In recent decades, the city has also enjoyed some of the pleasant effects of Ireland's economic boom. For example, Dublin's buildings have been given a thorough facelift, museums and galleries have been spruced up and trendy quarters such as Temple Bar have grown up. These improvements may be the reason many visitors find the atmosphere in the city so friendly and relaxed. Its estimated 1,000 pubs, most of which sell dark, creamy Guinness, may also have something to do with it. The headquarters of the Guinness brewery is also in Dublin.

Numerous open-air events add to the party mood in the city, be it concerts by Ireland's rock music greats - U2, Bob Geldof and the Dubliners – or the St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Grafton Street, one of the world's most beautiful pedestrian precincts, is a hive of activity seven days a week. Those preferring a walk down memory lane have only to visit one of Dublin's numerous museums or interesting libraries. The James Joyce Museum, dedicated to the national hero and author of Ulysses, is an interesting mixture of the two.

The most impressive part of the State Apartments is St. Patrick's Hall. This high, richly ornamented room is considered the most important hall in Ireland and has been used for the inauguration of the Irish president since 1938. The Throne Room, with its 200 year-old throne, and the royal chambers exude aristocratic flair. The interior of the Chapel Royal, made entirely of oak, is as interesting as the exterior, which is decorated with more than a hundred limestone busts of famous Irishmen. The Dubh Linn Gardens in the center of the castle are a good place to stop and relax before going on to the Chester Beatty Library, voted European Museum of the Year for 2002. It contains some 22,000 manuscripts, rare books, prints and miniatures from Western, Middle Eastern and Asian cultures.

Originally earmarked as a site for a cathedral, Merrion Square North is particularly rich in architectural sights. One of these is the monument dedicated to the writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), who lived at 1 Merrion Square and who is now immortalized in stone. Beside it is a monument to another no-less-famous man. The 'Tribute Head' was dedicated in 1975 to the then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela, who later became the president of South Africa. One of the city's most photographed sites is without a doubt the Classical-style Church of St. Stephen's. Dubbed the 'Salt Cellar' by locals, it completes beautiful Georgian Upper Mount Street on the south side of the square. This peaceful and distinguished ambience is also reflected in Merrion Square West, where artists present their works. The National Gallery of Ireland is also located there.

It is best to begin your guided tour in Milltown Wing, which houses the works of Irish artists. This leads on to Dargan Wing, which concentrates on the Yeats family. The exhibits there are dedicated to Jack B. Yeats, brother of the famous writer W. B. Yeats. Arguably the most exciting room is on the ground floor of the North Wing, which contains famous portraits of James Joyce and Sean O'Casey. In the same wing there are also exhibits by English artists, as well as German, Dutch and Flemish masters. The Spanish collection is particularly beautiful, and includes works by El Greco, Goya, Murillo and Picasso. The tour is rounded off by returning to Milltown Wing to see Italian masters like Titian and Tintoretto. The crowing glory is without a doubt 'The Taking of Christ' by Caravaggio, which lay undiscovered for more than 60 years.

The Shrine of St. Patrick and the Clonmacnoise Crook from the 11th century are just as valuable, if not as old. The special exhibitions on the Viking Age in Ireland and on the struggle for independence are fascinating. The 'Road to Independence' exhibition impressively documents the latter. Another highlight is the 'Or´- Ireland's Gold' exhibition, an impressive historical archive featuring the art of the goldsmith in the Bronze Age. There are also some exhibits dating back to the Iron Age, while the Derrynaflan Hoard illustrates that there are still treasures buried in the soil of Ireland. The silver treasure trove was only discovered by amateur treasure hunters in County Tipperary in 1980 and is thus one of the few more recent finds in the museum. Jewelry exhibitions and zoological collections in the Irish Room offer exciting alternatives for art and animal lovers.

The most famous item in the collection is the Book of Kells, an 8th-century Latin manuscript. Many people consider it the most beautiful book in the world. The most magnificent of its calfskin pages are on display in a showcase. Explanatory notes and enlarged views make it easier for visitors to understand this intricate masterpiece. The same era also produced other important works such as the Book of Durrow, the Book of Dimma and the Book of Armagh. The 200-foot long Long Room has more valuable books and first editions and makes a fitting finale to the literary walkaround.

Right at the main entrance, the visitor encounters the People's Flower Gardens and the famous Dublin Zoo, one of the oldest zoological gardens in the world. In the summer months, music lovers can enjoy concerts on the open-air stage next to it. One high point in the true sense of the word is the 200-foot Wellington Monument, the largest obelisk in Europe, which is dedicated to the Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. On the other hand, the modern Phoenix Visitors' Center is dedicated to latter-day visitors. It provides information in the form of exhibitions and films. The most historical building in the park is the palace-like Áras an Uachtaráin, today the residence of the Irish president and formerly – as Viceregal Lodge – the residence of the British Viceroys. Tourists are impressed by the reception rooms dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Incidentally, one man spent his entire youth here in the Little Lodge, probably little suspecting that he would eventually become one of the most famous Englishmen in history. His name: Winston Churchill..

Swift, who also became famous as the author of the satirical novel Gulliver's Travels, is still present. His tomb can be found at the entrance to the cathedral, where he is also portrayed on a wall plaque exhorting visitors to act justly. Other tombs and graves serve as reminders of British colonial rule, with artifacts from China, India, Afghanistan, South Africa and Burma. Collections are still taken in a curious manner at St. Patrick's Cathedral: In honor of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, who once funded a complete renovation of the church, worshippers still throw their coins and banknotes not into small baskets, as is customary elsewhere, but into Guinness barrels.

In actual fact, something quite different was originally planned for the area a few decades ago; namely the demolition of complete blocks of houses and the construction of a central bus station. Luckily, these plans were halted by the students and (survival) artists who were living in the buildings. In the 1980s, the first pubs, galleries, studios and restaurants opened, and the almost legendary reputation of the quarter was born. At the beginning of the 1990s, millions of Irish pounds of EU development aid were pumped into the former rundown district. A series of cultural attractions sprung up, in addition to the numerous shopping and entertainment options. Meeting Horse Square, for example, is a cultural center for exhibitions and all kinds of open-air events. It also houses the Irish Film Center and the Gallery of Photography as well as the children's cultural center, The Ark..