Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Afterward, visit the glittering salesroom, surrounded by hard-to-pack but easy-to-ship
temptations. Take a look at the copies of famous sports trophies (they make backups of
their most important commissions, just in case).
Museum of Treasures
Waterford presents its impressive history in a three-museum complex called the Museum
of Treasures, with the locations just a damsel's handkerchief drop from each other. This
“Viking Triangle” rests onthe original triangular-shaped Viking fort section oftown. Each
branch is connected to the other by a two-minute walk (the museum's tagline is “Vikings
to Victorians: 1,000 years of history in 1,000 paces”). To see the branches in historical
sequence, first visit Reginald's Tower on the harborfront to understand the Viking roots
of the city. Then stroll up The Mall to find Chorister's Hall Medieval Museum, a modern
structure tucked behind the Theatre Royal. This branch shows Norman and Tudor artifacts
above an original 13th-century vaulted wine cellar. Finally, right next door, you can visit
the imposing Bishop's Palace, a fine mansion full of everything Waterford from 1700 to
the present. Few Irish towns can claim a meatier bite of Irish history than Waterford.
Note: Entry to Reginald's Tower is covered by the Heritage Card (see “Sightseeing
Passes,” here ) . Chorister's Hall and Bishop's Palace are not, but they do offer a combo-
ticket for entry into both.
Reginald's Tower
This oldest part of the oldest town in Ireland is named after Regnall, the first (Norwegian)
Viking leader of Waterford, who built a fortified oaken tower here in A.D. 914 and later
invaded Jorvik (York, England). Dating from the late 1100s, the stone Norman tower you
see today replaced the wooden one and was once the most important corner of the town
wall. The tower is Ireland's oldest intact building and the first made with mortar. Today,
its four floors creak with Viking artifacts.
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