Nestled in the north-west corner of Ireland, the city of Derry-Londonderry (Northern Ireland) and the county of Donegal (Republic of Ireland) sit snugly side by side. Taken together, this pair have every ingredient you could want from a short break: a dollop of history, a splash of culture and immeasurable quantities of nature and adventure. Better yet, it’s a combination that few have yet to put together.
Often referred to as ‘The Walled City’, Derry-Londonderry takes its nickname from the 400-year-old fortifications that surround its historic centre. Its still-intact walls were built during the Plantation of Ulster, the early-17th-century colonisation of Ireland under King James I, which saw native landowners supplanted by English and Scottish settlers. Although the city was established centuries earlier, this era marked the beginning of a complex history, the impact of which is still being felt across the region and beyond. Even today it is evident not only in the city’s architecture and museums, but the stories of ordinary local people.
Although heritage remains at the heart of Derry-Londonderry, there is
