With PFT Travel located in the wonderful County Carlow, there is a compilation of top visitor experiences for you to see. Here are our top places for you to explore and enjoy.
1. Altamont Gardens
Gardens with an old-world and an atmosphere all of their own. It is a beautiful estate covering 16 hectares in total and has seen to be a place which strives for ‘honest simplicity’. There is a fascinating walk through the Arboretum,Bog Garden and Ice Age Glen, which are sheltered by ancient oaks and flanked by huge stone outcrops, leading to the banks of the River Slaney. Their plant sales boasts of having one of the largest collections of old shrub roses available for sale to the gardening public year round.
2. Carlow County Museum
Within the centre of Carlow Town’s Cultural Quarter, it is a popular tourist attraction and local resource for anyone who is interested in Carlow’s fascinating past. A range of exhibitions and artefacts displayed over four galleries enable visitors to discover the heritage of the local area. Be wowed by the 340 million year old fossil, along with the magnificently hand carved 19th century wooden pulpit from Carlow Cathedral, one of the top 100 objects to view in an Irish museum, along with an exhibition on the Carlow Sugar Factory, ireland’s first and largest sugar factory, which opened in 1926.
3. Canoeing along the River Barrow
Do you enjoy outdoor activities? Then look no further. Go With The Flow Adventures has canoe fun for every level, including water rapids and a river safari. You can rent a canoe as well as camping gear to organise your multi-day trip down the River Barrow. With a number of trails between New Ross in Co.Wexford and Monasterevin in County Kildare, you could paddle for up to six days passing through villages, towns and historical sites.
4. Huntington Castle
A castle voted as one of Ireland’s top 20 Hidden Gems by The Guardian is set over 160 acres of gardens, woodland and farmland. It features a fascinating guided tour which explains its 17th century history. The tour also features the world famous temple of Goddess located in the old castle dungeons. These gardens are well worth a visit in their own right and were mainly laid out in the 17th century by the Esmondes who built Huntington Castle in 1625.
5. The Barrow Way Walk
Did you know that the Judges of the Irish Times Best Day Out in Ireland selected the Barrow Way as one of the top five finest and impressive visitor attractions in the country in 2015. Not only that, last year it was featured in the Irish Times list of top 20 Places to holiday in Ireland. The ‘Barrow Way’ is a long-distance walking trail which follows the original towpath of the river. The towpath was used for the pulling of barges and boats by horses in the past. The route offers excellent and varied walking to visitors, the ground is level throughout passing good farmland and where tillage and cattle farming is predominant. The full length of the Barrow Way from Roberstown to St.Mullins is 113 km.
