Temple Bar, Dublin

Temple Bar is Dublin's designated cultural quarter, a compact grid of narrow, cobbled streets on the south bank of the River Liffey between the two bridges of the city centre. Named after a family and a riverside walk rather than any single pub, it grew from a run-down district threatened with demolition into a lively hub of nightlife, culture and tourism from the 1990s onward.

By day and night it wears two faces. After dark the area is famous, or notorious, for its concentration of pubs and bars, spilling live traditional music and crowds onto the streets, making it the most boisterous corner of the capital. By day it is calmer, revealing galleries, craft shops, cafes and a strong roster of cultural institutions.

Culture underpins the quarter. The Irish Film Institute, the Gallery of Photography, the National Photographic Archive and a scatter of artists' studios and small theatres give substance to the cultural label, and weekend food, book and design markets fill its squares. Meeting House Square hosts open-air screenings and performances beneath retractable canopies.

It is best explored on foot. The area is small, central and easily reached from O'Connell Street or Grafton Street across the river, and there is no charge to wander it, only for what you eat, drink or see. The cobbled surfaces can be awkward for wheelchairs and, given its reputation, the pubs here are among the priciest in the city. Daytime and early evening reward those seeking its galleries and markets rather than the late-night crush. As the most concentrated slice of Dublin's social and creative life, it remains a near-inevitable stop on any first visit to the city.