Blessington: Greenway, Russborough and Lakeside Scenery

Blessington combines the charm of a historic town with a Greenway, an expansive parkland and experiences centred on birds of prey. The Blessington Greenway starts in Blessington, follows the shores of the Blessington Lakes through woodland and natural forest areas, and connects the historic town with Russborough House. This brings several different travel interests into play: you can focus on the path and the waterside scenery, explore the house and parkland, or discover the activities involving birds of prey.

Greenway, House and Parkland

Russborough House is a Palladian house with artworks, antiques and stories about the people who lived there in the past. This combination gives the place a cultural character: its architecture, collections and accounts of former residents offer different starting points for your explorations. Across Russborough’s parkland, ancient trees, planned vistas and hidden paths are spread over 200 acres. The deliberately designed sightlines and less apparent paths describe two different sides of this landscape.

Two walking routes are listed: a 2 km Lake Walk and a 2.5 km Woodland Walk. The Lake Walk is therefore the shorter of the two; the Woodland Walk is 0.5 km longer. If route length matters when planning your day, you can take this difference into account. Another way to experience birds of prey is the Hawk Walk, which begins with an introduction to around 40 birds of prey. This is followed by a leisurely walk through the grounds of Russborough with a falconer and one of the larger falcons.

Birds of Prey and Waterside Scenery

The National Bird of Prey Centre features eagles, falcons, hawks and owls. A guided tour and a talk are also offered there, and visitors can hold some of the hand-reared birds. Together with the Hawk Walk, these provide different ways to experience birds of prey: an introduction and walk through the grounds of Russborough, as well as activities focused on various species of birds of prey. If you are interested in birds, you can take these options into account when choosing what to focus on during your trip.

The waterside scenery also shapes the area around Blessington. The Blessington Lakes lie in the Wicklow Mountains and cover around 5,000 acres of water. The road around the lakes offers views across the reservoir and the Wicklow Mountains, and can be travelled by car or bicycle. Poulaphouca Reservoir, Ireland’s largest man-made lake, is also nearby. The Greenway on foot and the road around the Blessington Lakes offer different options alongside an outing focused on the scenery.

Which travel focus suits your stay?

More places to explore: Redcross, Ballyknockan, Boystown, Oldbridge, Kilcoole, Shillelagh, Tinahely and Bray.

For the broader travel overview: County Wicklow.