St Kevin’s monastic settlement in Glendalough was a veritable city in its time, with a 30-metre round tower, a gateway building, several churches, a cathedral, a farm, houses and a sizeable lay population contributing to 500 years spent as one of Ireland’s great ecclesiastical centres. The cave isn’t safe to access, but you can catch a good photo opportunity above the Upper Lake from the Miner’s Road.

Leipzig's Botanical Garden, established in 1542, is the oldest in Germany. It houses over 7,000 plant species, including special collections in its greenhouses and a sensory garden, alongside a popular butterfly house. The garden is open for visitors every day, free of charge. Stop by for a serene moment in the city.

County Kildare is home to the windswept Bog of Allen, and to a leisurely section of the restored Royal Canal. There’s a masterpiece of an 8th-century High Cross in Moone. Maynooth Castle anchors the leafy university town of the same name. Kildare is also home to one of Ireland’s great driving routes. Following the course of the Gordon Bennett Cup, which saw racing daredevils whizz through Kildare, Carlow and Laois in 1903, the 104-mile circuit recalls a time when Ireland’s speed limit was just 12mph. The county is a marvellous mix of old and new, of natural landscapes and precisely manicured gardens, of horseracing competitions and stylish fashion events.