24 Hours in Waterford: where to stay and what to do in Ireland’s oldest city

Waterford is Ireland's oldest city, but when you pay a trip to the former Viking haunt where should you rest your head and where you should strut your stuff?

By Nick Bradshaw

The Vikings had a fondness for building walled encampments. They also liked to dispatch their dead leaders using flame engulfed boats surrounded by their most loyal servants who would have the ‘honour’ of burning to death with them, but it’s the fondness for building walled encampments that in 914AD gave us the City of Waterford.

In doing so, they created what is now, and will forever be, Ireland’s first city. Others came later – you may have spotted the likes of Dublin and Cork on your travels – but Waterford got in their first and for more than a thousand years have been welcoming visitors.

Being more than a thousand years old means that this city on the waterfront boasts a fair few historical attractions that you can nose around. The Viking Triangle – the clearly defined outer limits of the original Viking settlement – includes Reginald’s Tower, which is the most historic urban medieval monument in the country. Then there’s the Bishop’s Palace, St Olave’s Church, City Hall and the City Walls themselves.

That said it’s a thoroughly modern city too with all the facilities and distractions you need to keep you busy, be that in a bar, a restaurant, a club or even a night out at the dogs.

And the permanent attractions aren’t the only reason why you should visit Waterford: there’s the annual Spraoi festival, a carnival that spills out onto the streets in the lead up to the August Bank Holiday; there’s the film festival in early November; and between 30 June and 3 July is the Tall Ships Race, Ireland’s biggest festival this year and an event that will see up to 50 Tall Ships visit the city’s waters, will flood the place with music and other entertainment and will attract 500,000 people.

And you don’t have to restrict yourself to the city itself, with plenty to take a look at within easy reach.

There’s lots to do, but just what should you do?

JOE brings you our guide to the best places to stay and the best way to spend your days and nights in Waterford City and its surroundings.

Where to stay

Undoubtedly the coolest, most stylish place to rest your head in the City of Waterford is the Fitzwilton Hotel.

Waterford City's only 4 star hotel, the Fitzwilton is located in the heart of the city. Situated a mere five minutes walk to the city’s main entertainment and shopping district, and only two minutes from the city's main train and bus stations, rest assured you have chosen well to enjoy your break in Waterford.

The Fitzwilton Hotel offers guests a choice of luxurious rooms and suites, many offering floor to ceiling windows with views of the river Suir and the cityscape, and are equipped with all the mod-cons and space you would expect of a new 4-star property.

Not that the rooms are the only attraction at the Fitzwilton. The hotel’s Met Bar has something of a split personality – by day it’s a Paris-style bistro and café and by night the lighting and mood changes to turn it into a New York-style bar with a full range of international beers, wines and cocktails on offer and DJs playing a mix of funk, soul, hip-hop, R&B and house on Friday and Saturday evenings.

For foodies, Chez K’s restaurant serves food that has earned its position among the top places to eat in the latest edition of The Bridgestone Irish Food Guide (see below – going out).

The staff are keen to keep the hard-earned reputation of being the city of Waterford’s top hotel. There's free on-site parking and free WiFi throughout the hotel.

The hotel offers some amazing specials for group bookings - Stags (and Hens, if there are any girls lurking on the site) are always welcome, the hotel is affiliated with Waterford’s main night clubs and guests have access to VIP discounts.

To book and for details of the special offers go to www.fitzwiltonhotel.ie or call 00 353 (0)51 846900.

The Athenaeum House Hotel is uniquely placed to give you a country house feel without having to head out in the countryside, set, as it is, on a hillside overlooking the harbour front and within easy strolling distance of the city centre.

Athenaeum House oozes charm – there’s a touch of old-school class with a modern twist and without the whiff of fustiness and stuffiness that can sometimes blight high-end hotels.

The hotel is housed in a grand 17th Century building that has been tastefully restored to include all the mod-cons you’d want from a modern luxury boutique hotel. Enjoy a laid-back stay while the attentive staff do everything around you to make you feel at home.

And if you want a meal but don’t want to leave the hotel grounds, Zaks restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week and a mix of Irish and Continental cuisine.

www.athenaeumhousehotel.com

If you head west along the coast towards Cork, stopping just before you get to the edge of County Waterford and aiming towards the Ardmore, you’ll come across a gem of a place nestled on the cliff’s edge and bearing the wholly appropriate moniker of The Cliff House Hotel.

The major selling points, aside from the stunning rooms, are the stunning views and the excellent food in the hotel’s restaurant. So good is the food coming out of head chef Martijn Kajuiter’s kitchen that the House Restaurant is the only hotel restaurant outside of Dublin to boast a much-coveted Michelin star.

On a sunny day we can think of few places in the world better to have lunch than on The Cliff House’s seafront terrace.

www.cliffhousehotel.com

Going out

Restaurant Chez – K’s at the Fitzwilton Hotel has been described as one of the ‘Must-Do’ restaurants in Waterford City. With a European cuisine professionally prepared to suit all palates, enjoy your dining experience in the most comfortable of surroundings.

The tastefully restored Gingerman is one of Waterford’s oldest pubs and serves up good honest pub grub, accompanied from time to time with a bit of traditional Irish music (which will either attract or repel you, depending on your mood).

Mason’s Bar has a late bar and mix of live music and DJs seven nights of the week. It's under new management and there’s a nightclub on the upper floor on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

For a drink in an unusual setting, Harvey’s boasts a giant 6,000 square feet garden bar, complete with 80 palm trees and water features. Landscapers were flown in from Portugal, no less, in order to get things right. What’s more it’s free in.

And for a completely different night out, it’s worth checking out whether Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium has a race on. Whether you win money or lose money you should have fun in the process (providing you don’t lose too much money, of course). Details of race nights can be found here.

Forthcoming events

30 June-3 July 2011: The Tall Ships Race. Tall ships, racing, music and more. www.waterfordtallshipsrace.ie

29-31 July 2011: Spraoi. Waterford's annual street arts festival with a big top too. www.spraoi.com

4-6 November 2011: The 5th Annual Waterford Film Festival, held at Greyfriars Arts Gallery. www.waterfordfilmfestival.com