IrelandKilkenny is Ireland's most walkable medieval city, a compact grid of narrow lanes, painted shopfronts and honey-coloured limestone strung between a great Norman castle and a soaring cathedral. The famous Medieval Mile links the two along High Street and Parliament Street, and you can stroll the whole thing in twenty minutes, though the pleasure is in dawdling down slipways like the Butter Slip and ducking into craft shops and snug pubs. Treat it as a slow city: mornings for the castle, cathedral and museums before the coach crowds, afternoons for the design studios and riverside walks along the Nore, evenings for traditional music that spills out of the pubs on Parliament Street. This is craft country and brewing country, home to Smithwick's and a lively food scene, so eat well and drink a local ale. Many sights keep shorter winter hours and some shut for lunch, so check times and book the castle and a good dinner table ahead in summer. Kilkenny also makes an ideal base for the wider south east, with abbeys, priories and the Viking city of Waterford all within easy reach. Give it two unhurried days and it will charm you.
Day plans
Pick your trip length. The full 1-day plan is free, members unlock the 3 and 7-day plans.
A quiet first stop before the coaches; the carved Butler tombs and city charters set up everything you'll see later.
Buy the combined cathedral and tower ticket; the tower's ladders are steep and close in wet weather, so check before you climb.
A short walk from the cathedral; the blaa sandwiches and cakes are the draw, and it gets busy at lunch.
