Derry~Londonderry City Guide

The city has two names. This is the first thing you learn about it and, in a way, it tells you a lot.

Officially, it’s Londonderry — the name given when London guilds were granted the charter to develop the plantation city in 1613. Locally, most people call it Derry — the older name, from the Irish Doire, meaning oak grove. Nationalists use Derry. Unionists tend to use Londonderry. The compromise that’s emerged in public life is Derry~Londonderry (or, affectionately, “Stroke City,” after the slash between the names). This guide uses both.

None of this is a problem for visitors. Use whichever name feels natural, and nobody will give you grief. What matters is the city itself — and it’s one of the most compelling places in Ireland.

The City Walls

Start here, literally. Walk the walls.

Derry~Londonderry’s city walls are the most complete fortifications of any city in Ireland and among the finest in Europe. Built between 1613 and 1619, they form a circuit of roughly 1.5 kilometres around the old city centre and have never been breached — earning the city its historical nickname, “The Maiden City.”

The walls stand about 8 metres high and up to 9 metres thick. You can walk the entire circuit on top of them, which gives you a bird’s-eye view of the city’s layout, its two cathedrals (one Church of Ireland, one Catholic — facing each other from opposite ends of the walled city), and the Bogside neighbourhood below.

The walk takes about 30 to 45 minutes at a comfortable pace with stops. Key points along the circuit:

The Diamond — the central square of the walled city, visible from several points on the walls
Bishop’s Gate — the most ornate of the four original gates, with a triumphal arch added in 1789
The cannons — several original and replica cannons line the walls, including Roaring Meg, which was used during the Siege of 1689
The Royal Bastion — the best viewpoint over the Bogside and its murals

The walls are free to walk at any time. A guided walking tour adds enormously — guides here are knowledgeable and often personally connected to the city’s recent history.

The Bogside and Its Murals

Below the western walls, the Bogside neighbourhood is the site of some of the most significant events of the Troubles — and home to some of the most powerful political art in Europe.

The People’s Gallery murals — twelve large-scale paintings on the gable ends of houses — were created by three local artists known as the Bogside Artists: Tom Kelly, Will Kelly, and Kevin Hasson. They depict events including Bloody Sunday (30 January 1972, when British soldiers shot dead fourteen civil rights marchers), the Battle of the Bogside, Operation Motorman, and scenes of daily life during the conflict.

The murals are not decorative. They are memorials, political statements, and historical records. The most famous — a young boy holding a petrol bomb, the Petrol Bomber — has become an iconic image of the Troubles. Others, like the Bloody Sunday mural showing a group of men carrying a body with a priest waving a white handkerchief, depict specific documented moments.

The Museum of Free Derry, located in the Bogside, tells the story of the civil rights movement and Bloody Sunday through personal testimonies, photographs, and artefacts. It’s small, deeply moving, and essential context for understanding what the murals represent.

This is living history. People who were there during these events still live in the neighbourhood. Approach with respect and genuine interest, and you’ll find a community that is remarkably open about sharing its story.

Peace Bridge

Opened in 2011, the Peace Bridge is a cycle and footbridge that spans the River Foyle, connecting the city centre (historically nationalist) with the Waterside (historically unionist). The name is not metaphorical — the bridge was explicitly designed to link divided communities.

It’s also beautiful. A self-anchored suspension bridge with a distinctive S-curve, it’s become the city’s most recognisable modern landmark. Walk across at dusk when the lights come on and the river reflects them.

Tower Museum

Inside the city walls, the Tower Museum houses two permanent exhibitions. One covers the history of Derry~Londonderry from its monastic origins through the plantation, the siege, the shirt-making industry, the Troubles, and the present. The other tells the story of La Trinidad Valencera, a Spanish Armada ship that sank off the Donegal coast in 1588, with artefacts recovered from the wreck.

Both exhibitions are well-curated and surprisingly detailed.

The Guildhall

Just outside the city walls, a neo-Gothic red sandstone building with stunning stained glass windows depicting the city’s history. Built in 1890, bombed twice during the Troubles, restored each time. Free entry. Worth seeing for the windows alone.

Food and Drink

Derry~Londonderry’s food scene has grown quietly and confidently. It’s smaller than Belfast’s but has its own character — less concerned with trends, more rooted in local ingredients and genuine hospitality. For a broader look at what to eat across the region, see our Northern Ireland food guide.

Pyke ‘N Pommes — Started as a food truck, now a permanent fixture. Their “Derry Spice Burger” is the thing to order. Locally sourced beef, proper chips, and a devoted following.

Brown’s in Town — The casual sibling of Browns Restaurant. Locally sourced modern Irish cooking that doesn’t overcomplicate things. Excellent lunch spot.

The Sooty Olive — Small, consistently good, and popular with locals. The menu changes regularly and relies on what’s available from nearby suppliers.

Walled City Brewery — Craft beer brewed on site and a pub menu that’s better than it needs to be. Good atmosphere, especially at weekends.

Primrose on the Quay — Right on the river. Seasonal menus, well-executed.

Pubs and Music

Derry~Londonderry has a pub culture that’s less self-conscious than Belfast’s — fewer “destination” bars, more places where locals actually drink.

Peadar O’Donnell’s — Traditional music every night. Not a tourist trap despite its reputation. The music is live and genuine. Adjacent to The Gweedore Bar, and you can wander between the two. It also features in our guide to Northern Ireland’s best pubs.

Sandinos — Named after the Nicaraguan revolutionary. A bohemian bar with good music, political murals on the walls, and a clientele that includes everyone from students to lecturers to poets. The kind of bar that every city needs and few cities manage.

The Anchor Bar — Traditional, no frills, and proud of it. Good Guinness.

Music here tends toward the traditional — fiddle, guitar, bodhrán — but there’s a lively indie and alternative scene too, especially around the university.

Seamus Heaney

The Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney grew up in Bellaghy, County Londonderry, about 50 kilometres southeast of the city. While he’s more associated with rural south Derry than the city itself, his connection to the landscape and culture of this region is deep. The Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy — an exhibition centre devoted to his life and work — is well worth the detour. It’s intimate, thoughtful, and avoids the temptation to turn a poet into a tourist commodity.

If you’ve never read Heaney, pick up Death of a Naturalist or North before your trip. His writing will change how you see the landscape.

Day Trips from Derry~Londonderry

The city is also a natural start or end point for the Causeway Coastal Route, one of Europe’s great road trips. It sits near the border with County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, opening up some spectacular day trips.

Malin Head

Ireland’s most northerly point, about an hour’s drive north through the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal. Wild Atlantic coastline, dramatic cliffs, and the signal tower at Banba’s Crown. On a clear day, the views stretch to Scotland. The drive through Inishowen is superb — rolling hills, empty beaches, and a genuine feeling of remoteness.

Grianan of Aileach

A stone ring fort on a hilltop just across the border in Donegal, about 20 minutes from the city. Built around the fifth century, it offers 360-degree views over Lough Foyle, Lough Swilly, and the surrounding countryside. It’s one of those places where the age and positioning of the structure make you reconsider the people who built it.

Getting Around

The walled city centre is compact and best explored on foot. The Peace Bridge connects to the Waterside. Taxis are readily available and inexpensive. If you’re driving, park outside the walls — there’s a multi-storey car park at Foyleside Shopping Centre, or street parking along the quay.

The bus and rail station sits on the Waterside. Translink runs regular services to Belfast (about 90 minutes by bus, 2 hours by train). For full transport options, see our guide to getting to Northern Ireland. The train journey along the north coast — through Coleraine, past the beaches and cliffs — is one of the most scenic rail routes in Ireland.

If you’re watching your wallet, many of the city’s best experiences — the walls walk, the Bogside murals, the Peace Bridge — are free. See our guide to Northern Ireland on a budget for more tips.

Derry~Londonderry doesn’t sell itself as aggressively as some cities. What it has is character — a walled core you can walk in an hour, history written on the walls in paint and stone, music that exists for its own sake, and a warmth from the people that visitors consistently remark on. Go while it’s still a discovery rather than a destination.