Powerscourt Town House (off Grafton Street, Dublin)

Though it might not be easy to find (despite being signposted from Grafton Street), the Powerscourt Town House is worth the search. It is also Dublin's strangest shopping mall. Created by combining old buildings and a (glass-covered) backyard area it defies attempts at description and has to be seen. The same holds true for the wares on offer, from spectacular crystals to original art, from portrait photography to gourmet chocolate.

One word of warning has to come first - the Powerscourt Town House is not your common-and-garden mall where you find brand outlets, chain stores and your general shopping needs. Exactly the opposite is true - this is the place you will want to go for unusual gifts or new ideas. And as such it is an Aladdin's Cave of curios, collectibles and crystals.

It also is a rabbit's warren. The conversion of the old house(s) has created a shopping mall in which you could well play hide and seek. Corridors don't always connect in a logical fashion, exhibits sprawl into adjoining areas and onto outside walls. The large, open, central area is a permanent obstacle but also an ideal space to relax and revive with a coffee. The best al fresco experience in Dublin, almost mediterranean with balconies overlooking the atrium - enjoyable because the Irish weather has been kept out by a glass roof.

Powerscourt Town House is especially recommended for those on the lookout for less typical souvenirs from Ireland. Though South-American crystals might be too odd a choice, antique silverware or even an original, Irish-themed painting could well hit the spot.