Essentials: Dublin

The world was his oyster

Dublin's most famous author lived in the city for a relatively short time. Born in 1882, James Joyce moved far away as early as 1904. He lived in Rome, Zurich, and Paris, among other places. But his works celebrate Dublin, and one of them, a collection of short stories, is even called "Dubliners." When people from all over the world take to the streets of Dublin on June 16 every year to celebrate Bloomsday in honor of his masterpiece "Ulysses" and its hero Leopold Bloom, a visit to the poet's memorial on North Earl Street is a point of honor.

There's no getting around a Guinness

Those on vacation in Dublin are bound to drink a pint or two of the "black stuff". And, like 1.7 million other people, they visit the Guinness Storehouse, a kind of theme park for fans of the dark beer. But there's no rush to do so: Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease in 1759 for 45 Irish pounds annually.

Dublin's musical honorary citizens

The city is famous for its traditional music scene. "The Wild Rover," "Whiskey in the Jar," and other evergreen staples of Irish folk music can be heard in every second pub in the nightlife district of Temple Bar. With so much tradition, it almost goes unnoticed that some of the most interesting bands of recent decades have achieved worldwide success with music that is anything but folkloric. In addition to Thin Lizzy in the seventies and Fontaines D.C. in the present, we're talking, naturally, about U2. The band has sold around 175 million albums to date, and their "360 Degrees" tour (2009–2011) was the most successful of all time, earning more than 700 million euros. It's only logical that singer Bono and guitarist The Edge are honorary citizens of Dublin.

Where wicked sisters take a bath

Speaking of James Joyce again: The Dublin suburb of Sandycove is home to one of the world's most legendary swimming spots. In the past, only men were allowed to use the rocky natural pool, Forty Foot – just like Buck Mulligan in a famous scene from Joyce's "Ulysses." Today, women also plunge into the icy waters, as in the highly acclaimed TV series "Bad Sisters." The baths, by the way, are overlooked by a tower that James Joyce – who else? – once lived in.

Love at second sight

Dublin is proud of its past – but this city landmark has only been in existence since 2003. The Spire is a stainless-steel needle in the middle of O'Connell Street. At 120 meters, it is the tallest freestanding steel sculpture in the world. The Monument of Light, as it is officially known, was not popular with Dubliners at first, partly because its construction cost of four million euros was considered exorbitant. Today, it is a popular meeting place and a symbol of modern Dublin.