Page 323 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

It’s a Georgian classic,
its octagonal square and
tidy streets lined with
trees and handsome
buildings, most of which
date from the late 18th
JOHN ELK/GETTY IMAGES ©
century.
The Drive » Follow the N84
as far as the outskirts of Galway
city – a trip of about 100km.
Take the N18 south into County
Clare. At Kilcolgan, turn onto
the N67 and into the heart of
the Burren.

7 The Burren IRELAND 23 THE LONG WAY ROuND
The karst landscape
of the Burren is not
the green Ireland of
postcards. But there are
wildflowers in spring,
giving the 560-sq-km
Burren brilliant, if
ephemeral, colour amid
its austere beauty. Soil
may be scarce, but the
small amount that gath-
ers in the cracks and
faults is well drained
and nutrient-rich. This,
together with the mild
Atlantic climate, sup-
ports an extraordinary
mix of Mediterranean,
Arctic and alpine plants.
Of Ireland’s native
wildflowers, 75% are
found here, including
24 species of beautiful
orchids, the creamy-
white burnet rose, the
little starry flowers of
mossy saxifrage and the
magenta-coloured bloody
cranesbill.
The Drive » It’s 36km
southwest to Doolin along the
R460 and R476 roads, which
cut through more familiar Irish
landscapes of green fields. The

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