In the 30 years since the Good Friday Agreement, Belfast has continued to transform its city. New energy and vibrancy has been found in the creative industries, which will soon be showcased in an eight-month cultural extravaganza.
The city’s film industry is booming, with cameras rolling on films such as those directed by Kenneth Branagh. belfast, game of thrones (First part knight of the seven kingdoms We will start shooting in and around the city soon), conversation with friendsand Dungeons and Dragons: Thieves’ Honor.
Belfast, which lags behind Dublin in terms of gentrification, offers a more economical city holiday than the capital of the Republic of Ireland, where hotel prices are among the highest in Europe.
While Dublin is the obvious choice for a St. Patrick’s Day visit, Belfast is no less festive. This is the center of St. Patrick.
Starting March 10th, there will be live traditional music, culminating with a parade on March 17th. South of the city, you can follow in the footsteps of the 5th century Apostle of Ireland to Downpatrick in County Down. There, his tomb stands in the grounds of the church he founded in 432 AD.
When that party ends, another one begins. Brexit cost Belfast and Derry/Londonderry joint plans to become European Capital of Culture in 2023, but Belfast is implementing an alternative cultural program this year.
Belfast 2024 kicks off next month with “the biggest creative and cultural festival in the city’s history”. Look out for public art, exhibitions, music and partnerships with the Eden Project running through November.
For more information, visit visitbelfast.com and ireland.com.
where to stay
One of the city’s newest accommodation options, room2 is a fully electric ‘low carbon hometel’ on Queen Street, featuring a cafe, tearoom, restaurant and gallery. Rooms in a calming mid-century style start from £119.
Located in the leafy Queen’s Quarter, near the Botanical Gardens and Queen’s University, The Harrison offers unique charm throughout its 16 rooms in a carefully restored Victorian merchant townhouse. Prices start from £145.
maritime heritage
Titanic Belfast underwent a multi-million pound refurbishment last year. The museum tells the story of the ill-fated liner, which was launched from the city’s Harland & Wolff shipyard on May 31, 1911.
New elements of the Titanic experience include four galleries, an exhibit titled ‘Pursuit of Dreams’ and a 7.6 meter long SS scale model. titanic There are many objects and artefacts on display that have never been exhibited before in Northern Ireland.
Visitors can also visit the liner’s sister ship, the SS. nomadanchored by the water.
The Harland & Wolff headquarters where White Star Line ships were designed is now home to the Titanic Hotel.
art and understanding
One of the most illuminating and fun ways to learn about Belfast’s complicated past is to slip into the back seat of a black taxi tour (£60 for two).
Drivers spend several hours driving through Belfast’s east-west divide, past impressive political murals and walls of peace. The largest of these is the wall that separates the pro-Shankill Road from the Peace Wall. Nationalist Falls Road.
The Botanic Gardens form part of Queen’s Quarter and take their name from the Queen’s University campus. Its centerpiece is the wrought-iron Palm House with a dome, designed by Sir Charles Lanyon in 1839. Its two wings were completed by Richard Turner, the preeminent greenhouse designer of the time. He was also responsible for the Palm House at Kew Gardens for 19 years. London.
On-site is the Ulster Museum, which houses a wide range of collections spanning art, archaeology, history and natural sciences.
where to eat and drink
Belfast’s culinary scene is experiencing a boom. Home is our newest Bib Gourmand award winning restaurant. The affordable menu includes coconut, red lentil and pumpkin soups.
Waterman is a neo-bistro serving dishes that combine flavorful ingredients such as venison ragu and pecorino. We also offer weekend brunch and Sunday roast.
One of the most popular tables in Belfast is the Michelin-starred The Muddlers Club. The club is named after a secret society that met there 200 years ago. Chef Gareth McCaughey creates Michelin-starred seasonal tasting menus.
Owned by the National Trust, The Crown Liquor Saloon is a Grade A listed Victorian gin palace in the heart of the city.
The Sunflower hosts regular events and offers a variety of craft beers and wood-fired pizza.
notable neighborhoods
Belfast’s most attractive district is the Cathedral Quarter, a jumble of cobbled streets centered around 19th-century St. Anne’s Cathedral.
It’s lined with restaurants, two of the city’s best cafes (Neighborhood Cafe and Established Coffee), independent shops, and cultural spaces like The Mac Theater.
Just on the edge of the Cathedral Quarter is 2 Royal Avenue, one of Belfast’s newest cultural spaces. The Art Deco bank has been restored and is now a multi-purpose space with an Arabic cafe, exhibition center and events.
East Belfast’s edgy district, home to CS Lewis Square, dedicated to the author, attracts young people with cultural spaces such as Banana Block, a former linen factory. Flout! in the Portview Trade Center has long lines for New York-style pizza.
green space
Stroll around Belfast Castle, a Scottish baronial style piling built on a hill overlooking the city. There has been a castle here since the arrival of the Normans in the 12th century, but its current 19th-century building was donated to the city by its former residents, the Donegal family.
It’s on the edge of Cave Hill Country Park and is dotted with ruins, shady woodland and bizarre geological features such as Napoleon’s Nose, said to be the inspiration for Jonathan Swift. Gulliver’s Travels. There are three footpaths, including the 3.4-mile Estate Walk, which on clear days offers panoramic views stretching all the way to the Scottish coast.