Powerscourt House & Gardens is located in County Wicklow in Ireland. It is a top attraction in the Dublin area, known for its house and beautifully manicured gardens. The home and the gardens have been featured prominently in multiple movies. Most notably it can be seen in The Count of Monte Cristo featuring Jim Caviezel as Edmond Dantès. This is the estate he purchased after finding his treasure.
House
While the house is an attraction, it really isn’t much of a house anymore. Having been destroyed by fire, it has been re-worked as a shopping mall of sorts. It also features The Avoca Terrace Cafe which is pretty good based on my experience. Weddings are also a big business for them and they have facilities for this as well.
The Gardens
The Gardens are probably the best part of the estate. The gardens are ranked number three in the world’s top ten gardens by National Geographic. We spent hours roaming the gardens and the property. Prepare to spend several hours while you are there. This is not an in and out attraction.
The Italian Garden – This is the first garden you will see when entering the property. Located on a perfectly manicured lawn with a view of Sugarloaf Mountain beyond the garden. The Italian Garden is perfectly symmetric on both sides of the terraces.
The Walled Garden – This is one of the oldest sections of the gardens. Many of the plants and shrubs have been there since Lord and Lady Powerscourt first planted them.
Japanese Garden – This is one of my favorite gardens on the estate. Includes a Pagoda and Japanese bridges. Another favorite are is the Grotto. It features secret pathways and a very romantic atmosphere. A really fun place for kids to run around as well!
Other Features
Pets Cemetery – One of the more unique areas of the gardens is the Pet Cemetery. This is no Steven King novel, but a resting place of the pets of the Wingfield and Slazenger families. I is pretty interesting to see the names associated with the various animals. Definitely take a look at this while there.
Tower Valley – This area of the gardens could be missed if not careful. I missed it during my first trip to Powerscourt. Here you will find Pepperpot Tower where you can climb the winding stairs and enjoy views of all of Powerscourt.
To get more information, check out the estate’s website for ticketing and opening times.
Below are scenes from the Film Count of Monte Cristo filmed at Powerscourt Estate:
To see other videos focused on Ireland click here for more.
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