BLACKBOOK U R B A N P R
BLACKBOOK U R B A N P R I M E R Interactive display at EPIC for the tech generation, which chronicles the far-reaching influence of the globetrotting Irish diaspora. At home, more than 3,000 Irish rebels involved in the turbulent events of 1916’s Easter Rising were held at Richmond Barracks (richmondbarracks.ie) before they were transferred to Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin’s inner city. The new exhibition galleries there chronicle the history of the barracks and relay the personal stories of participants in the rising, including some of the 77 women held there. BOTTOMS UP Much-loved local landmark and Grafton Street rendezvous point Bewley’s Oriental Cafe (bewleys. ie) has been shrouded in scaffolding for the last year but will soon swing its doors open following a serious spruce-up. For those who like something a little stronger, whiskey is having a bit of a moment with several new ventures springing up around the country. One of these riding the new wave is the Teeling Whiskey Distillery (teelingdistillery.com), the first operational whiskey distillery in the city for 125 years. A state-of-the-art building in the historic Liberties neighbourhood is where guests can learn what goes into making this liquid gold followed by a tasting flight of single malts, small batches and cocktails. Forest & Marcy (forestandmarcy.ie) is the latest offshoot of Forest Avenue restaurant, which has been wowing diners since it opened two years ago. A changing list of small producer wines is the order of the day here, accompanied by small, flavoursome sharingstyle plates. DEBUT IN THE COUNTRY Dublin’s Heuston Station is the starting point for hitting the tracks on board the lavish Belmond Grand Hibernian (belmond.com) sleeper train launched earlier this year. Its two-, four- and six-night journeys whisk travellers in custom-built Georgian-era inspired style, north and south of the border through the velvety green countryside to some of Ireland’s most scenic spots like Antrim’s extraordinary Giant’s Causeway, the haunting beauty of the Lakes of Killarney and Ashford Castle. ♦ In Bloom ZURICH’S WILD SIDE Born in the city’s burgeoning West district, an emerging creative scene is making itself known across town. BY MARY LUSSIANA Switzerland’s largest city may still be led by its financial acumen, but a sprightly art and design buzz is imbuing the lakeside metropolis with a surprising burst of creative energy. It is the centenary of Dada, and the city kicked off celebrations this June by hosting the European contemporary art biennial Manifesta (m11.manifesta.org), including a floating Pavilion of Reflections screening video artworks on the lake. In perfect tandem, a slew of new openings, from hotels to concept shops and museums – like the groundbreaking MuDA (muda.co), Europe’s first digital-art museum which transforms algorithms and codes into art – is adding a long-lasting cultural edginess to the city, a transformation that began in the industrial district, Zurich West, and serves as a youthful counterpoint to the cobbled conservatism of the old town. The old town, however, is the focus right now for the events at Cabaret Voltaire (cabaretvoltaire.ch), the birthplace of Dada, which take place most days with the spirit of the avant-garde artistic movement. Just opposite, the 39 bedrooms of the Marktgasse Hotel (marktgassehotel.ch) blend modern minimalism with ancient 13th-century heritage. It marked a new departure for Zurich’s hotel scene late last year with its pared-down luxe » Clockwise from above: the historic cafe at Cabaret Voltaire; vegetable-tanned leather rucksack by Soeder; the watertop Pavilion of Reflections FROM CLOCKWISE LEFT: © FROM EPIC, TOP © DN LEFT: DESIGN © EPIC, © DN DESIGN, MARTIN STOLLENWERK, © SOEDER, WOLFGANG TRÄGER 34 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS
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