Colourful, creative, and endlessly good-humoured, Galway is often called the cultural heart of Ireland — a city of buskers, trad sessions spilling out of pub doorways, and streets so full of character you'll want to linger far longer than we have time for. Here's how to make the most of your free time:

This is one you'll want to say yes to. Bunratty Castle is the most authentically restored and completely furnished medieval castle in all of Ireland, dating back to 1425 — climb its spiral stone staircases, wander the Great Hall, and step out onto the battlements for sweeping views over the Shannon estuary. Around it, the 26-acre Folk Park recreates 19th-century Irish village life with real thatched cottages, farmhouses, and a working village street.

Founded in 1620, Durty Nelly's is one of Ireland's oldest and most famous pubs — a rambling, low-ceilinged warren of snugs and open fires sitting right at the foot of Bunratty Castle. It's the kind of place where the walls themselves seem to hold four centuries of stories. We'll enjoy dinner here in properly atmospheric surroundings, with the castle lit up just outside the window.