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Significant projects included Victoria Square, the Cathedral Quarter, Laganside with the Odyssey complex and the landmark Waterfront Hall, the new Titanic Quarter with its Titanic Belfast visitor attraction, and the development of the original Short’s harbour airfield as Belfast City Airport. Northern Ireland’s peace dividend since the 1990s, which includes a marked increase in inward investment, has contributed to a large-scale redevelopment of the city centre. These include a new deepwater quay to accommodate, in addition to larger cruise liners, an expansion the port’s capacity for offshore wind turbine assembly and installation. In recent years Harland & Wolff, which at peak production in the Second World War had employed around 35,000 people, has had a workforce of no more than two or three hundred refurbishing oil rigs and fabricating off-shore wind turbines. It is a group, encompassing homemakers, full-time carers, students and retirees, that in Belfast has been swollen by the exceptionally large proportion of the population (27%) with long-term health problems or disabilities (and who, in Northern Ireland generally, are less likely to be employed than in other UK regions).
Discover an oasis of calm in bustling Belfast – a delightful mix of Victorian charm and natural beauty. More than just a city, Belfast is the experience of a lifetime. But you don’t have to go very far from the city centre to enjoy a bit of outdoor adventure. Cutting-edge food, traditional pubs and incredible Titanic history take Belfast to the next level. Cutting-edge food, traditional pubs and Titanic history take Belfast to the next level. From the city’s airport at Aldergrove, 13 miles (21 km) northwest, services are maintained with some principal international cities.
The Linen Quarter’, an area south of City Hall once dominated by linen warehouses, now includes, in addition to cafés, bars and restaurants, a dozen hotels (including the 23-storey Grand Central Hotel), and the city’s two principal Victorian-era cultural venues, the Grand Opera House and the Ulster Hall. The completion in 2023 of Ulster University’s enhanced Belfast campus (in "one of the largest higher education capital builds in Europe") and the determination of Queen’s University to compete with the private sector in the provision of student housing, has fostered the construction downtown of multiple new student residences. These include Cupar Way where tourists are informed that, at 45 feet, the barrier is "three times higher than the Berlin Wall and has been in place for twice as long". At the same time, a British-funded welfare state "revolutionised access" to education and health care.
Take a local tour and learn more about Belfast’s history
Small, idiosyncratic Belfast has long punched above its diminutive weight in terms of cultural impact – the hometown of George Best and Van Morrison, the RMS Titanic and Harland & Wolff shipyard, and deeply politicized murals enlivening brick gable walls. Titanic Quarter has historic and state-of-the-art Titanic and maritime visitor attractions, hotels, sporting activities and tours for the whole family to enjoy. Spring is the perfect time to enjoy a walk in Belfast and beyond. Walk the maritime mile to discover a number of attractions, tours and activities, from the historic… Other sportspeople celebrated in the city include double world snooker champion Alex "Hurricane" Higgins and world champion boxers Wayne McCullough, Rinty Monaghan and Carl Frampton. Using articulated buses, the £90 million service saw a 17% increase in its first month in Belfast, with 30,000 more people using the Gliders every week.
Further opportunities for women on the Falls Road arose through developments in education and public health. Their route brought them down the Falls Road and into what are now remnants of an older Catholic enclave around St Mary’s Church, the cabs belfast town’s first Catholic chapel (opened in 1784 with Presbyterian subscriptions), and Smithfield Market. Meanwhile, road schemes, including the terminus of the M1 motorway and the Westlink, demolished a mixed dockland community, Sailortown, and severed the streets linking the Shankill area and the rest of both north and west Belfast to the city centre. The Greater Shankill area, including Crumlin and Woodvale, is over the line from the Belfast North parliamentary/assembly constituency, but is physically separated from the rest of Belfast West by an extensive series of separation barriers—peace walls—owned (together with five daytime gates into the Falls area) by the Department of Justice.
Barhop in the Cathedral Quarter
Experience an authentic black cab tour of Belfast and discover the murals and unique characters of both the nationalist and unionist communities. We often find that a city bus tour is the best thing to do on arrival at any destination so that you can quickly get oriented and Belfast is no exception to the rule. Over the years we’ve visited Titanic Belfast a number of times and while we’ve been impressed, our recent visit to the upgraded experience left us both awed and even a little bit emotional. The iconic Titanic Belfast visitor experience stands tall on the same spot that the world’s most famous sinking ship was built. Of course for many people, the name Belfast brings to mind the horrors of ‘The Troubles’ and while people remember the past, most people you’ll meet are positive, inclusive and forward looking.
Explore Queen’s Quarter and the Lisburn Road
Were these 40,000 interlocking basalt columns created by an ancient volcanic eruption, or built by the fabled giant Finn MacCool? From arrests to ambushes, this walking tour reveals the locations where the hit TV series was filmed. Glide around Belfast on a Belfast city bike tour for an exciting and eco-friendly way to see the city’s sights – don’t forget to stop off for some ice-cream at the docks.
Here’s the Belfast to-do list we recommend to visiting friends and family!
- As the late Northern Irish poet Seamus Heaney once opined, “The end of art is peace” – a sentiment the Belfast black taxi tour echoes.
- Buildings and walls throughout the city are adorned with murals that reflect the city’s social, cultural, and political traditions and history.
- Significant projects included Victoria Square, the Cathedral Quarter, Laganside with the Odyssey complex and the landmark Waterfront Hall, the new Titanic Quarter with its Titanic Belfast visitor attraction, and the development of the original Short’s harbour airfield as Belfast City Airport.
- Such figures, however, do not include all those living in severely overcrowded conditions, involuntarily sharing with other households on a long-term basis, or sleeping rough in hidden locations.
- The Greater Shankill area, including Crumlin and Woodvale, is over the line from the Belfast North parliamentary/assembly constituency, but is physically separated from the rest of Belfast West by an extensive series of separation barriers—peace walls—owned (together with five daytime gates into the Falls area) by the Department of Justice.
Buildings and walls throughout the city are adorned with murals that reflect the city’s social, cultural, and political traditions and history. The city is the shopping, retail, educational, commercial, entertainment, and service centre for Northern Ireland and the seat of many of its largest businesses and hospitals. By the 17th century, the town was a busy port with small shipbuilding interests, which became firmly established after William Ritchie founded a shipyard (1791) and a graving (dry) dock (1796). Look out for meat from Hillstown Farm Shop, prebiotic foods from Amberline Preserves and mushrooms from Spore Shore. A bronze statue of Queen Victoria is accompanied by figures representing education and Belfast’s textile and shipbuilding industries, and a memorial to the Titanic lists the names of the more than 1500 people who died when the boat sank in the North Atlantic.
On long summer evenings, retreat to the beer gardens at The Thirsty Goat or The Dirty Onion (patio heaters and awnings included). Filming locations for the blockbuster fantasy series are littered across the country, and major scenes were shot in Belfast studios, so visitors to the city can also travel to the places where fictional Westeros once became a reality. The ground floor exhibition has displays on Belfast’s history and culture; artifacts include a sideboard intended for the captain’s quarters on Titanic. Each of the windows along the northeast corridor commemorates a significant moment or group in the city’s history.
Tour Belfast’s architectural centerpiece, City Hall
Get out in the fresh air and enjoy a relaxing walk with the family in Belfast, and beyond this… One of the great things about Belfast is that within a short drive from the city you can discover a… Take a day trip and discover the stunning parks, enchanting woodland and coastal scenery in Belfast… Whether you’re looking for quirky bars, traditional shops or delicious food, Belfast has an… Find something for all the family to enjoy with our picks for family fun attractions in both Ards… Discover how you can enjoy your visit to Belfast and the surrounding area in an eco-friendly way…
Spot the Belfast street art that brings the city’s art scene to life, on a creative walk around the city. Each of the city’s quarters tells a story – from the history of one of the world’s most famous ships at Titanic Belfast to tales of the city’s past at the Ulster Museum. A dynamic port city with a colourful past, Belfast is a vibrant cultural hub on Northern Ireland’s eastern coast. Celebrate Belfast’s dynamic arts scene at this popular festival in the city’s cultural heart.
It can be said to include, at the Skainos Centre in unionist east Belfast, Turas, a project that promotes Irish through night classes and cultural events in the belief that "the language belongs to all". After such a busy day of sights, sounds and the finest food, you’ll need the finest place to stay. Spend a lively time in the heart of the city’s vibrant clubbing hotspot and LGBTQIA+ hub. In celebration of the city’s cultural diversity, this festival features parades, concerts, markets and more. From Black Taxi tours to food trails, there’s more than one way to explore Belfast. Hop on a bus or train from Belfast and explore some of the island’s most thrilling sights.