Waterford is by far one of the most beautiful hillside towns in Ireland. This town was a pleasure to visit twice! Both times were during Ireland's largest Christmas festival called “Winterval”! (Takes place from November 17 - December 23 in Waterford, Ireland). Below I will highlight Waterford’s “Winterval” attractions that hope to inspire anyone travelling to Ireland during the holidays to add this to their itinerary. All Winterval festivities can be found within the Gladstone Street - Conduit Lane area. However, Winterval takes place in the heart of Waterford on Broad Street.
Vendors with a focus on Christmas shopping
Winterval showcases many local Irish vendors selling their handmade goods. From eye-catching art pieces to homemade wool scarves, there is a gift here for everyone on your list! Don’t be surprised if you leave Waterford with many gifts bought for yourself, either. I encourage you to be selfish because many of the local handmade goods are unique to Ireland and their culture.
Family Friendly Activities
It doesn’t matter if you are a resident of Ireland or a family touring Ireland, Winterval offers plenty of family-friendly activities that everyone of all ages can enjoy together! My favourite is the skating rink located along the riverside beside Meagher’s Quay. It is recommended to reserve your ticket to an allocated date and time ahead of schedule, so be sure to keep this in mind if you plan on skating at Winterval. Cost for ticket admissions are the following: Children: €16, Adult: €18, Family of 3: €45, Family of 4: €56. For more details on the skating rink, everything can be found here.
There are plenty of rides for the kids to choose from that allow parents to join, such as, carousels, large slides, small train rides and more! Not interested in thrill rides? Other attraction options to enjoy Winterval include the gingerbread craft house. The “Port of Waterford Eye” (Ferris Wheel) is another great option to enjoy family time while getting fantastic views of Waterford's city! Winterval also offers a smaller Ferris Wheel for people who may be afraid of taller heights. This can be located at “2 Arundel Square”.
Variety of restaurants to choose from
Waterford has plenty of restaurants to dine at during Winterval. Delicious hot chocolate/coffee and snack stands are scattered across Winterval to keep attendees warm and fed. From fast food options such as Supermacs to Thai food at Bell Pepper Waterford to atmospheric pubs and family-friendly cafes. Whatever you are craving, there are many options that I’m sure will fill you and the rest of the family with holiday joy! For details on places to eat, click here!
Waterford’s Library
Waterford has a huge 3-level library called “The Book Centre” located along Broad Street that hosts more than just books! On the first floor, you will immediately be greeted by a gift shop followed by holiday chocolate being sold on the side wall. Furthermore, if you stay left, you will enter the kids’ zone which will give the young ones fun activities to do along with finding age-appropriate books for them to read. The rest of the first floor is slightly divided by the lower main reading area with space to read at small tables and upper levels which you can reach on the far right of the library by walking up the 3-step staircase.
If you stay right and climb the next staircase, you will enter a small cafe called “The Book Bar” on the second floor. If you enjoy having a cup of coffee and reading a new book, this is the place to be! Finally, office supplies can be found on the third floor after climbing the staircase to the right of the cafe. This library has a little bit of everything and is a must-see place when you are touring Waterford, especially during the holiday season!
Transportation
You can get to Waterford by train, bus or car. All transportation costs and travel time depend on where you are departing. For example in this blog, I will be using Carlow as the point of departure because this is where I currently live in Ireland. For a return trip to Waterford from Carlow, the adult ticket is around €17. Important tip: If you are 23 years old or under, you can apply for a TFI Leap Card which gives you a discount on most transportation services in Ireland! A Student/Young Adult card could get you €8.50 for this round trip. Saving you around €10! You can take a 1-hour direct train ride using “Irish Rail” to Waterford from Carlow and a 1-hour return. If you are travelling by bus, J.J Kavanagh & Sons is a great option to travel to Waterford. With similar ticket prices to the train, adult bus tickets are around €18 per round trip and Student/Young Adult tickets are around €9. It is about a 1-hour bus ride from Carlow to Waterford and a bit over an hour return. If you are comfortable with driving in Ireland and renting a car, this would be the easiest and fastest way to Waterford.
In my opinion, Waterford’s Winter Festival should be one of the top Christmas festivals to visit in the United Kingdom/Europe. Outside of the winter festival, there are many activities around the main town and the entire county. A blog highlighting the county's activities will arrive in the future, so look forward to that!