Cork, Ireland

Cork sits on the River Lee in southern Ireland with roughly 222,000 residents, making it the country's second city. The settlement began as a 6th-century monastic foundation by Saint Finbarr, whose 1879 cathedral still stands on the south side. Trade has continued on Grand Parade at the 18th-century English Market since 1786, while the 1602 Red Abbey remains the city's oldest surviving structure. The 1855 Cork School of Art trained James Hoban, the architect of the White House, and the surrounding Cork Harbour ranks among the largest natural harbours in the world.