Cork City

The major metropolis of the south, Cork is Ireland's second-largest city—but you have to put this in perspective. It actually runs a distant second, with a population of 123,000, roughly one-tenth the size of Dublin. In the last decade, with high prices and overcrowding in Dublin, Cork became the new hot spot for urban thrills. Groups of Europeans still pop over for a weekend of partying, as the city makes a great base from which to explore the whole of the South. The city remains a spirited place, with a formidable pub culture, a lively traditional-music scene, a respected and progressive university, attractive art galleries, and offbeat cafés. The city received a major boost in 2005 when it was named a Capital of Culture by the European Union—the smallest city ever to receive the designation. The result was a burst in development; one of the lasting legacies is a striking but controversial redesign of the city center (Patrick Street and Grand Parade) by Barcelona-based architect Beth Gali. Next to Galway, Cork has one of the largest communities of hippies, dropouts, musicians, and poets outside Dublin. Cork can be very "Irish" (hurling, Gaelic football, locally televised plowing contests, music pubs, and peak smoke). But depending on what part of town you're in, Cork can also be distinctly un-Irish—the sort of place where hippies, gays, and conservative farmers drink at the same pub.