Discover History & Heritage
The City Walls
The best way to get a feel for Derry’s layout and history is to walk the circumference of the city’s walls. (1.5km)
Completed in 1619, Derry’s city walls are 8m high and 9m thick, and are the only city walls in Ireland to survive almost intact.
The four original gates (Shipquay, Ferryquay, Bishop’s and Butcher’s) were rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries, when three new gates (New, Magazine and Castle) were added.
Recommended:
Museum of Free Derry & Free Derry Corner:
Narrating the history of the Bogside.
Just off Rossville St, this excellent museum chronicles the history of the Bogside, the Civil Rights Movement and the events of Bloody Sunday through photographs, newspaper reports, film clips, interactive displays and the accounts of first-hand witnesses, including some of the original photographs that inspired the murals of the nearby People’s Gallery.
Recommended:
The Tower Museum
Award-winning museum inside a replica 16th-century tower house.
Excellent Armada Shipwreck exhibition, and the Story of Derry, exhibits and audiovisuals lead you through the city’s history, from the founding of the monastery of St Colmcille (Columba) in the 6th century to the Battle of the Bogside in the late 1960s.
Recommended:
St Columb's Cathedral
Derry’s oldest surviving building.
Built between 1628 and 1633 from the same grey-green schist as the city walls, this was the first post-Reformation church to be erected in Britain and Ireland. You can see the original foundation stone of 1633 that records the cathedral’s completion. The smaller stone inset comes from the original church built here in 1164.
Recommended:
The Guildhall
Landmark building in the centre of town.
Standing just outside the city walls, the neo-Gothic Guildhall was originally built in 1890, then rebuilt after a fire in 1908. Its fine stained-glass windows were presented by the London livery companies, and its clock tower was modelled on London’s Big Ben. Inside, there’s a historical exhibition on the Plantation of Ulster, and a tourist information point.
Recommended:
The Peace Bridge
Iconic landmark linking Cityside and Waterside.
Sinuous and elegant, this 2011-completed, S-shaped pedestrian and cyclist bridge spans the River Foyle, linking the walled city on the west bank to Ebrington Sq on the east in a symbolic handshake.
Recommended:
Indulge in our Culinary Scenee
Pyke 'n' Pommes
Derry’s best street food now with Big Decky seating.
Chef Kevin Pyke’s delicious, mostly organic burgers span his signature Notorious PIG (pulled pork, crispy slaw, beetroot and crème fraiche) and Veganderry (chickpeas, lemon and coriander) to his Legenderry Burger (wagyu beef, pickled onions and honey-mustard mayo). Keep an eye out for seasonal specials.
Recommended:
Brown's Restaurant
The restaurant dining experience offered by Ian, Marcus and their team is unrivalled, most of the restaurants within The Browns Bonds Hill Collection are recommended by the Michelin Guide every year, in addition to that, they boast prestigious AA stars for culinary excellence.
Recommended:
Primrose
Serving delicious fresh local produce, morning, noon and night with the North Wests finest Patisserie. There’s no better place to watch the world go by than Primrose on the Quay, along the River Foyle. With its chic Parisian décor and twinkling fairy lights by night, Primrose prides itself on fresh local produce, made from scratch and with utmost attention to detail.
Recommended:
Quaywest Restaurant
Quaywest opened it’s doors in 1999, on Queens Quay, in the city centre, It is now home to a vibrant, busy gastro-pub with Derry’s finest cocktail bar.
Recommended:
UMI
UMI – meaning; ‘the ocean’ in Japanese. As were nestled on the Atlantic Ocean and where all our fish comes from we use Japanese techniques to deliver sushi of the highest level whilst using our local ingredients. UMI delivers you an experience of fresh hand made to order sushi, small plates & big plates. Food arrives as and when it’s ready with a vast wine list and an Asian inspired cocktail menu all whilst listening to the sounds of house music under our discoball.
Recommended:
Experience the Night Life
Sandinos
Relaxed cafe-bar with a liberal vibe. DJs spin from Thursday to Saturday in Club Havana; there’s regular live music, too.
Recommended:
Peadar O'Donnells
Peadar’s has traditional-music sessions every night and often on weekend afternoons as well. Its adjacent Gweedore Bar hosts live rock bands every night, and a Saturday-night disco upstairs.
Recommended:
Guildhall Taphouse
Recommended:
Walled City Brewery
Walled City Brewery, a small gastropub located at the heart of Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland. We pride ourselves on providing a uniquely local experience to all of our guests, from our one of a kind craft beer, to our bold yet delicious menu, each and every experience shows what our little town truly has to offer.
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