Just an hour south of Dublin, scenically striking County Wicklow is home to some of the Emerald Isle’s most historic and majestic draws. Wicklow’s most imposing natural feature are its wild chain of granite and schist mountains, carving through the heart of the county and throwing up a world of walking possibilities.

The most famous trail of all is the aptly-named Wicklow Way, running for 132km through verdant forests and heath, woodland and blanket bog valleys, along disused military supply lines and old roads. The staging post for most Wicklow wayfarers is Glendalough which actually means, ‘‘Valley of the Two Lakes’’, located in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains National Park.

In AD 498, a young monk named Kevin arrived in the valley and decided that it would be a perfect spot to meditate in silence, living in a little cave, now known as St. Kevin’s bed. The Bronze Age tomb, is set in the rock face overhanging the Upper Lake. Legend has it that he was there by an angel. For seven years, Glendalough was his place of solitude, sleeping on stones, wearing animal skins, maintaining a near-starvation diet, and apparently befriending birds and animals. The silence and serenity was eventually shattered, as word spread of a young chap living like a hermit, and many others wanted to emulate his natural lifestyle, communing with God. Perhaps the irony of copy-catting his hermetic existence, communing with God, in the same area, was lost on them. But Kevin embraced it.

Over time, the Monastic City became one of Europe’s most renowned centres of early religious learning. Sadly, it was invaded, looted and all but destroyed, first, by the Vikings and, later, by English forces. Much of what you can see today dates from the 11th century, and some ruins have been partially restored.

For a change in scenery, the Vale of Avoca, in southern Wicklow, is another wildly popular sightseeing spot, worthy of a biscuit tin. Within the darkly wooded valley, the Rivers Avonbeg and Avonmore join together to form the river Avoca, a gorgeous natural fusion known as the Meeting of the Waters, and eulogised by Thomas Moore’s 1808 poem of the same name.

The pint-sized village of Avoca, is world-famous as the location of hit TV show, Ballykissangel. The entire BBC series was filmed here, and many of the local residents were ‘‘extras’’ in the show. Pop into the instantly recognisable local pub, Fitzgeralds, for a friendly tipple. Ireland’s oldest working mill is also located in the village. Avoca Handweavers has been churning out linens, wools and other fabrics for nearly 300 years, and you can buy some sharply-priced exquisitely woven goods direct from the mill.

Powerscourt Estate, located in the artisan village of Enniskerry, would not look out of place in France’s famed Loire Valley. The palatial estate can trace its origins from the 1300’s, but it was under Richard Wingfield, the newly appointed Marshall of Ireland, that the Palladian style mansion and sublime gardens were developed. Wingfield took possession of the estate in 1603, and it remained in his descendants hands for over 350 years.

Tragedy struck in 1974. Following a major restoration to the interior of the mansion, a devastating fire gutted the house, on the eve of its opening to the public. The famous sporting goods family, the Slazengers, subsequently acquired the estate and set about on a fresh restoration project. Within the mansion, much work has been completed, but plenty remains to be done. A fantastically presented multimedia exhibition traces the history and dramas that the estate has witnessed over the centuries. The biggest drawcard to Powercourt Estate is undoubtedly the landscaped gardens. Sweeping terraces, ornamental lakes, august statuary, rambling walks, secret hollows and vast forest vista are all part of the mix. The exquisite eye-candy of the Japanese Gardens are a photogenic hit, as is the poignancy of the animal cemetery.

All of the Wingfield family’s pets were buried in this formal, final resting place, complete with headstones and heart-warming epitaphs. Powercourt Estate, nestled below the sky-scraping natural backdrop of Great Sugarloaf Mountain makes for a highly rewarding and intimate encounter with nature and nobility.