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Of the various markets, including those for the sale and shipping of livestock, from which it derives its name, only one survives, the former produce market, St George’s Market, now a food and craft market popular with visitors to the city. Next to the former the Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices (now an hotel), stands the "cultural nucleus to Titanic Quarter", Titanic Belfast (2012) whose interactive galleries tell the liner’s ill-fated story. East Belfast developed from the Queens Bridge (1843), through Ballymacarrett, east along the Newtownards Road and north (along the east shore of the Lough) up the Holywood Road; and from the Albert Bridge (1890) south east out the Cregagh and Castlereagh roads.
Dublin
Spend 48 hours immersed in Belfast’s maritime history as you follow this Titanic trail. The friendliness of the people is what’s most appealing in this small and very walkable city The New York Times Welcome to Belfast’s oldest library, a historic landmark famous for its exhibitions, classes and events. This historic Victorian market sits at the heart of Belfast’s buzzing contemporary food scene.
- Spot the Belfast street art that brings the city’s art scene to life, on a creative walk around the city.
- Take a day trip and discover the stunning parks, enchanting woodland and coastal scenery in Belfast…
- Beginning in 1970 with the Falls curfew, and followed in 1971 by internment, this included counterinsurgency measures directed chiefly at the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
Board settings
Belfast has become a food mecca and it’s impossible to walk the city without being lured in by world-class food. Compact, walkable and packed with friendly locals, Belfast delivers history, food, music and bold energy, all within easy reach for a weekend escape. Welcome to Belfast, Northern Ireland’s vibrant capital where rich maritime heritage meets cutting‑edge culture. For tips from those in the know head to Visit Belfast and discover a wealth of things to do in Northern Ireland’s capital city. It’s home to the city’s Botanic Gardens and also No Alibis, Northern Ireland’s only independent crime fiction bookshop. Away from the centre, discover Belfast’s quieter, budget-friendly options close to Queen’s University.
The rebel tradesmen and tenant farmers were defeated north of the town at the Battle of Antrim and to the south at the Battle of Ballynahinch. Further emboldened by the French Revolution, a more radical element in the town, the Society of United Irishmen, called for Catholic emancipation and a representative national government. Abolitionist sentiment, however, defeated the proposal of the greatest of the merchant houses, Cunningham and Greg, in 1786 to commission ships for the Middle Passage.
Catch a ride on a hop-on hop off bus tour
At the same time, a British-funded welfare state "revolutionised access" to education and health care. After a cotton boom and bust, the town emerged as the global leader in the production of linen goods (mill, and finishing, work largely employing women and children), winning the moniker "Linenopolis". When early in the American War of Independence, Belfast Lough was raided by the privateer John Paul Jones, the townspeople assembled their own Volunteer militia. Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush). If hills aren’t really your thing, you can still enjoy Cave Hill Country Park which surrounds the castle and is a popular place for Belfast folk to take a walk. The Belfast landmark, Cave Hill, rises up behind the castle and if you are up for a walk, we highly recommend taking the time to walk to the top of Cave Hill for spectacular views over Belfast Lough and towards the Mournes – on a clear day.
The SCENEic Route
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. 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.
Ashes to Fashion at The Ulster Museum
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.
Take a black taxi tour of Belfast’s political murals
What is sometimes referred to as the Catholic equivalent of the Orangemen, the much smaller Ancient Order of Hibernians, confines its parades to nationalist areas in west and north Belfast, as do republicans commemorating the Easter Rising. While some local feeder and return marches have a history of sectarian disturbance, in recent years, events have generally passed off without serious incident. It has grown from its original August Féile on the Falls Road, to a year-round programme with a broad range of arts events, talks and discussions. The city has a number of community arts, and arts education, centres, among them the Crescent Arts Centre in south Belfast, the Irish-language Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich in west Belfast, The Duncairn in north Belfast and, in the east of the city, EastSide Arts. Inspired by the tradition of military tattoos, it features performances from pipe bands, military and civilian musicians, dancers, and cultural groups from Northern Ireland and around the world. It is generally understood as an area around the Falls Road in west Belfast served by the Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich cultural centre.
Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway, romantic escape or family city break, Belfast offers a wide range of accommodation to suit every style and budget. Once you’re here, you’re spoilt for choice – Belfast has great road, rail and bus connections to the rest of Northern Ireland, so you’re in for an easy and memorable trip. W5 is an award-winning science and discovery centre, located in the Odyssey complex at the gateway… In the Titanic Quarter you’ll find the Titanic Hotel, a deluxe boutique hotel offering a unique maritime experience in its Harland & Wolff inspired rooms.
If you have more time you can then work your way on down the list but as touristing is such thirsty work, it makes sense if you leap-frog to section 7 – visit a pub – at some point during your day. In those days Belfast’s shipyards dominated global shipbuilding, and it is no surprise therefore that Titanic, ‘the biggest ship in the world’, was built here. You’ll find Belfast just over two hours north of Dublin travelling by car/train or bus – see the ‘Getting to Belfast’ info below — and an hour and a half from Giant’s Causeway on the North Coast. Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland and while it is famous for the Belfast Titanic museum and ‘Troubles Tours’ around The Falls Road and Shankill areas, there is quite a bit more to enjoy about the city.
Educational institutions in Belfast include Queen’s University at Belfast (founded in 1845 as the Queen’s College), the University of Ulster at Belfast (1849), and Union Theological College (1853). These sectors are now overshadowed by service activities, food processing, and machinery manufacture. By the late 1730s the castle had been destroyed, but Belfast was beginning to acquire economic importance, superseding both Lisburn as the chief bridge town and Carrickfergus as a port. He did much to encourage the growth of the town, which received a charter of incorporation in 1613.
Though the taxi numbers belfast site of Belfast has been occupied since the Stone Age, its modern history began in 1611 when Baron Arthur Chichester built a new castle there. Harland and Wolff, the chief shipbuilding firm in the city, built the luxury liner. Self-guided tours with audio guides and holograms are the best way to explore its cavernous tunnel, shoebox cells and macabre graveyard.
