Kilkenny is compact enough to walk in a morning, anchored at one end by the castle and at the other by St Canice's Cathedral with its round tower. Between the two runs the Medieval Mile along the old High Street, passing Rothe House (a 16th-century merchant's complex with a museum), the Tholsel, and the Black Abbey. Climb the round tower at St Canice's — one of only two in Ireland you can still go up — for a fine view over the rooftops.
The Medieval Mile Museum in the restored St Mary's Church covers the city's history from Viking times through the Confederation period. The Smithwick's Experience tells the story of Ireland's oldest ale brewery, which operated within the walls of a medieval Franciscan friary. The Butler Gallery near the castle has a serious programme of contemporary art.
Day trips from Kilkenny can take in Dunmore Cave (11 km north — limestone formations and a Viking-era massacre story) or Jerpoint Abbey (18 km south — the finest Cistercian ruin in Ireland, with extraordinary carved figures in the cloister).