Belfast is a city that has been marred by trouble in the past. It took a beating from the 1960s through to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 as the troubled hot-spot of the IRA violence. However, now it has ditched all stereotypes and is embracing its future though it has not forgotten, nor will the city’s buildings and residents let it forget, its history.
Until recently it has been the poor relation to Dublin, which attracts the bulk of overseas visitors to the Emerald Isle. But now it is coming into its own and instead of trying to emulate other Irish cities, it is staying true to its Northern Irish roots.
There are new family friendly hotels, bars and restaurants that sit seamlessly alongside Victorian and Edwardian mansion blocks, warehouses and city homes. Like the rest of this jolly island, Belfast residents are some of the friendliest and most welcoming people you will ever meet.
Donegall Square is the centre of the city. Here you will find the City Hall which makes the most perfect orientation point and is well worth a look-see itself. Running off Donegall Square you have Donegall Place the main shopping street and Donegall Street home to St. Anne’s Cathedral at the heart of the city’s cultural district. Along this street you can also find the Belfast Exposed photography gallery housing an interesting collection of modern photography that is usually free to access. Walking along the waterfront by the Rover Lagan you will be able to see the Lagan Lookout, Waterfront Hall and numerous examples of grand Victorian architecture.
The south of the city is where you will find the University and therefore young, trendy Belfast, with leafy streets and small parks with lively bars and cafés. If you want cheap accommodation then this is the area to stick to and you can easily access the city from here by bus.
A must-do activity is the Belfast Mural Tour. The area around the Falls Road, or Shankill, is where you can see house-sized murals that depict the struggles of the time. Obviously most depict scenes of the IRA; however the murals still change regularly so some depict problems that are happening today. There isn’t another city in the world quite like it for political street art.
Belfast offers something for everyone from culture to good food and all of it comes with warm Irish hospitality. This city embraces its past but doesn’t let it destroy its future.