I hope you are planning a trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland and if so, you will be most welcome. Belfast since the end of “The Troubles” has gone through a huge regeneration program and the city is now quite metropolitan in nature and there is some buzz about it.
Many people come to visit our capital city each year and I’m sure they do quite a bit of research before they visit, but I thought I’d include what I think are the top ten attractions to see. I have also ranked them by the priority in which I would choose to visit them. They are also very close to each other and easily accessible on foot or by the local Metro bus. You can’t miss them as they are a striking pink and white color and most of them start their destination at Belfast City Hall, right in the center of Belfast.
Here is the list that I would personally recommend:
- The Ulster Museum
- queen’s university
- Botanical Gardens
- Titanic neighborhood
- belfast castle
- crown bar
- Belfast City Council
- Linen Room Library
- Odyssey Arena and W5
- St Anne’s Cathedral
Just to help you with your planned route I would start with the Ulster Museum which I am sure you will be pleased to know is free to enter and enjoy. Then stroll through the Botanic Gardens and enjoy the beautiful gardens and conservatory which has some very unusual plants and shrubs. Just a short walk away is the beautiful building that is one of the oldest universities in the UK and is definitely worth a visit. Bring your camera as you can get some great shots.
A 20 minute walk or 5 minute bus ride will take you into Belfast city center and then you must visit the Town Hall which is a magnificent building to see and is also steeped in Irish history. Across the street from the main entrance to the town hall is the old Linen Hall Library, which contains some of the most unusual and interesting documents on Irish history.
A 5-minute walk from the Linen Hall library will take you to Belfast’s best bar, the Crown Bar. Enjoy a pint of the best Guinness you’ll ever taste as you take in the amazing interior, and if you’re hungry I highly recommend the mussels. They are divine!
From there, it’s worth the 20-minute walk to see St. Anne’s Cathedral. From outside, you can hop on a bus and head north to Belfast to see Belfast Castle. From there you can see the old dungeons and get a perfect panoramic view of the whole of Belfast and Belfast Lough.
If you still have some energy left, you need to return to Belfast city center and head to East Belfast and the shipyard where the Titanic was built. The Titanic walking tour is the one I would recommend the most to get a proper idea of the history of the Titanic. All of this is within a fifteen minute walk of the Town Hall.
Once you’re done, you’ll be right next to the Odyssey complex where you can watch ice hockey if it’s in season, catch a movie, eat or have a drink, and finally relax.
You can do all of the above in two days, but I suggest you take three days and enjoy them. A camera is a must and I would also recommend a video recorder of some sort as you will want to relive the memories.
Just remember to enjoy Belfast.