Despite being one of Ireland’s smallest counties, County Carlow’s gorgeous location in the sunny south east has made it one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Bordered by the spectacular Blackstairs Mountains to the east and the Barrow Valley and the Killeshin Hills to the west, with a wonderfully diverse landscape of river valleys and fertile farmlands, it is one of Ireland’s most picturesque counties and a favourite destination for outdoor enthusiasts, from hang gliders to hikers and anglers.

The county has a history of human settlement stretching back more than 6,000 years, evidence of which can be seen in the hundreds of pagan and early Christian sites dotted across the landscape. The most prominent of these is the 5,000 year old Brownshill Dolmen. Topped by the largest capstone in Europe, weighing a massive 100 tonnes, it is one of the most fascinating ancient sites in Ireland and attracts countless visitors every year.

County Carlow is one of the most picturesque counties in Ireland, its many towns and villages are well worth visiting for their warm and intimate ambience. Carlow itself is a buzzing market town with a collection of fine buildings. The most prominent of these, the Carlow Courthouse, is modelled on the Parthenon in Athens and was originally intended to be built in Cork, but the plans for the two buildings somehow became mixed up.

Other towns worth places worth visiting are the sublime Georgian village of Borris, and the intimate angling town of Tullow on the River Slaney. But while County Carlow’s unique towns and villages make for a welcome change of pace, its magnificent landscape is clearly the greatest attraction, offering visitors sharp contrasts between fast flowing rivers and rugged mountains, creating some of Ireland’s most spectacular vistas in the process.