Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Belfast: The Five Minute Spare Guide

Belfast: The Five Minute Spare Guide
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Welcome To Our Five Minute (plus) Guide to Belfast…

When you think of tourist destinations, even UK based ones Belfast probably doesn’t spring to mind, however as you will see when you read on it is a hidden gem, and it really has shrugged off its chequered history with aplomb.

As befitting a Capital City there is something for everyone with plenty of history to discover and a plethora of things to do and places to see. It even has its own giant fish (more on that later) – which is great news for the Instagram generation; ok its dwarfed by the Giant Muskie fish sculpture in Wisconsin, but at least it’s not made out of fibreglass!

Anyway, if this has piqued your interest then spend Five minutes with us (well probably more than five if you read it all) and learn a bit more about this historied city…

Panoramic view of Belfast from The River Lagan. Image: Mcimage/Shutterstock.com

Overview

Belfast (meaning mouth of the sand-bank ford), located on the River Largen (and some of its tributaries) is not only Northern Irelands Capital and seat of Government, but also the second biggest city on the island of Ireland. It’s also one of the biggest cities in the United Kingdom, with a population of around 341,000 in the city it’s self and considerably more in the surrounding metropolitan area. The unique location, at the end of a long narrow bay, surrounded by mountains ensures that it has a fairly temperate climate, meaning that horticultural attractions abound and may also explain why it has been inhabited since at least the Bronze Age.

It has a history in cloth manufacture at one time earning it the nickname “Linenopolis” and in the early years of the industrial revolution in Rope Making and Tobacco Processing.  Shipbuilding was also a major industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, highlighted by the construction of the RMS Titanic. The headquarters of Harland & Wolff are still here and although the heavy industries of old are no longer a mainstay, the shipyard and in particular its heavy cranes still dominate the shoreline.

Belfast had a turbulent time of things in the 20th Century, especially during the 1970s and 1980s, however, the troubles are now largely behind it and today the city is a vibrant place to visit with pretty much something for anyone.

 

Brief History

The Island of Ireland is thought to have been inhabited since around 10,500 BC and given Belfast’s hospitable location it is probable that a settlement of some sort dates from this time. It has certainly been occupied since the Bronze Age (pre 2000BC), and given excavations in the area have found Stone Age forts and the fact that the Neolithic Giants Ring Henge is nearby possibly earlier. To put this into historical perspective, this predates the Egyptian Pyramids!

Giants Ring Belfast

The Giants Ring Henge dates from around 2700 BC
Image: Boog/Shutterstock.com

Despite this, there is surprisingly little known about Belfast until the 12th Century. The Annals of the Four Masters, which chronicles medieval Irish history makes reference to a fort being here around 680 AD and that a battle took place in the vicinity around this time on the banks of the Largan.

Otherwise, it is not until 1177 that the Belfast we know today began to appear in the history books with Anglo-Norman Conquerer John de Courcy arriving and building the original Belfast Castle on what is now Castle Street in the city centre. Several other castles and abbeys were constructed in the following years, however, it was not until the turn of the 17th Century that Belfast really began to take shape.

The Founding of a Town

The foundations of the Belfast we know and love today were laid by Sir Arthur Chichester who built the second incarnation of Belfast Castle in 1611 as his stately home. Two years later Belfast became a town and a number of mainly Protestant English and Scottish migrants moved into the area. To this day the Chichester name is remembered in street names, this despite Sir Arthur being a somewhat hated figure for his ruthless “scorched earth” tactics in the Nine Years’ War.

The Chichester family are still remembered in Belfast with a street named after them.
Image: riccar/Shutterstock.com

The Irish Insurrection of 1641 scarcely touched the town and by 1685 the population was probably in excess of 2000 employed largely in the Rope & Sailcloth making industries. This growth became exponential during the 18th & 19th Centuries and pretty soon it became Ireland’s main industrial area adding linen making, tobacco processing, heavy engineering and shipbuilding to its already successful rope-making activities.

Such growth meant that Belfast briefly became the Islands largest population centre in the late 1800s. Such growth did lead to unrest though and the riots in 1886 were a harbinger of the sectarian tensions which would bring so much misery to the country in the 20th Century.

1888 Belfast Becomes a City

With exponential population growth and influence, it was no surprise that Belfast finally became a City in 1888 when Queen Victoria bestowed it so by Royal Charter and although she didn’t attend in person the grandly named Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry attended in her official capacity. Things continued to boom and in January 1899, The RMS Oceanic was launched there, at the time the largest man-made moving object that had ever built.

By the turn of the century, Belfast had the worlds biggest tobacco processing plant and fizzy drinks factory (so much for public health) and was still a major player in certain areas of processed textiles (especially handkerchiefs) and in printing (especially the increasingly popular Christmas Card).

The partitioning of Ireland in the early 1920s (following the Irish War of Independence) did little to halt Belfast’s growth, and if anything increased its stature making it the Capital of the new Northern Ireland and the seat of Government, and its prominence as an industrial powerhouse continued to grow.

World War II

Belfast was somewhat unprepared for the German Blitz of 1941 as it was thought to be outside of the range of the German Bomber fleet, however, this was sadly not then case and the city took a hammering. It is estimated that in one night alone 900 people lost their lives and thousands were left homeless as the Luftwaffe targetted Britains strategic armament locations. Several public buildings and churches were also damaged or destroyed and two hospitals were lost.

The Post War Years.

Sadly this time period, up until the 1998 Good Friday Agreement anyway was plagued with violence and disorder and is not something we wish to dwell on, apart from to say we hope they never return. The troubles were probably behind the decline in the urban population which occurred from 1950 until 1970.  It was not until 1980 that it regained the 1950 level.

21st Century Belfast

With peace now the norm, Belfast has resumed its growth trajectory, and although most of the industries of old no longer hold sway (well there is not as much call for Sailcloth & Linen these days) the city still has a sizable engineering presence and aerospace is a growing sector. The end of the troubles has also revitalised the tourism industry and as you will see when you read on, the region is a bit of a hidden gem in this regard. It is also slowly but surely becoming a media hub with numerous films and TV shows being made here. The hugely successful Game of Thrones probably being the biggest name to date to emanate from the Paint Hall Film Studio, which is now one of the largest studios in Europe.

Game of Thrones

The hugely successful Game of Thrones was partially produced and filmed in the Belfast area. Image: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com

Anyway potted history lesson over so now on to some facts.

Not A Lot Of People Know That…

 

The Third incarnation of Belfast Castle
mage: Ester Lo Feudo/Shutterstock.com

  • In 1708 the second incarnation of Belfast Castle burned down. Realising that the site was probably jinxed, rather than rebuild it in the then town centre a new castle was constructed on Cavehill. Streets in the City still beat the Castle name though as a reminder.

 

  • Speaking of cities – Belfast finally became one in 1888 when it received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria. It has of course been a town since 1613.

 

  • Belfast was once the Worlds biggest producer of Linen! True, thanks in no small part to the American Civil War, which caused a major cotton shortage. In fact, Belfast remained the Linen capital of the world right up until the end of World War I when its use fell into decline. This made a lot of people very rich and earned the City the nickname “Linenopolis”.

 

  • It is home to the worlds oldest surviving English Language Newspaper the “News Letter” which was first printed in 1737. Their HQ is still in the city at 6-9 Donegall Square.

 

F.G.O. Stuart (1843-1923) / Public domain

  • The RMS Titanic was launched here on 31st May 1911, around 10 months before it began its ill-fated maiden voyage.
Samson & Goliath Cranes

Samson & Goliath The Worlds biggest cranes. Image: Nahlik/Shutterstock.com

  • The imposing Samson and Goliath cranes are the biggest free-standing cranes in the world; standing 106m & 96m high respectively! A nice reminder of the city’s Shipbuilding & Heavy Engineering heritage.
Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin performing live. Image Bruce Alan Bennett/Shutterstock.com

  • On a more lyrical note, Led Zeppelin played Stairway to Heaven at the Ulster Hall in March 1971. This was the first time this iconic song was played live; apparently the crowd were not impressed!

Twinning

Yes, Belfast like most towns and cities nowadays takes part in this trend and has four twin or sister towns, two in America (not surprising given the historical links between the two countries) and slightly more unusually two in China; these are:

Nashville, Tennessee, USA in 1994
Hefei, Anhui Province, China in 2005
Boston, Massachusetts, USA in 2014 (maybe the Baseball link?)
Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China in 2016

Belfast Sporting Teams

If sport is your thing then there is plenty of options starting with:

International Football 

The pinnacle of football in Northern Ireland is the National Team who play their home fixtures at Windsor Park, which is located in the city. They have somewhat overachieved over the years given their small population and to date, they have been to the World Cup finals tournament three times (reaching the Quarter Finals in 1958!). They also played in the European Championships as recently as 2016 and at the time of writing are in the playoffs for a place in the 2020 tournament. The stadium is open for tours most days and it’s a great way for football fans to spend a couple of hours. It is also home to Linfield FC so if you can’t make a full international fixture you can still take in a game, although don’t expect the atmosphere to be as intense.

Windsor Park not only where the National Team plays but also home to The Northern Irish Football Heritage Centre.
Image: Dignity 100/Shutterstock.com

Club Football

The highest level of club football in Northern Ireland is the NIFL Premiership, and currently, four teams competing in it are based in Belfast, the most famous probably being:

Linfield FC

Windsor Park Belfast

Linfield FC’s Home stadium. Image: Dignity 100/Shutterstock.com

Linfield is by far the most successful football club in Northern Irish history. Founded in 1866 they have won the title on 53 occasions, the Irish Cup 43 times and 43 County Antrim Shields. They have never ever been relegated and in 1966-67 season they actually reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup (now the Champions League!). Not too shabby for a semi-professional club. Even more impressive was that they only lost narrowly 3-2 on aggregate to Bulgarian army side CSKA who themselves only missed out on a place in the final against Celtic after losing a third game decider. If only we could rewrite history and have Glasgow v Belfast in the Champions League.

Linfield European Cup

Linfield’s first European game was against IFK Göteborg in 1959-60

Anyway, if you fancy taking in a game you should be able to pay at the gate as their crowds rarely top 3000. One exception might be if you are in Belfast over Christmas as traditionally they take on their biggest rivals Glentoran on Boxing Day. If you want to watch that one book in advance. Speaking of whom…

Glentoran FC

Glentoran The Oval


Image: Spumador/Shutterstock.com

The Glens as they are also known were founded in 1882 and although not as successful as their cross-city rivals are still quite stories with 23 titles, 22 Irish Cup Wins and one amazing European run in 1973-4 which ended in the Cup Winners Cup Quarter Final.

Glentoran v Borrusia Moenchengladbach

Probably the proudest footballing moment in Glentoran’s History

Here’s a little known Glentoran fact for you… In 1908-09 season they entered their first team and their reserves into the County Antrim Shield, and you guessed it the reserves not only knocked the senior squad out of the competition but then went on to win the trophy!

Cliftonville & The Crusaders

The city’s other two Premier League clubs are Cliftonville FC who hails from 1879 and are 5 times League Champions & Crusaders FC who although formed back in 1898 have only really been a top-flight club since the late 1960s. They have won the league 7 times but the first of these was as recent as the 1972-73 season. Liverpool fans may remember them as they were their opening opponents in the 1976-7 European Cup. Of course, Liverpool went on to lift the trophy.

Crusaders v Liverpool

Crusaders were Liverpool’s first opponents on their way to lifting their first European Cup Trophy in 1977.

There are also some second-tier (NIFL Championship) clubs playing in the City including The Harland & Wolff Welders FC who you just have to go and see if you are a grassroots football fan.

Rugby Union

The city is represented by Ulster RUFC who compete in the Guinness PRO14 Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. Ulster won the European Cup in 1998/99 and the Pro14 2005-06. They have been a bit less successful of late but the standard is still high, so if the oval ball is your game you should try and take in a game. They play at the historic Ravenhill Stadium which has hosted Rugby since 1923 although nowadays its called the Kingspan Stadium for sponsorship reasons. Even if you are not a fan of the game the stadium is worth a look. 

Scarf from their 1998-9 European Win

So that’s the sport out of the road but we couldn’t leave without mentioning Belfast’s biggest sporting legend (well in our opinion anyway) – the original bad boy footballer George Best; more on him below…

Anyone famous From Belfast?

More than you can shake a stick at! But given we only have Five Minutes (or so) and not five hours there’s a cross-section for you, starting with…

Sport (Did you really expect us to start with anything else!)

Famous Footballers:

George Best

What can we say about the Northern Ireland legend George Best that hasn’t been said before? Well, probably not a lot but to save you from looking elsewhere here are a few facts about the greatest player ever to wear the Green Northern Ireland shirt.

Born in Belfast in 1945 he signed with Manchester United at age 18, where he would spend the best part of his career. Between 1963 and 1974 he played 470 games for them (in all competitions), and scored 179 goals; not bad at all for a winger/midfielder.

His last game for them was on 1st January 1974, after which he went walkabout playing for 15 other clubs, even managing to sign briefly for English non-league side Dunstable Town on loan – although he didn’t kick a ball for them.

Honours wise he played 37 times for Northern Ireland between 1964 & 1977 (scoring 9 goals) and won two League titles and the European Cup while with Manchester United. Perhaps more impressively though he was Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) winner in 1968. He hung his boots up for the last time on 11 February 1984 when he made a solitary appearance for Northern Irish side Tobermore United; the only time he ever played for a league club in his native country. He did appear in the occasional exhibition game after retiring and in his own Testimonial Match which was subsequently played at Windsor Park, on the 8th August 1988 (he scored twice). The game in its entirety has been preserved for posterity and you can still find it on DVD.

George Best Testamonial

Some of Ireland’s greatest players of the time turned out in this game.

His epic quote ” I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars – the rest I just squandered” pretty much reflected his attitude to life and ultimately his untimely death, as even a Liver transplant couldn’t make up for the years of alcohol abuse.  He passed away at the relatively young age of 59 on 25th November 2005.

Ok, we have talked a fair bit about him but he really was a legend – on the pitch anyway! However, before we leave the beautiful game, we must mention…

Danny Blanchflower

Arguably Belfast’s most loved footballing son and pretty much the antithesis of George Best, choosing to eschew the bright lights early in his career, making 124 appearances for local club Glentoran before becoming arguably Tottenham Hotspurs greatest ever player, captaining them to the fabled League & FA Cup Double in 1960-61 (in those halcyon days before money meant it could be bought!).

1961 FA Cup Final

Danny Blanchflower led Spurs to the first League & Cup Double of the 20th Century and then only the third ever!

Two years later he would Captain Spurs to Englands first-ever European competition trophy winning the Cup Winners Cup. He played 56 times for Northern Ireland and once he finished with his long and distinguished playing career he would go on to manage the national team.

The Spurs Double wining season is amusingly captured in the 1983 movie Those Glory Glory Days which featured Danny Blanchflower playing himself of course. It’s available on Amazon Prime at the time of writing (2020) and is a bit of a hidden gem that will appeal to non-football fans too.

Those Glory Glory Days

Spurs Epic Double Winning Season as seen through the eyes of a Group of Teenage Girls. Sounds crazy but it works. Go on watch it!

Golf

Rory McIlroy

Current Golf No. One Rory McIlroy showing off his famed swing.
Image: Gary Yee/Shutterstock.com

Rory McIlroy is by far the most successful golfer ever to emanate from the Belfast region. To date, he has won the PGA and both the US & British Open Championships and at the time of writing (2020) he is ranked No 1 in the World and is second in the PGA Money List. He was not actually born in the City but hails from Holywood which is part of the Belfast Metropolitan area,  It was at the Holywood Golf Club that he first played the game at the tender age of Seven!

Boxing

Carl Frampton

Two Weight World Boxing Champion Carl Frampton in a more relaxed mood.
Image: Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com

Two weight World Champion Carl (The Jackal) Frampton is probably the cities most famous boxer, and fans of the sport will long remember his epic clashes with Spains Kiko Martínez, both of which took place in his home city. The latter, of course, resulted in him claiming the IBF Superbantam Weight belt in 2014. His current record is 27-2 and as of 2020 he is still highly ranked and should be back in the ring this year (2020).

Athletics

Dame Mary Peters

Dame Mary Peters proudly displaying her Olympic Gold.
Image: Twocoms/Shutterstock.com

Although originally born in Halewood Merseyside, Pentathelete Dame Mary Peters was Belfast based for much of her career which was highlighted by winning Britain’s only athletics gold at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Despite Death threats from the IRA, she remained an adopted Belfast native and also won Gold & Silver Medals for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games in both the Shot Put & Pentathalon.

Snooker

If you thought George Best was the “bad boy pin-up” of Belfast Sport, think again. That accolade belongs to Alex “Hurricane” Higgins who like Mr Best had a penchant for alcohol but also a bit of a temper which often got the better of him. He was World Champion in 1972 and again in 1982, but he will be best remembered for his thrilling win in the 1983 UK Championship Final where he came back from 7-0 down to win it 16-15.

Well, that’s famous sportspeople nearly covered but just before we go here’s an unusual one…

Major League Baseball (honestly)

Image: David Lee/Shutterstock.com

Belfast born P. J. Conlon is currently the only Northern Irish player in Major League Baseball (ok he now has US citizenship but he is still Irish). He also became the first Irish born player to start a game since 1945 when he took the mound for the NY Mets on 7th May 2018. He pitched in three games total striking out 5 batters and allowing 7 runs. He was released at his own request in 2019 and is currently a free agent (looking for a team).

Science

There have been quite a few famous scientists born in Belfast but the two who have probably made the biggest contributions are:

David Willis Robinson – famed horticulturist with around 120 published papers to his name. He obtained his Doctorate from Queens University and his work has contributed massively to the field of weed control (no pun intended there). The Earlscliffe House and Garden located near Dublin which acts as a tribute to him and his life’s work, and is a must-visit if you are in the locale. Directions can be found here.

The other notable inclusion on this list of famous Belfast linked Scientists is physicist John Stewart Bell, who contributed greatly to our understanding (is that a misnomer?) of potential limitations in classical Quantum Physics. He even got his own theorem, aptly named “Bells Theorem” which you can look up here if you so desire, but don’t blame us if you get a headache trying to understand it!

Anyway on to something a bit lighter…

Arts & Media

Authors

C.S. Lewis of Narnia fame is, without doubt, the best-known author to be born in Belfast. Although he wrote a lot of diverse stuff, most will remember him for the seven children novels in the Chronicles of Narnia saga which are now quite rightly considered classics. They have been translated into numerous languages and of course have been adapted for TV, Radio, Film & Stage.

Film & TV

Actor, Director, Screenwriter, Thespian, Producer and Narrator – (is there no end to his talents?) Sir Kenneth Branagh is probably Belfast’s most famous son in this area. Winner of three BAFTA’ s, Two Emmy’s and an Olivier to date and of course nominated a host of other times. He is yet to pick up an Oscar but has five nominations and was deservedly knighted on 9 November 2012.

In his early career he focussed his attention on his thespian roots winning awards for his own depictions of Shakespeare’s Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet & Loves Labours Lost. More recently he has moved into the Hollywood blockbuster arena with the likes of Thor & Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. At the time of writing (2020) he has two movies coming out – Artemis Fowl for Walt Disney and a new version of the Agatha Christie classic “Death on the Nile”  we are anxiously awaiting both!

Artists

Again spoiled for choice given there are so many famous if not quite household names who have either been born here or plied their skills in the city. Anyway, we must be brief so here are four very diverse ones to tickle your artistic fancy:

Painter Paul Henry is a Belfast native being born at 61 University Road on the 11th April 1877 and he lived in Belfast until 1898 when he was lured to Paris by the opportunity to study at the prestigious (but sadly now defunct) Académie Julian. In the early part of the 20th century, he was no doubt Ireland’s best-known painter and applauded for his minimalistic depiction of the wild and expansive landscape vistas.

Commemorative plaque outside his old home. By Peter Clarke at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link 

His paintings regularly fetch significant sums on the occasion they come up for auction, however, prints (official and unofficial) abound and there are s number of books on his life and work available such as the book such as the one below, which we have in our Five Minute Spare library. To see an original put the Ulster Museum on your itinerary as they often have some on display.

Sculpture

If you like your art a bit more contemporary then Belfast can offer sculptor Tim Shaw who again hails from the city. He has won the prestigious Jack Goldhill Award for Sculpture (in 2015 and numerous other awards. He has a few public sculptures on display including the Minotaur outside London’s Royal Opera House and less well known but equally impressive “The Drummer” at Lemon Quay, Truro Cornwall.

The Drummer Truro

The Drummer. Sculpted in Bronze using local Tin & Copper
Image: Ron Ellis/Shutterstock.com

Some of his earlier work has a slightly darker side as can be seen below:

Casting A Dark Democracy By Tim ShawOwn work, Public Domain, Link

No list of famous Belfast artists would be complete without at least making reference to its other famous contemporary artist John Kindness who is best known locally anyway for the “Big Fish” which we will come onto in due course. At the time of writing, he also has works on display in London, in the Victoria & Albert Museum and in the USA at Boston & Philadelphia.

Big Fish Belfast

The imposing Big Fish by Belfast’s own John Kindness.  Image: stenic56/Shutterstock.com

For A Few Troubles More

Finally, we will end our whistlestop tour of Belfast artists with something different – designer and comic book artist extraordinaire John McCrea. Possibly best-known in the UK for his depictions of Judge Dredd in the iconic weekly comic 2000AD, however, his American comic work has included working on household names such as Superman, Spiderman & Wonder Woman.  Our own favourites though are his team-ups with fellow Irishman Garh Ennis on DC Comics Hitman series which ran for 60 issues,  “The Boys: Herogasm” which is now a Netflix series and best of all “For a Few Troubles More” which takes a wickedly humorous look at the lives of two pub loving Belfast locals. Definitely worth a read, if you are broad-minded anyway.

For a Few Troubles More

A great tongue in cheek look at the lives of two Belfast boys.

Things to do in and Around Belfast

So now you know a little history, a few obscure facts, who the cities famous sons & daughters are, and even who Belfast is twinned with, so now on to those things that you just have to do and see!

Titanic Belfast:

Image: VanderWolf Images/Shutterstock.com

The title pretty much gives away what to expect at this museum and visitor attraction, which also pays homage to Belfast’s maritime heritage. It is located on the site of the old Harland and Wolff shipyard and although the focus is obviously on the Titanic and its all be it short history, there are other things to do. These include visiting the SS Nomadic – the Worlds last remaining White Star Line Liner, having a ride on the “The Wee Tram” or simply enjoying something to eat at one of the cafes or restaurants on site. There is even the ubiquitous gift shop for those all-important souvenirs.

The Wee Tram

No visit is complete without a ride on the Wee Tram!
Image: riccar/Shutterstock

Belfast Zoo & Gardens

Belfast Zoological Gardens to give it its proper title is a gem of a Zoo being idyllically placed on the relatively secluded slopes of Cavehill. Originally a Botanical Garden (hence its name) the Zoo part was added in 1934, and they are world-renowned for their conservation efforts with the majority of the Zoo’s inhabitants being endangered in the wild.  It has creatures large and small including Asian elephants, Barbary lions & Rothschild’s giraffes, which always get the most attention, however, they also have a wide range of Birds including (the last time we were there anyway) Socorro Doves which are extinct in the wild! You can read a bit about their involvement in worldwide conservation efforts here.

The Socorro Dove is one of over 30 extinct in the wild or critically endangered species found at Belfast Zoo.
Image: Charlotte Bleijenberg/Shutterstock.com

The Crumlin Road Gaol:

Crumlin Road Gaol

The imposing Crumlin Road Gaol now a Grade A Listed Building.
Image: NieuwlandPhotography/Shutterstock.com

Opened in 1845 the Crumlin Road Gaol was a functioning prison up until 1996. Since then a fortune has been spent on renovating it and today it is an interesting if slightly macabre visitor attraction with an attaching conference centre. There are guided tours that give an insightful but slightly harrowing account of what life was like in a Victorian prison and includes a visit to the condemned cells which were temporary home to the 17 people who were executed here. One thing to bear in mind is that this is an old cold building and any tour inevitably involves time outdoors or in cold tunnels, so wrap up warm if visiting in the winter months.

The Ulster Museum

This is well worth a visit and given it is located at the entrance to the Botanic Gardens, its a great chance to kill two birds with one stone visitor attraction wise anyway. Exhibit wise there is something for everyone, with the Irish Archaeology and The Natural History sections being particularly impressive. It is easy to get to too as it even has its own station (Botanic railway station).

One of the many exhibits at the Ulster Museum.
Image: Dignity 100/Shutterstock.com

Out & About

If wandering around seeing the sites or wildlife & parks are more your thing, then you will be well catered for thanks to Belfasts abundance 0f green spaces. The City Council has an A-Z  list and we counted 49 on it! Obviously, we can’t cover them all (well not in this guide anyway) so here’s four to whet your appetite:

The Belfast Botanic Gardens

This is probably the most well known and as mentioned above you can take these in with a visit to the Ulster Museum if time is short. However, they are really worth a few hours of your time and although they are famed for the glorious Palm House and Tropical Ravine it also has rose & alpine gardens, mature trees, flower beds, sculptures and even some pretty big wild bird feeders. Overall it runs to around 14 acres and on a sunny day, there is nowhere quite like it.

The Palm House alone is worth a trip to Belfast.
mage: dvlcom/Shutterstock.com

 

Belvoir Forest Park

If trees and in particular Forests are more your thing then Belvoir Forest Park is a must-visit. As well as being a haven for wildlife it has the distinction of probably being the Worlds largest working forest wholly located within a city boundary. There are loads of fairly well laid out trails & paths and if you are a Twitcher, you will be pleased to hear that Long Eared Owls are year-round residents in the park.

Long Eared Owl

Long Eared Owls is just one of the species bird watchers can expect to see in Belvoir Park.  Image: Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock.com

 

Orangefield Park

Located in East Belfast, like Victoria Park below, is open 24/7 (most of Belfast’s parks close around 7.30 pm) and is of added interest as it was an American Army training base during the Second World War. Today, it is is the largest area of open parkland in the Connswater Community Greenway and also houses the Orangefield Park Playing Fields which will suit the active. It incorporates a bowling green, tennis courts, soccer pitches and even a cycling track. If you are not that active there is still some nice walks and plenty of wildlife to see.

We will finish off by mentioning Victoria Park, a designated Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) and home to some unusual terrain including a lake, with two small wooded islands, which house a large breeding population of Swans and ducks. There is also a mudflat surrounding the park which is a great place to view a diverse range of wading birds, especially in the winter months. There was once an Edwardian swimming pool here, but sadly it closed in the 1970s.

The Big Fish

So that’s parks out of the way, but before we leave this section if you are in the Donegall Quay area, or even if you are not for that matter then you really need to go see (and take a selfie with) the “Big Fish” which is the starting point for one of the popular Art Trail’s laid out in the area. This particular one runs for around 3/4 of a mile so is a great way to combine a bit of culture with some light exercise. You can download the trail guide here.

Anyway back to the fish briefly. It is an impressive sight, 33 feet long and covered from head to tail in glistening ceramic tiles which serve as scales. What is even more impressive is that each scale tells a story about the city, its people or its history. Created by the aforementioned John Kindness this is pretty much a must-see if you come to the city and you could spend a good hour reading and admiring the details included on it.

Big Fish by John Kindness

Every scale tells a story! Image: Francesco Ricciardi Exp/Shutterstock.com

Architecture Of Significance

If architectural history is your thing then there is plenty to keep you occupied given there are around 38 Grade A and literally dozens of B+ listed buildings located in or around the city. Here are some of the most iconic ones to get you started:

Belfast City Hall

Where better to start than with what is widely regarded as the finest example of Edwardian Baroque architecture in the whole of the UK. No one who sees it can fail to be impressed by it and the combination of a portland stone exterior coupled with an almost decadent marble interior and of course that copper dome has served as a model for several other status buildings worldwide.  Construction began in 1898 and it first opened its doors in August 1906.

0 Built in 1906 and designed by the famed architect Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas Image: Willy Barton/Shutterstock.com

Today it serves as the home of Belfast’s city council and the good news for tourists is that there are free public tours available which last around an hour. While you are here you can pop into the Titanic Memorial Garden which is part of the grounds and this includes and a number of monuments and memorials including one inscribed with the names of the 22 men from Belfast who died in the disaster. Seeing all the names is quite a sombre experience.

A number of monuments and plinth serve as a sombre reminder that this was a real tragedy.
Image: Sergei Afanasev/Shutterstock.com

Stunning at Night

If you need cheering up after this then call back after dark when the building takes on a new lease thanks to some spectacular illuminations often in a variety of colours which really show off the architectural features.

Belfast Town Hall at night

Image: Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock.com

Belfast Cathedral

Belfast Cathedral

Image: Sergey-73/Shutterstock.com

Or the Cathedral Church of St. Anne, as it is locally known, is fairly modern by comparison to those located in many cities tracing its origins back to 1899 when the first stone was laid. It has continued to grow over the last 100 years or so and the Spire of Hope was added as recently as 2007. It was traditionally a place of worship though and there is still a small part of the original church dating from 1776 in the sanctuary.

Whether you are religious or not the Romanesque architecture is well worth seeing and although there is a small fee for entry (£5 for adults in 2020) the inside is even more spectacular than the exterior with elaborate stonework carvings and some stunning stained glass windows.

Interior of Belfast Cathedral

A glimpse of the interior Image: Tomasz Szymanski/Shutterstock.com

Those simply wanting to offer a quiet prayer can use the attaching Chapel of the Holy Spirit for free and in any event its worth a visit to see some impressive mosaics which include some depicting Irelands Patron Saint Patrick.

Belfast Castle

Belfast-Castle

Image: Josemaria Toscano/Shutterstock.com

We have saved the best for last, and if you only have time for one visit while in the city then we would recommend heading for Cave Hill and taking in a tour of the castle & grounds. As we have mentioned this is the third incarnation and like the cathedral, it is relatively modern by castle standards having been built in 1870 as the stately home of the Shaftesbury family. It was occupied as a family home until 1934 when it was gifted to the city.

It underwent extensive renovations in the late 1970s and today it is not only one of Northern Ireland’s most visited tourist destinations but also acts as an amenity to the local population, being a popular venue for events and weddings.

The ornate staircase leading into the castle.
Image: Serg Zastavkin/Shutterstock.com

Scottish baronet style

Although relatively modern it does have some interesting gothic period features (technically Scottish baronet style) including towers & turrets, and one of the most impressive external staircases we have seen in a while! Standing some 400 feet above sea level the castle is a familiar landmark in the north of the city and is best reached by car or taxi and there is a sizable car park located at the end of the main driveway. There is also a bus route from the city centre which will drop you within walking distance.

Its location is quite elevated so bear that in mind if walking is an issue, however, this means it does offer some great views of the city.  Once inside there is a wealth of things to see, including a traditional 1920s bedroom, and it has a visitor centre, located in the basement area where you can learn more about the history of the Cave Hill area. If you get peckish then the aptly named Cellar Restaurant can soon cure than and it stays open late Thursday to Saturday.

The surrounding estate and country park contains landscaped gardens and mature woodland and is home to many different species of wildlife, including Belfast’s rarest plant; Adoxa moschatellina or “The Town Hall Clock”, so watch where you are stepping when out and about. Dogs (other than guide dogs) are allowed in the country park but are not allowed into the castle or the adventure park.

Adoxa-moschatellina

Image: Robert Mertl/Shutterstock.com

Culture

If film, theatre or classical music is your thing then Belfast has something to offer, it is home to Northern Irelands only full-time professional orchestra – The Ulster Orchestra which was founded in 1966 and regularly performs across the whole of Ireland. When not on tour they play at either the Ulster Hall or the Waterfront.

If the theatre is more your thing then the award-winning Lyric Theatre which is incidentally the only full-time producing theatre in Northern Ireland is a must-visit. It opened in 1951 and is Located at 55 Ridgeway St, BT9 5FB which is a bit out of the town centre, however, there are regular busses or you can make it from the centre in around 30 minutes on foot. The Theatre’s patron is none other than Hollywood star Liam Neilson!

He pretty much started his career here back in 1976 and he still occasionally appears either as a visitor or even on stage. It is rare that there is not something being performed so you have no excuse not to take one in, however, booking in advance is recommended.

For The Movie Buffs

Finally, for the movie buff, there is the Belfast Film Festival. This is a fairly recent addition to the local culture scene having only been on the calendar since 1995, however, it is growing in stature and if you love art-house and indy productions then check it out. The 2018 short film award winner “Good Girls” by Niamh McKeown is a great example of the quality shown and well worth a watch. Seeing as we are such helpful people here at Five Minutes Spare we have embedded the full film for you. It lasts around 10 minutes though so you might want to finish reading the rest of our guide first though.

The Festival is scheduled for April in 2020.

Getting To Belfast & Travelling Around.

Getting to Belfast is relatively easy as there are good air links, a decent rail network connecting the city with others in Northern Ireland and there is a direct service to Dublin. You can even access the city by sea from either Liverpool or Cairnryan (near Stranraer) in Scotland, and there is also a service to and from Douglas in the Isle of Man. So there is no excuse for not visiting. There are a few more details below:

Air Links

Belfast has two airports Belfast International & the George Best Belfast City. The latter is a single runway airport and mainly links the city with the UK mainland offering flights to London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow & Cardiff amongst others.

Belfast City Airport

Belfast City Airport predominantly links the city with those on the UK mainland. Image:Moomusician/Shutterstock.com

The much larger Belfast International, while again predominantly servicing the UK also has regular flights to and from mainland Europe with Spain, Holland & France being the busiest routes. In the tourist season, it is also possible to fly direct to and from Orlando Florida.

Belfast International Airport

Belfast International Airport offers direct links to the British mainland and much of Western Europe. Image: Willy Barton/Shutterstock.com

Train Services

Image Credit: James Kennedy NI/Shutterstock.com

There are Four main Train Stations in Belfast with the major one being Great Victoria Street which has been around since 1839. It also homes the Europa Buscentre making it very convenient for travellers arriving from other parts of the island. Services here run to and from Derry, Larne, Bangor & Newry making it a useful resource for anyone looking to explore Northern Ireland. The other big station is Lanyon Place on East Bridge Street which acts as the northern terminus for the cross border service which links Belfast to Dublin.

The others are Botanic which as its name suggests is located near the Botanic Gardens. It also serves Queens University while the City Hospital Station serves the main Hospital as well as and the surrounding area of south Belfast.

Ferry Services

Image: Stephen Barnes/Shutterstock.com

Belfast is fairly well served with ferry services to the mainland with Stena Lines offering two services covering Scotland via regular daily sailings to Cairnryan and to Liverpool via Birkenhead which is literally just across the River Mersey. The service to Liverpool is much less frequent and takes around 8 hours so depending on where you are travelling from it is often quicker travelling to Scotland especially if you are taking the car as that crossing only takes 2 hours 45 minutes.

Isle of man Steam Packet Company

Image: Borka Kiss/Shutterstock.com

The Isle of Man Steam Packet also sails to Belfast from Douglas, and if you were wanting to have a bit of an adventure you could sail from Liverpool to Douglas and then on to Belfast. In terms of actual time on the sea, this is actually quicker than going direct, although the connections will never marry up. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company sails from Albert Quay, while both Stena Lines services depart from Victoria Terminal.

Public Transport

Up until 2018, this was not Belfast’s strongest point and it was pretty much a car-dominated city. However, this is starting to change thanks to the introduction of the innovative Glider service, which is pretty much a tram on wheels. They run across the city and into the Titanic quarter and with road priority they are pretty quick. You can then hop on a Metro Bus to complete your journey. This could soon become a model for city transport in the UK.

Belfast Glider

The Belfast Glider service runs east to west and links in with the bus services.
Image: jean-francois me/Shutterstock.com

There is also bike hare facilities ran by Belfast Bikes who have over 300 available and there are around 30 docking stations in and around the city centre. Great on a nice day but not so handy when it is raining cats & dogs, as it often is in the winter months.

Where to stay?

Whether you are looking for a luxury place to stay or on a penny-pinching budget you will find something to suit your needs, As befitting a Capital city you can find everything from 5-star hotels, to cosy Guest Houses & Bed and Breakfast establishments. For the more budget-conscious there is a very nice Travel Lodge in the city centre, and there are several hostels with most well placed in or around the Queens area near the University.

If self-catering is more your style (or eating out if you have my cooking skills) then check out Airbnb which at the time of writing had over 300 listings! If you head for the outskirts you can even find plenty of camping and caravanning options.

Thinking of Moving Here

Anyone thinking of moving to this great city will be very pleasantly surprised at the relative affordability. Hometrack as of January 2020 listed the average house price at £136,500, which is well below the UK average and a bit of a bargain compared to the prices in either London or Edinburgh. Given the city also has a world-leading University (ranked 173rd in the world in 2020) this is an attractive option for those looking for the cosmopolitan “light” lifestyle. Like everywhere location matters but at least you are starting from a lower base!

 

Well, that ends our somewhat longer than normal review of this fine city. If you enjoyed it let us know and why not check out some of our other guides, or try our Belfast Quiz. Whatever don’t forget to register and join us Five Minutes Spare so we can reward you with some Minotes, as well as letting you know about the many great things we have planned going forward.

 

 

 

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