Glendalough is a beautiful place; it is a place of ancient monastic settlement and two clear water lakes beneath sheer cliffs of a deep valley.  It was here that St. Kevin founded a monastery in the sixth century. From this beginning the site grew to become famous as a centre of learning throughout Europe. Indeed, Ireland was known as the "Island of Saints and Scholars". 
The settlement continued to expand for 600 years and was destroyed in 1398. The buildings, which survive date from the 8th and 12th centuries. The most famous is, of course, the round tower, which is 34m high, and 16m in circumferences at the base. A cathedral, stone churches and decorated crosses also survived.