South of Dublin: Counties Wicklow & Carlow in Dublin
Wicklow’s northernmost border is just a dozen or so miles south of Dublin, making it one of the easiest day trips from the city. The centerpiece of the region is the beautiful Wicklow Mountains, traversed by the well-marked Wicklow Way walking path, which wanders for miles past mountain tarns and secluded glens. Tucked into the mountains, you’ll find the isolated monastery of Glendalough and picturesque villages such as Roundwood, Laragh, and Aughrim. Along the coast, the bright and busy upscale town of Bray is 12.6km (7 3/4 miles) south of Dún Laoghaire. Farther south are the sweet little harbor town of Greystones and, just inland, the charming riverside village of Avoca. A handful of historic homes dot the countryside.
Just over the border of County Wicklow lies County Carlow, one of Ireland’s smallest counties, bordered to the east by the Blackstairs Mountains and to the west by the fertile limestone land of the Barrow Valley and the Killeshin Hills. Its most prominent feature is the 5,000-year-old granite formation known as Browne’s Hill Dolmen.
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