Belfast, Northern Ireland, what to see in the city where the Titanic was born? A city that also has a very interesting recent history that we will learn about through its murals.
Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland, and therefore part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the east coast of Ireland.
Indice:
Arrival in Belfast
Considering that Ireland is an island, we will obviously arrive by water or by air. You can arrive at Dublin Airport (Ireland), and make the journey by land to the city, or get off directly at one of Belfast’s two airports, Belfast International, or Belfast City. In our case we were already touring the United Kingdom and we got a cheap flight from Edinburgh to Belfast City.
Did you want to know how many suitcases we traveled with? With a lot! As we were saying, we arrived in Belfast City, where we rented a car for our tour of Ireland.
You can also get there by ferry from England or Scotland, both from the port of Liverpool and from Cairnryan, check the schedules and prices.
Lodging
Where to stay? Belfast is an interesting city, but my recommendation is to stay in the centre or in the Titanic district, to be well located for exploring the city.
We stayed in the center and I think it is the best option. Also keep in mind that at dinner time, the restaurants close very early (at least in our style, in our country we have dinner very late), and being in the center where there are several places, makes it more comfortable.
The hotel chosen in our case was Ten Square, a stone’s throw from the town hall. It was a very good option, the hotel has a restaurant, and is very well equipped.
Find hotel prices in Belfast
Booking.comBut let’s a por lo que vinimos:
What to see in two days in Belfast, Northern Ireland?
City hall
We will start with the Town Hall, which is truly a beauty.
Belfast City Hall is located in Donegall Square. Construction began in 1898 and was completed in 1906. Although not all of the halls are open to the public, you can visit it, just seeing the inside of the dome is enough to make it worth the visit. Admission is free. Hours: Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 5 pm. Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm.
As we always say, taking a free tour of the city is a very good idea as a first activity.
Victoria Square
We now walk a few blocks from City Hall, and go to a shopping mall, and we don’t go to the same shopping mall. We arrive at Victoria Square to get a view of Belfast from above.
Why? Because if you want to see Belfast from above, Victoria Square has a viewing platform, a glass dome at the top of the building. Although Belfast is not a very impressive city when seen from above, it is well worth the climb up to this terrace, and besides… it is free.
The Troubles murals
Now, we are going to take a very interesting tour, if not the most important one, through Belfast, the tour of the city’s murals, through its recent history.
You will find plenty in books and blogs to learn more about this part of history between Catholics and Protestants, so I am not the one to talk about something that I am probably not sufficiently informed about.
What I do recommend is that you read as much as you can before making this visit, this will help you understand a little more about each area you visit, the reason for the murals, gates and paintings. (Here is a link for information: The troubles.)
Many murals remind us that for more than three decades this area was the epicentre of the so-called troubles. This conflict pitted Unionists against Republicans, and claimed the lives of more than 3,600 people.
Apart from the murals, you will also be struck by the walls, some of which are up to 7 metres high, with barbed wire and security cameras. You will also see large gates that are still closed at nightfall. You will also see the International Wall, a wall on which paintings refer to conflicts in other parts of the world. A very interesting tour.
Going through one of the gates mentioned above, you will find a street that runs parallel to a wall. This wall is the Peace Wall, and you can see many graffiti messages of peace left by people. You can stop and leave yours.
Although many of the city’s walls have disappeared, the Peace Wall is the longest, and also the most touristic.
How to do this tour?
►The black taxis make this tour for tourists, take you to see the main murals, and at the same time explain the history of the conflict. This option is in English.
►With a map in hand and a car already in hand, we decided to do it on our own. We did it via Falls Road and Shankill Road. But doing it on your own is not something I recommend, since you will only have the information you have previously gathered. After being there, you notice the lack of a guide who can tell you in detail what it was like, and what it is like today.
►Therefore I recommend you book a tour in Spanish to tour the murals of Belfast and this part of its history. Having a guide in Spanish who tells you the history of the conflict is something necessary on this tour in my opinion.
If you still plan to do it on your own, in the video at the end of the post I will leave you the Google coordinates to find the walls, gates and murals related to this route.
Years have passed since the Good Friday peace agreement of 1998, but it is still a sensitive issue, and this must always be kept in mind when making the journey.
This is one of the things I find most interesting to see in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Titanic Belfast
The next point of interest we will visit in the city of Belfast is the Titanic Belfast.
We know that the sinking of the Titanic was one of the greatest maritime tragedies in history with only 712 survivors out of 2,208 people on board. What we may not know is that it was here, in Belfast, where it was built.
The Titanic Belfast tour is a great experience. With an impressive building design and a very complete audio guide, the tour takes you through the construction process, introducing you to the era, the life of the shipyard workers, the White Star Line company, the shipwreck, and the subsequent rescue of its remains at sea. All in a very interactive way, in which you will never get bored, but quite the opposite. And for a moment… you will feel like you are inside the ship…
Entry costs £19.50 for adults, £8.75 for children, and children under 5 are free.
The schedule varies according to the time of year, being in summer from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., while in winter it is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and in mid-season from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information visit Titanic Belfast
You can book your ticket in advance or get them right there, although we always recommend going with the tickets as it is a very visited attraction, depending on the time of year of course.
Pub The Crown
After a tour of the things to see in Belfast and activities to do in this city in Northern Ireland, we can finish in a typical Irish pub.
The Crown Liquor Saloon is considered one of the most beautiful, it has been open to the public since 1826 and entering it is highly recommended even if it is just to see it.
As you can see, Belfast has more things to see and do than you might imagine before arriving in the city. But it is also true that it is an excellent place to make a “base” and go out to explore the natural attractions of Northern Ireland from the city. In the next post we will show you the most beautiful natural places in Northern Ireland and how to visit them.
EXTRAS: MAP AND VIDEO
NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links.
