makes it an excellent place to stop by, either if you want to grab a beer or just taste some local dishes. Either way, you will enjoy an authentic and pleasant ambiance. Despite its popularity with locals which can lead to large crowds, Geoff’s is a place totally worth seeing and experiencing if you come to Waterford!
Attractions
- Waterford Museums of Treasures:
The Waterford Museums of Treasures are three different museums located each in the historical city centre just a few blocks away from each other. The Medieval Museum, Reginald’s Tower and Bishop’s palace will give you a broader insight regarding the history of the most ancient Irish city and allow you to contemplate sumptuous vestiges of the past. Indeed each museum presents a different aspect and time of Waterford and hence allows everyone to choose what you want to see depending your area of interest. The Reginald's tower is an impressive stone monument which survived throughout the ages, where Vikings used to gather their winnings whereas the Medieval Museum presents treasures from the Middle Ages. The Bishop's Palace is the place where you will find the creations from the last three centuries.
- Waterford Crystal Museum:
The Waterford Crystal Museum offers a unique opportunity to its visitors to discover the crystal production from the mould making to the engraving. During the previous centuries, this special know-how has put Waterford on the map makes it the pride of the city. The originality of this museum is the first hand experience provided to visitors, as indeed you can admire the whole production process of true crystal masterpieces.
- Golf:
As we previously mentioned, Waterford is a great place to golf in Ireland! In complement to our previous recommendation for Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf resort, we would like to add the Faithlegg Golf Club. It was designed by a famous Irish golf course architect, Mr. Paddy Merrigan, and is known to be a challenging step for golfers of every level. The Faithlegg Golf Club has also great facilities going from a spa to its Red Cedar Lounge which will allow you to profit from the greens as well as the leisure installations in order to fully appreciate your stay in Waterford.
- Edmund Rice Museum:
The Edmund Rice Museum is a tribute to a man who dedicated its whole life to the poors and disadvantaged of Waterford. This eponym museum presents the legacy of a man who inspired not only its generation but a whole people. Edmund Rice was a successfull businessman who tragically lost his family and a Roman Catholic philanthropist who dedicated its fortune and time to give a chance to the poor children to receive an education. Its behaviour in troubled times has been a great source of inspiration and a life lessons which still keep on motivating people.