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Planning a short visit to Dublin? Check out 48 Hours In Dublin, your online guide for short stays and weekend getaways.

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While Dublin Castle is not a real castle, its emerald green park is situated in the spot at which the River Dodder, flowing into the River Liffey, formed a "dubh linn," or "dark pool." The grass in the park has been trimmed into a Celtic design which can only be seen from the air. Set against the backdrop of Dublin Castle's gaily painted exterior, the park is a welcome change from the city's masses of granite.

The ninth-century Vikings chose this place for their original settlement in Ireland, and a visitor standing on any of the sixteen bridges which now span the River Liffey as it meanders through Ireland's capital city on its way from the Wicklow Mountains to the Irish Sea

That settlement of wooden huts has, over the centuries, been transformed into a city of gray stone solidity. But Dublin has belied its somber appearance by becoming one of the trendiest and wealthiest hotpots in all of Europe. Dublin is a charming and captivating mix of ancient Irish legend and 21st century Irish energy, and it has something to offer visitors of all interests.

For more than you can possibly see in a single day, head for Phoenix Park west of the city's center. The parklands 700 hectares (1750 acres), given to the people of Dublin 1745, were once the personal hunting domain of King Charles II, and remain home to a herd of five hundred deer. The world-famous Dublin Zoo, the Magazine Fort (site of the first battle of the Easter Rising), the home of the Irish president, and the People's Garden are only a few of the Park's other attractions.

Dublin is the home of Trinity College, established in 1585 and the alma mater of Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde. But it greatest literary prize is the Book of Kells, a hand-drawn and illuminated manuscript of the four gospels which dates back to 800 A.D.

Close to Trinity College is pedestrian-only Grafton Street, the place which best captures the flavor of contemporary Dublin. With its street entertainers and dozens of shops and eating places, Grafton Street is bathed in city's auras of prosperity, energy, and confidence. Knock back a Guinness where playwright Brendan Behan did, at McDaid's pub on Harry Street off Grafton Street, and explore all the other byways surrounding Grafton Street because they are hiding some of the best shopping and dining in Dublin.

Or introduce yourself to traditional Irish food, at Gallagher's Boxty House in Temple Bar, north of Grafton Street, with one of the Gallagher's Boxty House specials. A griddle cake filled with anything from boiled bacon and cabbage to lamb or beef, the boxty is soaked your choice of sauce. Follow your meal with a glimpse into Dublin's medieval past by visiting Isolde's Tower, a remnant of the old city's walls.

On a rise just southwest of Temple Bar is Christchurch Cathedral, constructed by King Sitric in 1038 A.D. by King Sitric and renovated to its present state in 1871. The cathedral is the burial place of Strongbow, the 2nd Earl of Pembroke who led the Anglo-Norman invasion of England in 1169.

Love the idea of ghosts? Then don't miss St. Audoen's Church which dates back to the 12th century, with the three oldest bells (cast in 1483) in Ireland. Legend has it that the ghost of Darky Kelly, a 17th century brothel owner, has been seen along the "Forty Steps" which lead from medieval Dublin to the side gate of the church, where hundreds of babies were abandoned.

No trip to Dublin would be complete without a trek to Wicklow Mountains National Park and a hike to Glendalough, where Saint Kevin and his community of hermits lived on the shores of the Upper and Lower Lakes. Swimming, rock climbing, and on-road cycling are also permitted. For golfers, Dublin offers some of the best opportunities in the entire United Kingdom, with the Royal Dublin

Golf Club heading the list. A close second is the Howth Peninsula's Druid's Heath course, with it stone crosses and sweeping vistas of the Irish Sea.

Follow a day on the links with a night spent taking in a dramatic production at the Abbey Theatre, established by none other than William Butler Yeats. If nightclubs are more to your taste, head for head for Lillie's Bordello at Adam Court off Grafton Street for the best after-hours music and dancing in the city.

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