|
Page 1 of 2
Photo Gallery | Hotels | View Map
History of Belfast
 Belfast, capital since 1920 of the six counties of Northern Ireland (reorganized into 26 districts in 1973), is an important industrial city and port. It lies beautifully situated on Belfast Lough in the northeast of Ireland, at the mouth of the River Lagan, the county boundary between Down and Antrim. Belfast's shipyards are among the most modern in Europe
and for many years Harland and Wolff's dry dock was the largest in the
world. Here as elsewhere however, the worldwide crisis in shipbuilding
has left its mark.
... More
The city has numerous fine buildings and about 170 churches and small chapels. The central pedestrianized area on the west bank of the River Lagan makes a pleasant place to stroll, with several department stores, shopping arcades, pubs and restaurants. In November each year the city plays host for three weeks to one of the biggest cultural festivals in the British Isles (second only to the Edinburgh Festival). There is excellent access to the coast, the surrounding countryside and Lough Neagh, Ireland's largest lake, all of which are very attractive.
Outside the city center the boundaries between Catholic and Protestant districts are not always as obvious as they are in mainly Catholic West Belfast, where barbed wire and walls separate the two communities. Segregation extends to schools, pubs and other areas of social life. Decades of high unemployment are another manifestation of the blight brought about by the "troubles".
Tourists should take care to avoid the "control zones" where parking is in any case prohibited; unattended vehicles may be treated as suspicious and dealt with accordingly. Drivers should be prepared for the occasional vehicle check and pedestrians, whether local people or visitors, may be asked for proof of identity.
Tourist Attractions in Belfast
Lagan Weir and Lookout
 Within walking distance of the City Hall, the Lagan Weir and Lookout has emerged as one of Belfast's prominent visitor attractions. The Weir, a series of computer controlled steel gates that rise and fall with the tide, was built to maintain a fixed water level, creating possibilities for angling and other recreational pursuits along the river. The Visitor Centre is built at the original mouth of the river crossing that gave Belfast its name, where the city's earliest origins lie. Inside are audio-visual exhibitions on the functions of the Weir and the history of Belfast. You'll enjoy superb views of the Customs House and Albert Clock Tower from here. Visit the Weir after dark and you'll see it dramatically illuminated by gas-filter blue light that shimmers across the water.
Island Magee
Island Magee is a
peninsula 7mi/11km long and 2mi/3km wide. A striking feature on the
east side of the peninsula is the Gobbins, a stretch of basalt cliffs
253ft/77m high containing a number of caves. There are numerous legends
associated with the cliffs and caves. At the end of the peninsula can
be seen a megalithic chambered tomb (dolmen).
Glenariff Forest Park
 Glenariff is one of the loveliest of the nine Glens of Antrim.
The Glenariff
Forest Park offers spectacular walks with three waterfalls, trails
along the sheer sides of the gorge, mountain view lookouts and a
visitors center.
Belfast - St John's Point
Beginning at St
John's Point a superbly scenic road makes its way along what is surely
the loveliest stretch of coast in Northern Ireland to Newry
(39mi/62.5km), then on round the wide bay of Dundrum, large areas of
which are exposed at low tide, to Newcastle.
Belfast - Grand Opera House
 West of the City Hall in Great Victoria Street stands the very ornate Opera House, well worth seeing.
Garden Gourmet
Come
and visit the largest flower exhibit in the province taking place at
the Botanical Gardens in Belfast. All those with green fingers should
make a trip here. And if you don't then don't fret, there's a lot more
apart from just flowers and plants. Food and drink is available in
plenty, so go on and feast on the various delicacies on offer. What's
more your entertainment too is catered to—street entertainers,
magicians, puppeteers are all here to perform. There is also a
children's workshop. In the past there have been records of up to 1,370
children participating in this event.
Belfast Castle
 Set on the wooded slopes of the dramatic Cave Hill is the 19th-century edifice of Belfast Castle. The castle was built in 1870 and was previously home to the Earl of Shaftesbury. Within the castle are two rather expensive restaurants and also a small heritage centre offering an insight into the area's history. There is a playground for children. The castle and its spectacular grounds afford beautiful views of the whole city and across Belfast Lough to Co. Down. If you feel like venturing beyond the grounds, there are walks which lead you up to the foot of Napoleon's Nose (a cliff face that resembles the profile of a giant on its back) and to the caves that gave the Cave Hill its name.
How to reach Belfast
By rail :
Despite decades of underinvestment and service cutbacks, Northern Ireland Railways (a division of Translink, Northern Ireland's public transport operator) manages to maintain a small but increasingly reliable passenger rail network around the province, with four 'domestic' lines radiating out from Belfast.Great Victoria Street Station is in the Centre of Belfast on as the name suggests Great Victoria Street Just yards from the Grand Opera House and Beside the Europa Hotel the Great Victoria Station is part of a Combined Bus/rail Station the bus centre being called Europa Bus Centre look for the sign above the door to access the station from the Great Victoria street itself "great Northern mall" the so called "Central Station" is not very Central at all its about half a Mile from the city centre
-
- Belfast - Bangor
- Belfast - Portadown
- Belfast - Larne
- Belfast - Coleraine - Londonderry/Derry or Portrush
Service is most frequent and reliable on the Portadown - Belfast - Bangor corridor, on which new trains offer frequent and fast suburban service. The line to Londonderry/Derry is exceptionally beautiful as it passes along the north coast after Coleraine, however travellers should note that the railway line is slower (two hours or more) than the equivilent Ulsterbus Goldline express coach (one hour and forty minutes). Contact NIR for information on tourist passes for exploring Northern Ireland by bus and train: with integrated bus and train stations in most major towns, the province is easily explored without a car.
'International' service to Dublin (with connections to other destinations in the Republic of Ireland) is offered by the Enteprise, a modern, reasonably comfortable, but relatively slow train jointly operated by Northern Ireland Railways and Iarnrod Eireann (who operate trains in the Republic of Ireland). Journeys between Dublin and Belfast take over two hours, and there are up to eight trains a day, offering two classes of service. The train is frequently late and takes a less direct route than the road, but offers some superb views and is still generally quicker than equivalent busses.
By Road :
By bus
Ulsterbus (a division of Translink, Northern Ireland's public transport operator) operate the intercity bus network in Northern Ireland. Bus Éireann jointly operate cross-border services with Ulsterbus and operate almost all intercity routes in the Republic of Ireland. The Belfast to Dublin Airport and Dublin route is becoming increasingly competitive, with independent operator Aircoach offering a regular service from Dublin and Dublin Airport to Belfast. Bus Éireann offer a €7 single fare from Dublin Busaras (bus station) and Dublin Airport to the Europa Buscentre in Belfast; Ulsterbus offers similar specials in the opposite direction. There is also a daily bus to Cork, via Athlone and one to Galway via Cavan.
Under the Eurolines banner, Ulsterbus offer 2 daily services to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and 2 daily services to London via Manchester and Birmingham. All of these are via the fast ferry Stranraer. Connections are available via National Express to virtually every destination in mainland Great Britain.
For less independent travellers, you can also book day trips from Dublin to Belfast on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. This includes a bus trip to Belfast followed by a black taxi cab ride through the two neighbourhoods and a visit to the peace wall. See Paddywagon Tours for info.
Bus transport in Northern Ireland is incredibly expensive outside Belfast City Centre, which is bordering on the steep. Fortunately the City is small enough to walk anywhere comfortably. The possible exception to this rule is the 'Maiden City Flyer' Ulsterbus express service to Derry which is frequent, comfortable and reasonably priced.
There is also a bus based Park and Ride facility available, see National Park and Ride Directory
By car
Belfast is the focus of the road network in Northern Ireland, and as such is very well connected to the road network in Northern Ireland. While there are only three motorways in Northern Ireland (M1, M2 and M22), the rest of the country is very well provided for with high quality trunk roads.
Access to Belfast from the Republic of Ireland has never been better. Due to the great improvements the peace process in Northern Ireland has gained, crossing the border into Northern Ireland is now nothing more noticeable than a change in signposts and road markings. The M1 connects Dublin to Dundalk and almost to the border with Northern Ireland. The M1 is 83km long and has one toll over the bridge of peace in Drogheda (€1.70 for a car).
|
Northern Ireland
