Glendalough

For the last stop on our trip to Ireland, we decided to make a stop in Glendalough. Located 75 minutes from Dublin, it's an ideal place to recharge your batteries or go hiking. By way of background, Glendalough was founded by a monk (St Kevin) in the 6th century.

Our walk begins with a visit to the monastic city. In front of us are several ruined buildings, including St Kevin's church. For the record, this building was also known as St Kevin's kitchen. People used to think that the bell tower was a chimney, but in fact nothing was ever cooked there.

A few metres further on, we approach the Glendalough Round Tower. The tower stands over 30m high and is just under 5m in diameter. This tower was used to warn locals of danger by means of its bell, and served as a refuge of choice during Viking raids (the entrance door is 3.5m off the ground). Nowadays, it serves as a beacon for pilgrims.

We continue our walk, passing the first lake. The story is fascinating: initially there was just one large lake, formed by the melting of glaciers at the end of the Ice Age. Accumulation of sediment led to its separation into two distinct lakes. The first we see is the lower lake.

We continue our walk via the Green Road. We reach the Poulanass River. Going upstream, it's possible to see a waterfall on a loop of just over 2km. Unfortunately for us, we weren't able to make the effort to reach it, so I can't tell you much more about it.

Nestled in the Wicklow mountains, we reach the highest point of our day's escapade: the upper part of the lake. For hikers, there are almost a dozen marked trails of varying degrees of difficulty all around the lake. The most remarkable hike is the Route Blanche.

Maybe we'll do it next time?