Are you searching for the Best Places to Visit in Belfast? Are you thinking of a trip to Europe and wondering what to explore in Belfast? We’ve got you covered. Once a thriving ship-building hub with a bustling city center, Belfast is now the capital of Northern Ireland and the birthplace of the famous sinking ocean liner RMS Titanic.
When you mention Belfast, and to sure generations, images of war may be evoked. However, it is not a good idea to jump to such conclusions today.
In the last few decades, the peace process and a power-sharing government have meant that Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland have undergone an incredible transformation and rebirth. Visitors continue to grow every year, and for excellent reasons. You can expect a warm welcome, witty attitude, and fascinating historical background.
The trip’s highlights include the impressive Titanic Quarter and other places of interest connected to the tragically lost vessel. Excellent shopping experiences are offered in Victoria and Donegal Squares, and there are many restaurants and dining options.
Other attractions to visit include exploring the city’s magnificent Victorian architecture. Be sure to visit the famed Albert Memorial Clock in Queen’s Square and the numerous museums.
To get the most out of your visit, check our list of top tourist attractions and activities you can do while in Belfast.
Tour of Belfast City Hall
Tour of Belfast City Hall is one of the best places to visit in Belfast. Belfast City Hall is another government structure that must be included in the Northern Ireland travel itinerary. In the city’s central area, the unique system was constructed in 1906 and remained a notable landmark in Belfast’s downtown.
Tourists are invited to tour the structure on an organized tour. They’re so well-known that they’ve been voted one of the most popular activities for free in Belfast. It is important to note that terms are on a first-come priority basis, so be sure to allow ample time in your itinerary.
The highlights of these tours include an extensive exhibit of art and historical stained-glass windows, as well as a show that details the city’s rich history. After that, you can visit the gift shop or the cafe.
Make sure you visit the grounds of City Hall, with its Titanic Memorial Gardens and sprawling lawns (and take an appetite!). An enjoyable thing to do in the evenings in Belfast is to wander around the grounds since the city hall is lit up with vibrant col
Titanic Belfast
The media bill it as “the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction,” the unique appearance of Titanic Belfast opened in 2012 and is a landmark structure that honors Belfast’s vast maritime past. The distinctive facility houses nine interactive exhibits that showcase how Belfast has transformed from a city home to the most robust shipbuilding manufacturing industry to an energizing tourist destination.
A hundred years ago, the famous and unlucky ocean liner Titanic was constructed at this location. It is possible to take guided tours of the dry-dock and slipway, which was once the heart of Harland & Wolff shipyards. The structure, stylized to symbolize the symbol that is the symbol of White Star Line, White Star Line, houses numerous fascinating artifacts that are related to the ship, including brochures, letters, and menus.
One of the most enjoyable is the restored tender of the Titanic, the SS Nomadic, which visitors can take a ride on and explore at an additional cost. A fantastic option to learn more about these vessels is to purchase the Titanic Belfast ticket, which comprises access to the SS Nomadic. Along with admission to the Titanic exhibit, You’ll also get free admission to the Ocean Exploration Center and The SS Nomadic.
If you’re looking for a unique treat, Why not think about staying in The Titanic Hotel Belfast? It is located in a former shipyard just next to the main attraction. Your rooms have furnishings and décor that are period and give a glimpse of the lavish lifestyle passengers on Titanic Titanicwould experience. Been able to experience it.
Titanic Hotel
Even if you’re staying at Titanic Hotel, it’s worth visiting the hotel for a drink or to eat lunch. Half museum, half hotel This historical hotel is situated directly just across from Titanic Belfast. It is located within the old headquarters of Harland & Wolff, the constructors of the Titanic.
The hotel is home to historic photos, vintage posters, and memorabilia from the days that comprise Titanic Belfast. White Star Lines. The Drawing Offices and a quarter of a dozen essential heritage rooms inside the hotel are accessible for visitors on tours (subject to availability), offering the opportunity to see the artifacts, restoration work, and interior decorations of this essential maritime heritage structure.
Tours can be scheduled to visit the rooms decorated with art deco and the former offices such as Lord Pirries Office and the Corridor of Power.
Take in a Concert at Waterfront Hall
About a mile from the Titanic Quarter and overlooking the River Lagan in central Belfast, The Waterfront Hall is a world-class event and entertainment venue that, in clear terms, is a reflection of the resurgence of Belfast as a city. Since it opened in 1997, the platform has welcomed an average of five million people. It has now attracted the best musicians and performers worldwide, hosting various events.
In the evening, when it’s lit, The building looks spectacular. Many will go to the site not just for the top concerts here – that range in styles from pop to symphony, but also for a meal in the restaurant on site, The Arc Brasserie. The restaurant’s food is more captivating because of the breathtaking panoramic views across the River and beyond.
Sightseeing Bus or Walking Tour
Sightseeing Bus or Walking Tour is one of the best places to visit in Belfast. A walk or a sightseeing bus is an excellent way to get a feel of a city and experience the city’s landmarks. It is common to take these on the first day in the city of our choice. They usually start in the city’s central region.
Walking tours are an excellent method to discover a particular part of the city or to focus on a specific area of interest. The tours focus on points of interest, including those in the Titanic Quarter, architecture, whiskey, Queen’s University, the Troubles, and many other subjects. There’s a complete listing of walking and other walking tours on this page.
Bicycle tours in cities are available like the ones listed below, or these beer bicycle tours allow you to bring your alcohol to drink while you pedal on a 16-set bicycle and record with a guide.
For food and drinks tours, you can also check out The Taste and Tour, which offers gin whiskey, beer, and food walks around central Belfast.
There are two hop-on, hop-off sightseeing buses available in Belfast The city Sightseeing bus and buses from City Tours buses. The buses stop at between 20 and 30 locations, making it easy to find and explore Belfast’s most well-known attractions.
In Belfast, There are also Black Cab tours which are popular ways to explore the city. Most of these tours are focused on the historical and political background of Belfast and the street murals. The times are discussed more in-depth later in the article.
If you are a fan of boat trips, you should consider this cruise tour that takes you to The Titanic Quarter.
The Botanic Gardens
It is a relaxing place to sit for a while. The Botanic Gardens was founded in 1828. Belfast City Council had managed it since 1895, when it was declared an open park with 28 acres. The famous Sir Charles Lanyon created the beautiful Palm House, which contained an assortment of tropical plants such as birds of paradise and beautiful hanging baskets.
Built of glass and iron that has been curved, this structure is among the first instances of glasshouses constructed by this method. It illustrates how the advancements in the technology of the day enabled horticulturists in the past to grow exotic plants.
Tropical Ravine Tropical Ravine was constructed in 1889. It houses exotic plants like bromeliad, bananas, orchids, and cinnamon and preserves some of the most ancient seeds. The gardens also serve as a popular site for concerts and festivals and once hosted the famous Irish group U2. To the north of the gardens, there is Queen’s University with its beautiful Tudor-style buildings.
Climb aboard HMS Caroline
A recent addition to the already impressive collection of attractions located in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, HMS Caroline is among the few remaining vessels that served during both world conflicts. Recently renovated, the ship was launched in 1914 and was a patrol vessel across the North Sea and a participant in the pivotal Battle of Jutland.
In her current location, it was opened for public viewing in 2016. A tour of the floating museum and its visitor center offers a wealth of exciting details about WW1 and the ship’s past. Highlights include:
- Audio-visual exhibits.
- Terms of the wholly restored areas of the boat.
- Educational opportunities that offer children the chance to experience lots of hands-on experience.
In addition to a café and a gift store, the boat has a play area and picnic area along the shoreline.
Official site: www.nmrn.org.uk/exhibitions-projects/hms-caroline
Albert Memorial Clock
Albert Memorial Clock is one of the best places to visit in Belfast. The Albert Memorial Clock is a clock tower made of sandstone. It was built as a tribute to Prince Albert, his husband to Queen Victoria. It is situated in Queen’s Square in the center of Belfast and was designed in 1869 by Irish engineer W.J. Barre.
The clock was finished in 1869. The Albert Memorial Clock is a well-known landmark in Belfast
The clock tower measures 113 feet and features numerous intricate carvings. The focal point is a statue of Prince Albert dressed in the Knight of the Garter dress.
The bell of the clock weighs 2 tones. The clock’s tower suffered destruction from two bombs: German WW2 bombs and IRA bombs. It is Belfast’s “leaning tower of Pisa” because the tower leans. After all, it is constructed on land reclaimed from the marsh.
The clock tower began to tilt shortly after its construction, and the tilt increased as time passed. 2002 saw a reconstruction initiative launched by the city to reinforce the foundation and tidy and repair the leaning landm
North Ireland War Memorial Museum
The Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum is a tiny museum exploring Northern Ireland’s participation in World War II. The exhibits provide information on what was known as the Belfast Blitz, the roles of women in the conflict and The Ulster Home Guard, and the presence of a considerable amount of American troops in the region. There are medals and uniforms in the exhibit and an inscription screen.
It’s a small museum that fits into one room. However, it is meticulously designed, well-organized, and managed mainly by local volunteers. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the museum. The highlights included listening to recordings made by those living during the war, looking at the beautiful stained glass window, and finding out more about Belfast Blitz. Belfast Blitz of 1941.
Belfast was initially believed to be outside the area of Nazi bombers, so the residents and the military were not ready for air attacks when they first began happening, which caused a great deal of destruction and death.
The Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum is open to the public for free. However, donations are highly appreciated. It is situated within the Cathedral Quarter near St. Anne’s Cathedral.
Belfast Black Cab Tours
Belfast Black Cab Tours is one of the best places to visit in Belfast. It is said that the Black Cab tours in Belfast are among the most sought-after activities during your visit to Belfast to tourists. The popularity of taxis in Belfast was a significant trend in the Troubles during the Troubles when taxis were utilized to transport residents and tourists since they were thought to be more secure than city buses, which were often attacked or bombed by shooters.
Additionally, many buses were taken, burned, or used as barricades in specific areas of the city, which led to a lack of public transportation. Thus, more taxi drivers were needed at the time. Many drove defunct bus routes, and most drivers operated only in Loyalist/Unionist/Protestant neighborhoods or only in Republican/Nationalist/Catholic areas. Most of the time, Protestant drivers picked up Protestant passengers, and Catholic drivers took in Catholic passengers.
Both were using identical London taxis that were black. In the wake of the Good Friday agreement in 1998, the demand for taxis by residents declined as public transport became more reliable and safer.
Nowadays, a lot of the famous black taxis continue for tours to visitors of Belfast. Most taxi tours focus on the historical context of Belfast as well as the Troubles and political murals, so this is one of the most effective ways to learn more about the struggles for power in Belfast. You can take general neighborhood tours and those focusing on the prevailing culture and history.
Certain Troubles guided tours could include stops at The Eileen Hickey Irish Republican History Museum or The Shankill Bombing Memorial, both situated just a few miles from the Peace Wall. If you think these are places that you find interesting, inform your driver know.
Many drivers were also driving during the Troubles and could tell stories about the events in that period. Drivers strive to provide impartial and objective information. However, as you can imagine, this isn’t easy as many were on either side or the other in the battle. Most of the people who lived in Belfast lost their family members and friends in the Troubles. There are a variety of “versions of the truth” concerning specific events.
We took a black cab excursion with Touring Around Belfast and had the pleasure of having one of Belfast’s most well-known Belfast black taxi drivers Billy Scott as our driver guide. Billy is an experienced Blue Badge guide (highest qualification in the UK). He was pleasant, knowledgeable, and engaging and made the trip enjoyable.
He would often stop and sit in the back of the car to share history, details on places, and pertinent stories. He has a wealth of knowledge about Belfast and the Troubles and the city’s sights and is a person who is always looking for a great time.
We were given a two-hour tour with Billy, who helped us choose what areas of the city we’d like to explore and what we wanted to explore and discover. We requested an experience focused on politics and general culture and history. We weren’t familiar with the city in depth and were invited to visit some of the most popular spots in the city’s central areas.
It was an excellent introduction to Belfast, the main area and tourist attractions, and the Troubles. We visited parts of several neighborhoods like the Cathedral Quarter, Queen’s Quarter and Queen’s Quarter, the Linen Quarter, Sailortown, and the Titanic Quarter.
We also went to the Peace Wall and saw numerous political murals in traditional Loyalist and Republican neighborhoods, such as on Falls and Shankill Roads. The majority of our tour was taken in a cab. However, we also had the chance to leave and explore the area at some of the locations.
We highly recommend taking an excursion in a black taxi if this is your first visit visiting Belfast or if you’re looking to understand details about the Troubles. It is recommended to reserve the tour before departure.
We booked through the Touring Around Belfast. However, there are many other options, such as this tour focusing on the murals of political art and the cab tours.
Conclusion
All destinations are awesome! According to my opinion, Titanic Belfast is the best to start. I hope you have enjoyed our list of Best Places to Visit in Belfast.
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