Grafton Street

Dublin's premier shopping street has been a catwalk for the city's aspirations since it was first laid out in 1708, connecting Trinity College to St. Stephen's Green. Named after Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton (an illegitimate son of Charles II), the street was pedestrianized in 1982 and has been one of the most expensive retail strips in Europe ever since. It regularly ranks among the top twenty most expensive shopping streets in the world.

The first thing you'll notice is the buskers. Grafton Street has a busking tradition that goes back decades, and the quality can be genuinely startling — everyone from Glen Hansard to Bono has played for coins here. The street operates a busking permit system now, which keeps things somewhat organized, but on a good Saturday afternoon the performances roll into each other like an open-air festival.

At the Suffolk Street end stands the Molly Malone statue, depicting the fictional fishmonger from Dublin's unofficial anthem. The bronze statue by Jeanne Rynhart was unveiled during the 1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations and was moved to its current spot in 2014 to make way for Luas tram works. Dubliners christened her "The Tart with the Cart" approximately five minutes after she was installed.

Bewley's Oriental Cafe, with its Harry Clarke stained glass windows, has anchored the street since 1927 and narrowly escaped closure in 2004 when a public outcry saved it. It's one of those places where the coffee is fine but the real product is atmosphere — marble tables, red velvet banquettes, and the quiet hum of a city that loves its rituals.