POWERSCOURT ESTATE

The superb estate of Powerscourt, the most visited site in the county, is made up of a Palladian-style mansion and vast gardens extending over nearly 20 hectares. The gardens, created in the 19th century by the horticulturist David Robinson and framed by the Wicklow Mountains, offer an afternoon of dreamy strolling between gardens, but also terraces, paths, artificial lakes and beautiful statues. Built in the 18th century, then abandoned after a terrible fire in 1974, the impressive manor house reopened its doors to the public in 1996 after many years of renovation. It now houses shops and a café for a short break. In front of the manor, a majestic staircase, framed by Italian gardens, leads to the main pool guarded by two iron Pegasus. We will shed a tear anyway at the animal cemetery for Eugenie the cow: " Eugenie. Jersey Cow. Died 1907 aged 17 years. She had 17 calves and produced over 100,000 gallons of milk. " Peace be to her soul... You can console yourself at the Japanese Garden, a delicate circuit of small mossy arches and fountains skilfully guided into tiny canals, spanned by small bright red bridges.

Powerscourt Waterfall. 6 km from the manor, but still in the Powerscourt estate, is the highest waterfall in Ireland (121 meters), particularly impressive on rainy days (yes, it happens!). A pleasant place to walk, ideal for a picnic, in a superb wooded environment. Not to be missed!