The Atlantic Companion · Causeway Coastal Route · Derry
Derry — or Londonderry, depending who you ask, and most people here are easy about either — is the only fully intact walled city in Ireland and the western anchor of the Causeway Coastal Route. The walls went up in the 1610s during the Plantation; the Bogside murals went up in the 1990s. Between the two you can read most of the last four hundred years. It's also where the Foyle meets Lough Foyle, which is where Northern Ireland meets the Republic — drive twenty minutes north and you're on the Wild Atlantic Way at Inishowen.
Walled city on the Foyle — and the bridge to the Wild Atlantic Way.
First things first
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The essentials
Locally chosen, not algorithmic. In rough order of "if you only do one thing".
History
A complete one-mile circuit on top of the 17th-century ramparts — the only city in Ireland where you can do this. About 45 minutes at a strolling pace. You're looking down into the Bogside on one side and the Diamond on the other; the whole city is laid out beneath you. Free, open all hours.
Good to know · Easiest access at Magazine Gate by the Tower Museum. No barriers; mind small children.
History
Twelve large-scale murals along Rossville Street painted by the Bogside Artists, telling the story of the Civil Rights movement, Bloody Sunday, and the Troubles from the people who lived through them. The Museum of Free Derry at the end of the street is the essential context.
Good to know · Walk down from the walls at Butcher Gate. Museum of Free Derry has a small entry fee; the murals are free and outdoor.
View
The S-curving footbridge over the Foyle that links the (largely Protestant) Waterside to the (largely Catholic) Cityside, opened in 2011. The symbolism is the point — but it's also just the best place in town for a walk at dusk, with the Guildhall lit up behind you.
Good to know · Five-minute walk from the Guildhall. Lit until late.
History
Neo-Gothic civic building on the river, finished in 1890 and rebuilt twice after fire and bombs. Free to enter — go in for the stained glass alone, which is some of the best in Ireland. Small permanent exhibition on the Plantation of Ulster downstairs.
Good to know · Guildhall Square. Free entry, Mon–Sat. Café on site.
History
Built into the city walls at Union Hall Place. Two permanent exhibitions — the Story of Derry, and An Armada Shipwreck (the 1588 wreck of La Trinidad Valencera off the Donegal coast). The viewing platform on top gives you the best view of the walls themselves.
Good to know · Paid entry. Closed Sundays/Mondays in winter — check before visiting.
Town
A small courtyard of shops, a café, and a couple of bars tucked between Shipquay Street and Magazine Street inside the walls — built in the 1990s to look like an 18th-century market square, and the easiest place in town to stop for a coffee while you orient yourself.
Good to know · Open access during the day. Live music in the courtyard most summer evenings.
Local businesses
Hand-picked, not paid for. The ferries, the beds, the pubs and the bike hire that make a visit work.
Before you go. These listings are compiled from public sources and aren't yet verified by the businesses themselves. Hours, menus and prices change with the seasons — always check directly with the venue before travelling, and book ahead in July and August. Owners can get in touch to update their listing.
Drink
The trad-music pub on Waterloo Street — sessions every night, no cover, packed by 10pm. Named for the Donegal socialist and writer; one of the great singing pubs of the north.
Do
Inside the city walls at Union Hall Place — two permanent exhibitions: the Story of Derry, and An Armada Shipwreck (artefacts from La Trinidad Valencera, sunk in Kinnagoe Bay in 1588).
Run a place in Derry / Londonderry?
Our directory is curated, not pay-to-play. If we'd recommend you, you can be on here.
See how to get listedGot a window or a counter?
Download a free A5 QR card for Derry / Londonderry — print it, stick it up, and visitors land straight on the Derry / Londonderry guide.
Ask a local
Sunset from the Foyle Bridge
Not the Peace Bridge — the big road bridge upriver. There's a footpath. The whole city lights up below you as the sky goes orange behind the Sperrins. Locals know; tourists don't.
A Bogside walking tour with someone who was there
Several of the Civil Rights generation still run small group tours of the Bogside. An hour with one of them — Free Derry Tours, Bogside History Tours — is worth more than any museum. Book directly, not through a hotel.
Know a Derry spot worth sharing?
The chipper, the bar with the trad, the café in the walls. Tell us and we'll add it (with a credit if you like).
Common questions
Yes — Derry/Londonderry is the only completely walled city in Ireland and one of the best preserved in Europe; you can walk the full 1.5 km of 17th-century walls in under an hour. The Bogside murals, the Museum of Free Derry and the Peace Bridge across the Foyle all give honest, accessible context to the city's recent history.
Both names are in everyday use. The city's official UK name is Londonderry; the city council uses Derry City and Strabane District. Locals largely use Derry; many road signs and rail tickets use Londonderry. Using either is fine, though most visitors quickly settle on Derry in conversation.
One full day covers the walled city walk, the Bogside murals, the Museum of Free Derry and the Peace Bridge. Two nights lets you add the Tower Museum, an evening in the Craft Village, and a day-trip out to the Inishowen Peninsula (Grianan of Aileach, Malin Head) just across the border.
Yes — Derry is a safe modern city for visitors and one of the most welcoming cities in Ireland to travellers. The political murals in the Bogside are part of the city's recent history and are openly visited on excellent guided tours, conducted respectfully and recommended for context.
Practical
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