Do you know those places that manage to impress you and fascinate you from the first moment? The monastic site of Glendalough and the two lakes valley fall into this category!
Located between the Lower Lake and the Upper Lake, in the Wicklow mountains area, the monastic site was founded in the 6th century by the hermit Kevin of Glendalough. He retired to the valley in search of a peaceful and serene place for his life as a hermit. A church village was built in the area when some of Kevin’s disciples followed him and settled in the area (which is why the monastery became one of Ireland’s leading religious and educational centres). The 33-meter-high circular base tower was built during the Viking incursions (up to about 1066) to house the sacred relics, books and vessels that were used in
religious ceremonies. The visitor centre, in front of which the coaches leave the visitors, hosts a small exhibition and a room where you can see a video about the story of the valley and the site. You can visit the monastic place in about half an hour, 45 minutes at the most, going calmly and wandering among the crowd of tourists who come here to visit it. If you have just one day at your disposal to visit this site, I would advise you to spend more time
discovering the valley of the two lakes. You will need more time already, but I’ll tell you because I arrived without thinking about it too much and, of course, my walk has become almost a race to discover it as much as possible! The paths that cross it are different and of varying difficulty: inquire thoroughly before embarking on them, especially if you are not a great walker.
Besides the Upper Lake and the Lower Lake (the only one of the two lakes that I have seen), there are several other things to do and see inside the valley. From the ancient village of miners up to the climbing that you can do on the north-western shore of the Upper Lake (but it seems they are not very suitable for the less experienced). Between the two lakes, there is a parking lot that also serves as an equipped area and where you can even get something to eat and drink (do not think, however, to be able to have here a Lucullian lunch, it is a simple “equipped area” and not a restaurant).
How to get there: St. Kevin Bus services run from St Stephen’s green at 11:30 am, make stops along the way and leave the passengers in front of the Visitor Center after a journey of about an hour and a half. From Glendalough, to return to Dublin, the last bus leaves at 17:30. You will be given a ticket when you go up, and you will have to return it when you get on the bus back to Dublin.
Entrance ticket: € 4 for the exhibition at the visitor centre. The monastic site and the valley are ticket free (for other information I refer you naturally to the official website).