What to see and do in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, which is a constituent country of the United Kingdom
It is located in the northeastern part of the island of Ireland. Belfast is Northern Ireland’s capital. It was the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sunk in 1912. This is memorialized in the renovated dockyards' called the Titanic Quarter.
We visited Belfast on 6/13/2022. While there, we toured the city. the Titanic Quarter, and the wall which separates the Catholic and Protestant Zones.
Belfast has a rich history and a unique culture that is influenced by its location at the intersection of Irish, Scottish, and English cultures. The city has been a center of industry and commerce since the 18th century, when it became an important port for the shipment of linen, tobacco, and other goods.
However, Belfast is perhaps best known for the period of conflict that it experienced between the late 1960s and the late 1990s, known as "The Troubles". This was a time of political and sectarian violence between the Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland, which resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. Since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, Belfast has made significant progress in moving past the conflict and developing a more peaceful and inclusive society.
Today, Belfast is a vibrant and diverse city with a thriving arts and culture scene, world-class museums and galleries, and a range of tourist attractions, including the iconic Titanic Belfast museum, which tells the story of the ill-fated ship that was built in the city's shipyards.
Belfast is also known for its lively pubs, where visitors can enjoy traditional Irish music and dance, as well as its stunning natural scenery, including the beautiful coastline and hills that surround the city. Overall, Belfast is a fascinating and dynamic city with a rich history and culture, and an exciting future ahead.
Looking for things to do? Viator offers numerous tours in the Belfast area. Click here for details.
The SS Nomadic was a tender to RMS Titanic and it is the last remaining White Star Line ship in the world.
Harland & Wolff is a British shipbuilding company. The Harland & Wolff’s Drawing Offices is all that remains from the old shipyard.
The Titanic Belfast is an aluminium-clad museum designed to look like the hull of a ship.
Belfast City Hall is the civic building of the Belfast City Council and it is located in Donegall Square.
The Northern Ireland War Memorial
The Queen's University was founded in 1810 as the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. The present university was first chartered as Queen's College, Belfast in 1845.
Belfast Orange Hall was designed to convey the growing prominence of the Orange Order in late-Victorian Belfast. It opened in January 1885.
Many areas of Belfast are still highly segregated along ethnic, political and religious lines with Catholic Republican on one side and Protestant Loyalist on the other. The zones are separated by over 21 miles of high walls which are up to 18 feet high and covered with flags, graffiti and murals.
Popular diner in Belfast
'RISE' is a sculpture that represents a new chapter of peace in Belfast. It sits on a boundary between the largely unionist Donegall Road and the nationalist Fall's Road areas. The sculpture consists of two spheres, one smaller and suspended inside the other. The inner sphere represents the sun rising over the bog meadows signifying the new dawn of peace. The outer sphere represents the halo seen around the sun during sunrise.
