Dún Laoghaire East Pier

The East Pier at Dún Laoghaire is where Dubliners go to walk off a big lunch, clear their heads or simply look at the sea, and it is the easiest way for a visitor to feel the city's connection to Dublin Bay. Dún Laoghaire, a Victorian seaside town on the south side of the bay, grew up around one of the largest artificial harbours in the world, built between 1817 and 1842 with two huge granite piers quarried from the hills at Dalkey, and for nearly a century the town was called Kingstown after a visit by King George IV in 1821. The East Pier offers a walking path of about 2.6 kilometres there and back, with a smooth surface edged by granite walls, so it is flat, safe and suitable for buggies and wheelchairs. Halfway along stands a Victorian shelter and bandstand, first built in 1890 and restored in recent decades. At the end, by the lighthouse and an old battery, you look back across the harbour to the town's spires and the mountains, and out across the bay to Howth Head on the far side. Near the end of the pier is a historic anemometer, one of the earliest instruments of its kind, used to measure wind speed. The harbour itself is lively with sailing boats from the yacht clubs, sea swimmers and the occasional seal. The walk is free and open year-round, and on a fine weekend it is one of the great people-watching spots in the city, crowded with families, dog walkers and couples. Afterwards, an ice cream from Teddy's, a seafront institution, is part of the ritual.

Getting there: take the DART south along the coast from Connolly, Tara Street or Pearse stations to Dún Laoghaire, a journey of about twenty minutes with sea views for much of the way; the pier begins a few minutes' walk from the station. Allow about an hour for the walk out and back at an easy pace, longer if you stop to watch the boats or sit in the shelter. The pier is exposed, so bring a windproof layer even on sunny days, and expect it to be bracing in winter.

Extending the outing: Dún Laoghaire and its neighbours make an excellent half day by the sea. From the pier, walk south along the seafront path to Sandycove, about twenty to thirty minutes, where the James Joyce Tower and Museum occupies the Martello tower in which the opening scene of Ulysses is set, with free entry. Beside it, the Forty Foot is a famous bathing place where hardy swimmers plunge into the sea all year round. Back in town, the People's Park, a Victorian park, hosts a popular Sunday food market, and the dlr LexIcon library on the seafront has fine views from its upper floors. The town has plenty of cafés, pubs and seafood restaurants for lunch, and the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, in a former church nearby, tells the story of Ireland and the sea.

Who it suits: everyone. Families can walk at a child's pace and reward small legs with ice cream, couples can time it for the late afternoon light over the bay, and anyone visiting Howth on another day will enjoy seeing the bay from the opposite shore. On a crowded trip, a slow walk on the pier is a welcome breather, and it shows a side of Dublin that many visitors never see. The West Pier, on the other side of the harbour, is longer, rougher underfoot and much quieter, a good alternative for walkers who want solitude. And if you are lucky with the weather, stay for sunset: the light over the harbour, with the yachts at rest and the hills of Howth turning gold across the bay, is one of the finest free sights in the Dublin area.