Belfast
Belfast City Guide
Introduction
There has been relative peace and safety in Northern Ireland since the late 1990s, and although the path to political settlement remains rather unstable and tensions between the communities persist, it’s nevertheless a safe place for visitors. Tourism is steadily on the increase, boosted by an enormous regeneration project focusing mainly on Belfast, the capital of the province, a pleasant city with an air of lively optimism.
Attractions
City Hall on Donegall Square
This imposing building, constructed in 1906 in the classical Renaissance style, is one of Belfast’s key landmarks. Home of Belfast City Council, it’s a grand affair with a sweeping staircase, oak-panelled council chamber and an elaborate dome, which can be viewed by guided tour. Surrounding the City Hall are its pretty gardens, populated with various statues and monuments including a memorial to those who died in the sinking of the Titanic, which was built by Belfast shipbuilder Harland and Wolff. The gigantic cranes of the shipyard still dominate the skyline in the east of the city.
St Anne’s and the Cathedral Quarter
Belfast’s St Anne’s Cathedral was consecrated in 1904 and is at the heart of the now fashionable Cathedral Quarter, the city’s cultural focal point. It’s home to many dynamic arts organisations and galleries and a string of lively bars and clubs, and it hosts the excellent Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in May every year.
Linen Hall Library
Founded in 1788, the Linen Hall Library is Belfast’s oldest library and it houses one of the most important book collections in the whole of Ireland. There are over 250,000 volumes and many old documents and manuscripts, but the Library is most well known for its excellent Northern Ireland politics and culture collection, with fascinating exhibitions on ‘The Troubles’ and local life.
W5 Science Discovery Centre
Who, what, why, where and when – with practical and interactive exhibits, this museum encourages an inquisitive approach to science and discovery. It’s educational yet great fun and makes a memorable day out for the whole family.
Botanic Gardens
Near Queen’s University in an attractive district to the south of Belfast are the Botanic Gardens, which have been open to the public since 1895. The centrepiece, a magnificent curved glass palmhouse, was built by the same architect who designed the famous greenhouses at Kew Gardens in London. Also of interest is the Tropical Ravine, a jungle of exotic plants surrounding a fish pond covered in giant lily pads.
Ulster Museum
This excellent museum is located in the grounds of the Botanic Gardens. It’s packed full of fascinating exhibits, from a marvellous collection of Irish art to archaeological artefacts chronicling the history of the Irish people.
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
It’s worth heading out of town for this fantastic museum, which deserves a whole day trip. It’s only six miles or so from the city centre, so it’s easy to reach either by car or by bus. The folk museum, which illustrates the traditional way of life of the people of the North of Ireland, is set in over a hundred acres of peaceful countryside with a reconstructed village containing farmhouses, mills, a schoolhouse and a forge. In the transport museum has an extensive collection of air, road, rail and maritime vehicles.
Eating Out
The regeneration of Belfast has brought a new lease of life to the city’s entertainment scene and there countless new and exciting places for wining and dining. You’ll find the best selection of restaurants around the ‘Golden Mile’ area, encompassing Great Victoria Street, Botanic Avenue, Bradbury Place, Shaftesbury Square and Dublin Road. The award-winning Cayenne restaurant on Shaftesbury Square is owned by celebrity chef Paul Rankin and serves the finest quality Irish produce cooked with a Mediterranean twist. Also on Shaftesbury Avenue is the top-notch Italian restaurant Speranza, which has been a local favourite for over 20 years. For ethnic food, Archana on Dublin Road serves excellent curries and Red Panda on Great Victoria Street is renowned for its delicious dim sum.
Other good restaurants can be found in the Cathedral Quarter such as Nick’s Warehouse on Hill Street, which is great for vegetarians and lovers of seafood, and Ba Soba, a popular noodle bar also located on Hill Street.
Nightlife
Nightlife in Belfast brings together a wonderful mix of old and new. Beside the traditional Irish drinking dens are lots of sophisticate, trendy new bars that have popped up since the regeneration of the city began in the late 1990s.
There’s a series of narrow city centre lanes around Ann Street and the High Street known as The Entries, where you’ll find lots of traditional old pubs that are brimming with character. Some of the oldest and best ones are White’s Tavern on Winecellar Entry and the Morning Star on Pottinger’s Entry.
The Golden Mile area is home to Belfast’s most famous pub, the Crown Liquor Saloon on Great Victoria Street, a sumptuously ornate Victorian gin palace with mosaic tiled floors, wood carved furnishings, decorative cornices and patterned ceramic tiled walls. It’s an explosion of detail and colour and must be seen.
On the other side of the spectrum, you can’t get more up-to-date than the Odyssey complex, a gleaming new entertainment centre with an ice rink, cinema, IMAX screen, indoor concert and sports arena and lots of places to eat and drink, such as Soda Joe’s American Diner, Bar Seven and Precious nightclub.
