Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland, dating back to 914. Two hours southeast of Dublin, it remains an important economic and cultural cornerstone of Ireland. The first time I visited, I was enamored with the many “vikings” roaming about in the city during the annual Viking Festival. There was a small market area set up in a recreated viking town. Here, I watched staged battles with costumed descendants using various types of historical weaponry. The market included a table displaying typical viking foods, while others had art, basket weaving, blacksmithing and wood work.
We toured an area called Viking triangle including the famous Reginald’s Tower. Built by vikings over 1000 years ago, it now houses a huge array of viking artifacts. We listened to a storyteller decked out in complete viking attire who regaled us with stories of viking gods Odin, Thor and Loki in a booming voice. There is also the Medieval Museum and Bishop’s Palace Museum within the Viking Triangle. The three museums are all close to one another and you can purchase tickets online for combined admission at a discounted rate.
Inside Reginald’s Tower
Next to Reginald’s tower there is a replica of a Viking Longship. Just around the corner is a stunning sword intricately carved with a variety of Nordic scenes. It is a fun place to walk and explore, filled with history and activities for all ages.
House of Waterford Crystal
Waterford is also home to the famous House of Waterford Crystal. The House of Waterford has tours available where you can see the process of how crystal pieces are made from start to finish. I enjoyed the tour and especially enjoyed the showroom. If you aren’t as interested in the tour, just head straight into the showroom. The pieces on display are amazing! There are of course the typical crystal items you would expect to find such as decanters, wine glasses, vases and bowls. However, you’ll also see elaborate pieces here like a giant harp, trophies, chandeliers and other unique items like Cinderella’s coach.
Hey! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I genuinely enjoy reading through your posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that deal with the same topics? Thanks a ton!
Thank you so much! For travel blogs, a couple I enjoy are http://abuhalen.com/ and https://afootineachworld.wordpress.com/. There are so many great ones out there. For baking I enjoy Brown eyed Baker and Sally’s Baking Addiction – among others.