Galway, Ireland

Galway, on Ireland's west coast where the River Corrib spills into the Atlantic, is the spirited cultural heart of the country's west — often called the 'City of the Tribes' (after the fourteen merchant families that once ruled it) and widely regarded as Ireland's most bohemian and festive city. Compact, colourful and famously friendly, it is a place defined less by grand monuments than by atmosphere: the pedestrian Latin Quarter and Shop Street, where buskers and street performers play to crowds passing brightly painted pubs, cafés and craft shops; the medieval Spanish Arch on the riverside; the quaint former fishing village of the Claddagh (origin of the famous Claddagh ring) across the water; and the lively quays where the Corrib rushes to the sea. Galway is, above all, a city of music and festivals — traditional Irish music sessions spill nightly from its pubs, and a packed calendar includes the renowned Galway International Arts Festival in July, the Galway Races, and the Galway International Oyster Festival in September. A large student population from the University of Galway keeps it young, creative and buzzing year-round. The compact centre also holds Galway Cathedral, the medieval St Nicholas' Church and the Galway City Museum, and the seaside suburb of Salthill, with its long promenade along Galway Bay, is a short stroll or stop away. But Galway's greatest role is as the gateway to the wild and beautiful west of Ireland: the rugged, lake-strewn wilderness of Connemara with its mountains and Kylemore Abbey lies just to the north-west; the windswept, Irish-speaking Aran Islands sit out in Galway Bay; and the famous Cliffs of Moher and the lunar limestone landscape of the Burren are within easy reach to the south in County Clare. The climate is mild, green and changeable, with frequent Atlantic showers; late spring to early autumn brings the best weather and the city's biggest festivals, though Galway's pubs and music make it a joy in any season.