Introduction to Galway

A thriving, artsy city on Ireland's rugged western coast, Galway's labyrinthine lanes remain intact, but this is a city with a cosmopolitan core. Stone-clad cafes and pastel-colored boutiques draw tourists to the cobbles of Quay Street; crowds gather everywhere for the Galway Races and the Galway Arts Festival. Traditional Ireland lingers here, too -- sip a creamy Guinness at a pub and witness fiddlers and singers hold court by turf fires. Amble to the coast and stroll the seaweed-dappled shore of Galway Bay.

Things to Do

The waterfront Galway City Museum charts the local importance of sea trade since medieval times. Soft sand on Salthill's beaches lure hardy swimmers and the occasional surfer into Galway Bay's bracing waters. The original makers of the claddagh ring, Thomas Dillon's displays the smallest one in its museum, and sells these symbols of love and friendship in all guises. At a lazy afternoon in a pub, a stockpile of local papers -- or chatty locals -- will happily keep you company.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Whether it's quick-witted magicians or flame-haired Irish dancers, buskers of every persuasion mottle pedestrianized Shop Street. More dramatic performances are held at the intimate Town Hall Theatre. Quay Street's cobbled warren hides clusters of authentic pubs; in winter, warm up here by a crackling, wood-scented turf fire. For a livelier night out, join locals at the string of bars and clubs in Salthill.

Restaurants and Dining

With the mighty Atlantic Ocean pounding on their doorsteps, Quay Street's bohemian restaurants specialize in just-caught fish and hearty seafood chowder; the entire city's laden with the zest of salt and lemon juice during September's Galway Oyster Festival. The wood-paneled pubs around Eyre Square do a good trade in traditional favorites such as aromatic Irish stew. Shop Street's cafes serve the scent of freshly brewed coffee and soft murmur of locals' lilting chatter, along with generous slabs of rich chocolate cake.

Relaxation

Time passes quickly when you perch yourself by the Salmon Weir Bridge and watch steadfast fishermen jostle with the surging River Corrib below. The tumbling river meets the glistening Atlantic Ocean just past the Spanish Arch at the Claddagh district, where whitewashed cottages and wild swans provide a backdrop to shimmering, silvery sunsets.