Grafton Street is Dublin’s historic pedestrian street epitomizing the whole city. If in other European capitals, locals and travelers plan meetings, go shopping, satisfy their hunger, and relax in and about vast and spacious squares, in Dublin, they go to a narrow and winding street that has been at the heart of the city’s social life for more than a century, both literally and figuratively.

Grafton Street begins in the south with St. Stephen’s Green Park, serpentining along splendid old buildings with luxury shops and restaurants, gradually narrowing and descending to College Green facilities in the north. This small and seemingly insignificant pedestrian alley connecting the two famous landmarks of Dublin overshadows all other streets of the city and country.

The narrowness of Grafton Street gives it a warm and cozy touch. From the north, bright sunlight overshines it, spreading all over the street and playing on the facades of low-rise houses of red brick or terracotta. It is a pleasant place with the vibes of a toy town for adults, where you’ll want to return again and again.

“Grafton Street’s a wonderland. There’s magic in the air,” says the famous Irish song of the early 20th century, Dublin Saunter. And it’s hard to disagree with it. The magic of Grafton Street is perennial: it starts with the summer heat when the street is full of tourists from all over the world, and up to the midwinter when it is lit with the Christmas lights, and the pre-holiday sales begin.

In 2008, Grafton Street was called one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world. However, besides the shops and restaurants that irrevocably attract passers-by, Dublin’s main street is also attractive for other sights. In addition to St. Stephen’s Green Park and Trinity College buildings close to Grafton Street, you can see the statue representing Molly Malone, a character of the famous Irish folk song, unveiled in 1987. It has since become the principal meeting place for the citizens. There is also a bronze sculpture of the famous British Irish singer Phil Lynott, unveiled in 2005.