Belfast i Nordirland - 10 saker att se och göra i Belfast

Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland, yet it's not too big to easily walk around the main sights. This exciting city offers pleasant neighbourhoods, atmospheric pubs and lots of street art. There are also attractions such as the HMS Caroline and the Titanic Museum. Here are 10 things to see and do in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

From Dublin to Belfast

We finished our trip around Ireland by motorhome to Dublin, and continued our journey to Belfast. We travelled by Aircoach from Dublin airport and the bus journey took just under two hours.

It was a fairly comfortable bus and WiFi worked at least in one direction. The price was, if we remember correctly, about 80 SEK per person in each direction. Then we explored Belfast, and here are our tips on 10 things to see and do in the capital of Northern Ireland.

Flygplats Dublin — Waiting for the bus at Dublin airport

1. cathedral quarter

The Cathedral Quarter in Belfast is the old quarter, where you can stroll around cosy bars, cafés and small shops. There's also a lot of street art and St Anne's Cathedral. Lively and pleasant!

Cathedral quarters i Belfast — Cathedral Quarter

2. St Anne's Cathedral

St Anne's Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is located on Donegall Street in the Cathedral Quarter. This cathedral serves two dioceses, and is thus the seat of two different bishops. If you want to take a look around inside the magnificent cathedral, you'll have to pay a small fee.

Belfast sevärdheter: St Anne's katedral i Belfast — Belfast attractions: St Anne Cathedral

St Anne's katedral — Splendid inside St Anne's Cathedral

3. city hall - Belfast City Hall

Belfast City Hall is well worth a visit when in Belfast. It's completely free to enter, and the many rooms offer plenty to look at, from museum artefacts to decorative windows that tell the story of Belfast's history. If you want, you can opt for a guided tour, which is also free.

Stadshuset i Belfast — Belfast attractions: The grand city hall

Fönster Belfast — One of the decorated windows tells the story of the Titanic.

4. Street art and memories of "The Troubles"

One thing you can't (and shouldn't!) miss when you're in Belfast is all the street art. There is art just everywhere in the city, and you are often impressed by how skilfully it is done. Many walls are painted by artists during a cultural night organised every year.

Belfast street art — Things to do in Belfast: Check out street art!

Gatukonst i Belfast — A painted wall comes to life

There are also many paintings recalling political events, or recounting the violence of the conflict in Northern Ireland, "The Troubles", which lasted between 1969 and 1998 and caused great suffering to the population.

Today the violence is history, but there are various memorials in the city, such as walls and a memorial grove for those who lost their lives in the conflict.

Street art — It's like the walls are trying to tell you something!

The Peace Wall is a series of barriers, up to several kilometres long, built to separate Protestants and Catholics in different parts of Belfast. There are also two famous roads on either side: the Catholic Falls Road and the Protestant Shankill Road.

Belfast mur — A wall reminiscent of the conflicts in Northern Ireland

If you want to see places like this and much more, there's Belfast's 'Black Taxis'. This company specialises in guided tours of the city's murals, and the tours don't have to cost too much.

The troubles Belfast — Paintings that tell stories ...

5. Street life in Belfast

When you're in a big city, you shouldn't miss out on soaking up the atmosphere of the city and looking at everything going on around you! We had fantastic luck with the weather and took the opportunity to enjoy beer and tapas at the restaurant 2taps. Not bad at all! And then we checked out some cars ...

Tapas Belfast — Tapas and beer taste great in the heat! 2taps at Cotton Court, 30-42 Waring St.

Taxi Belfast — Nice taxis (with wheelchair sign)

Mobil frisersalong — Mobile hairdressing - why not?

5. Shopping with a view in Victoria Square

We didn't have time for shopping, but if you do, you can go to Victoria Square shopping centre. Here is also "The Dome", where you have a 360 degree view of the whole of Belfast. Right next to the shopping centre we ate sushi on a conveyor belt - not so impressed with the sushi actually, but fun with a conveyor belt.

Shoppingcentret Victoria i Belfast — Victoria Shopping Centre - with breathtaking views from above

Sushi på rullband — Conveyor belt sushi at the Victoria shopping centre

6. St George's Market

If, like us, you like markets, it's worth paying a visit to St George's Market. This is an indoor market with everything from fish and baked goods to bags and art. Here you can easily spend an hour or so browsing, shopping or perhaps sampling a treat.

Irish soda bread at St George's Market at 12-20 East Bridge St.

Irländska bakverk — Irish pastries at St George's Market

7. pubs in Belfast

Of course, you can't be in Belfast without visiting the pubs. The Duke of York, on Commercial Ct, is perhaps one of the liveliest pubs, with frequent Guinness pouring and crowds lining the street.

Here we hung out for a while with everyone else in the sun. Other nice pubs include The Dirty Onion, The Harp and The Dark Horse.

Pubar Belfast — Pub life creeps into the streets ...

Belfast Pub — The Duke of York pub in Belfast, Northern Ireland

8. The Bullitt - urban hotel

Sometimes a hotel is more than a hotel. The Bullitt welcomes you with a pleasantly relaxed urban atmosphere, hanging out in the courtyard, in the indoor restaurant and on the roof terrace.

The best thing about living here is that it feels like you are in the middle of everything without even leaving the hotel, which by the way has a great location at the Cathedral Quarter. We only had time to eat in the restaurant in the morning when we got a modern version of English breakfast.

The Bullitt Hotel, 40a Church Lane Belfast in Northern Ireland

Frukost på Bullitt hotell i Belfast — English breakfast a la Bullitt hotel - we were full!

9. HMS Caroline

One of the large ships located in the Titanic Quarter is HMS Caroline, a former military vessel. The ship was built in 1914 and served during the First World War.

The ship has been repaired and is now in the Alexandra Dock, where she is now a museum, adapted for both children and adults. Really interesting to make a visit here!

10. Titanic Belfast - Titanic Museum

Last but not least, we have to mention perhaps the most famous attraction in Belfast: Titanic Belfast. The Titanic Museum is located in the part of the city known as the Titanic Quarter.

In addition to the museum, there is Thompson's dry dock and pump house where the Titanic was once built. The SS Nomadic is the last existing ship of the White Star Line and the Titanic Hotel, which is housed in the premises once used by Harland and Wolff to design their large ships.

Bro Belfast — Bridge over to the Titanic Quarter with the Titanic Museum

The Titanic Museum itself, which is more of an exhibition, consists of nine galleries that tell the fascinating story of everything from when the Titanic was built, to the events following the terrible accident. We've written a whole post about all the things to see and do in the Titanic Quater in Belfast.

READ MORE: Titanic in Belfast - Titanic Museum in Northern Ireland

*Titanic museum located in the Titanic Quarter*

More things to do in Belfast, Northern Ireland

If you have time to spare, there is more to see and do in Belfast. For example, you can hike up the Cave Hill Country Park, which offers panoramic views of the city and Belfast Lough. Here you can also take the opportunity to see Belfast Castle, built between 1810 and 1870 on the site of a 12th century castle that burned down in 1708.

It may be interesting to see the botanical garden, where you can also see the magnificent 19th century Palm House greenhouse. On the same site is the Ulster Museumwith collections from the time of the dinosaurs.

If you are looking for green spaces, you can also look up Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park located in South Belfast. The park mainly attracts visitors during its Rose Week celebrations, which take place every year in July.

Husbåt i Belfast i Nordirland — Houseboat in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Things you didn't know about Belfast?

Ireland's tallest building in Belfast

Obel Tower is a residential tower with 28 floors and a height of 85 metres.

CS Lewis from Belfast

Clive Staples Lewis was born on 29 November 1898 in Belfast. He is known for writing the book series 'The Chronicles of Narnia'.

Belfast's Albert Clock Tower leans 120 cm

All canals such as High Street in the city centre used to be navigable. Today they have closed them and put the giant Albert Clock Tower on top, and it has become too heavy. We'll see how it turns out... I mean ends....

The world's largest dry dock

The Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast is home to the largest dry dock in the world, named Thompson. The dry dock measures 556 x 93 metres and the RMS Titanic and RMS Olympic were built here at the same time.

John Boyd Dunlop

Dunlop should ring a bell! In 1887, Mr Dunlop sat in Belfast pondering the idea of fitting his son's tricycle with air rings, consisting of a thinner inner rubber tube filled with air, and a thicker outer one stuck to the rim. Not a bad idea!

Van Morrison from Belfast

Born on 31 August 1945 in Belfast, musical genius Van Morrison was a true soul man.

Ewart's Linen Factory on Crumlin Road

In the 19th century, Belfast was a world leader in the manufacture of linen. They doubled the city's population for their demand and employment was huge.

Samson and Goliath cranes are the largest in the world

The world's largest freestanding cranes stand in the Titanic Quarter. Goliath (96 metres high) and Samson (106 metres high) are at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.

More to see in Northern Ireland

If you are able to travel around Northern Ireland, there are of course many interesting things to see and discover. Here are some tips for exciting excursions:

Castle Ward Castle - where some of the scenes in Winterfell in the TV series Game of Thrones were filmed.
Causeway Coastal Route and Carrickfergus Castle
Repbron Carrick-a-Rede as well as the Cushendun cave, the beautiful Torr Head road and Marlough Bay.
Giant's Causeway as well as the mysterious Dark Hedges avenue and Dunluce Castle.

Dramatisk repbro i Nordirland: Carrick-a-Rede — The dramatic Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in Northern Ireland

Video from Northern Ireland

Facts about Belfast

Country: United Kingdom
National part: Northern Ireland
Name: Belfast (Béal Feirste in Irish) takes its name from the River Farset, which runs mostly through the city.
River: Lagan
Mountain: Black Mountain, Cavehill and Castlereagh Hills.

Good to know about Belfast

Language: English, Irish and Ulster-Scots.
Residents: 333 000 (2014)
Currency: British Pound (GBP)
Price mode: Much like in Sweden
Time difference: 1 hour difference (Sweden 12:00 Northern Ireland 11:00)
El: British model and adapter needed
Water: Drinkable

Attractions in Belfast

Churches: St Anne's Cathedral (St Anne's Cathedral)
Buildings: Queen's University's main building, the Town Hall and Ulster Bank. The two cranes Samson and Goliath are also famous landmarks.

Mural paintings

Protestant murals: In the Protestant areas, paintings showing loyalty to Britain can be found around Shankill Road, Newtownards Road and Sandy Row.
Catholic murals: In the Catholic areas there are paintings expressing republican ideals, including around Falls Road, Bullymurphy, Whiterock, Short Strand and Ardoyne.

Sightseeing tours

Guided city walks - several different ones to choose from
Belfast by bike - several different tours to choose from
Hop on and hop off bus
Black Taxi Tours - to discover the city's murals
Game of Thrones tours - in the footsteps of the film

Activities in Belfast

Crumlin Road Gaol is a 19th century prison, which is open to the public for tours, concerts and events.
Let's Go Hydro is located in Carryduff just outside Belfast. It features an aqua park and various water activities such as kayaking and stand up paddle boarding (SUP).
Belfast Zoological Gardens is located on Antrim Road outside of town. It is home to 140 different species of animals.

Accommodation in Belfast

The Bullitt - a youthful and urban hotel with a great location in the centre of town. Address: 40a Church Lane
Titanic Hotel - hotel for those interested in the Titanic, in the premises where the ships were once designed. Address: Queen's Road, Titanic Quarter

Restaurants in Belfast

Deanes EIPIC offers, among other things, tasting menus, a little more exclusive. Address: 28-40 Howard Street
Cutters Wharf is beautifully situated on the River Lagan. Address: Lockview Road
Cosmo offers 'all you can eat', both Asian and European food. Address: Unit R5, Victoria Square

Pubs and bars

The Duke of York, Commercial Court
The Dirty Onion, 3 Hill Street
The Harp, Hill Street & Commercial Court
The Dark Horse, 34 Hill Street
The John Hewitt, 51 Donegall Street
Kelly's Cellars, 30 Bark Street
The Garrick Bar, 29 Chichester Street

Shopping in Belfast

Victoria Square shopping centre is a large shopping centre with both fashion and non-fashion items. Address: 1 Victoria Square.
St George's Market is a market with both food and gadgets. Address: 12-20 East Bridge St.

Travelling to Belfast

Flight: You can fly directly from Stockholm Arlanda to Dublin in about 2 hours 45 minutes. You can also fly to Belfast (Belfast International Airport at Lough Neagh).
Bus: There are buses (Aircoach) from Dublin to Belfast. It takes about 2 hours and costs around £80 per person.
Ferry: There are ferries from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, for example from Liverpool.

Early history of Belfast

Early history: The oldest history of the city is unknown.
12th century: In 1177, Norman conquerors built a castle on the site of what is now Belfast in Northern Ireland.

17th to 19th century

17th century: In 1613 Belfast was granted city rights. At the end of the century, the city had around 2000 inhabitants.
18th century: Belfast in Northern Ireland became an important port city in Ulster and a shipyard was built.
19th century: Many moved from the countryside to Belfast where there were jobs in industry.

Belfast in the 20th century

1920s: With the partition of Ireland, Belfast became the seat of government for Northern Ireland.
The Second World War: The city was badly damaged by German bombs.
1960s: The late 1960s saw the start of what was called 'The Troubles', the clash between Catholic and Protestant groups.
1990s: A ceasefire was declared in 1997 and the city has been considered peaceful since the 1998 peace agreement.

READ MORE: Things to do in Ireland and Ireland's attractions

20 Comments

Add yours →

Snows says:

Undeniably, it feels like there will be another visit to Ireland because we had far from everything ...

19 May 2018 - 10:13

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  You never have time for everything ... But surely there is a lot to see in Ireland? 🙂
  
  19 May 2018 - 19:31
  
Kenneth Risberg says:

Thank you for this trip, it has really given me a completely different view of Ireland. Not a grey and rainy Ireland as I thought, but a more colourful, green, lush and beautiful nature, lovely beaches, strange trees etc.
I feel like I want to go there, NOW!
(Tapas and beer with a Christmas star on the table)?

19 May 2018 - 15:23

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Nice if we could give a new picture of Ireland! 🙂 And haha, I didn't see the poinsettia until you wrote it 😉.
  
  19 May 2018 - 19:35
  
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

What delicious street art! It's an art form that we really like, when it's done well.
We would really like to go to the Titanic Museum, otherwise we are not very keen on museums.

19 May 2018 - 17:12

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We also like street art, when it is well done, and especially when it tells a story. Lots of this right here! We also don't go to museums very often, but some are really worth visiting, like this one! 🙂
  
  19 May 2018 - 19:39
  
BP says:

What incredibly cool graffiti! Professional and colourful. Love it! Oh that decoration in the shopping centre is the biggest screw I have seen. So very cool architecture:-)

19 May 2018 - 19:18

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Right? Belfast is a pretty cool city 🙂
  
  19 May 2018 - 19:39
  
Our Vantastic Travels says:

Great street art, hope that all the scribbling doesn't compete with the art that tells their story.

19 May 2018 - 22:25

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  It didn't feel like a problem actually. Many nicely painted walls everywhere.
  
  20 May 2018 - 17:21
  
Laila MA - Around the Equator says:

Exciting reading. I also want to travel here 🙂

20 May 2018 - 7:34

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Interesting destination! 🙂
  
  20 May 2018 - 17:21
  
Lena in Wales says:

I recognise myself! Love Belfast!
So good that you write about this city that so few Swedes have been to.

20 May 2018 - 11:07

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad you recognise yourself and that you like Belfast! We also fell in love with this city! 🙂
  
  20 May 2018 - 17:21
  
Anna in Dubai says:

Watched a series the other day about Belfast during the riots...not so long ago but seems calm now ? Violent and sad but your pictures show another positive side!

20 May 2018 - 15:56

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, it is completely calm now, and has been for quite some time. People agree that they never want the violence to return. Of course there are traces of the conflict and perhaps things under the surface that are not visible. The children still go to Catholic and Protestant schools, for example, and there are neighbourhoods where only "one side" lives, etc. But there is also a lot of co-operation, and the fact that the violence is gone means that you can focus on other joint projects, such as tourism.
  
  20 May 2018 - 17:27
  
Ann-Louise says:

Very interesting! I've never actually thought about going to Belfast, but it seems really nice.

20 May 2018 - 17:42

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Belfast is a nice and interesting (and not too big ;)) city 🙂 .
  
  22 May 2018 - 6:49
  
Maria's Memoirs says:

Oh, the Titanic museum would be something for me who likes to nerd out on Titanic history and documentaries now and then 😉 .

23 May 2018 - 12:05

Liniz Travel says:

Oh yeah
Very exciting to do! I really have to go to Ireland again! Have only been in Dublin 1 g for almost 20 years ago.... hugs

23 May 2018 - 12:18

Belfast, Northern Ireland - 10 things to see and do in Belfast

From Dublin to Belfast

1. cathedral quarter

2. St Anne's Cathedral

3. city hall - Belfast City Hall

4. Street art and memories of "The Troubles"

5. Street life in Belfast

5. Shopping with a view in Victoria Square

6. St George's Market

7. pubs in Belfast

8. The Bullitt - urban hotel

9. HMS Caroline

10. Titanic Belfast - Titanic Museum

More things to do in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Things you didn't know about Belfast?

Ireland's tallest building in Belfast

CS Lewis from Belfast

Belfast's Albert Clock Tower leans 120 cm

The world's largest dry dock

John Boyd Dunlop

Van Morrison from Belfast

Ewart's Linen Factory on Crumlin Road

Samson and Goliath cranes are the largest in the world

More to see in Northern Ireland

Video from Northern Ireland

Facts about Belfast

Good to know about Belfast

Attractions in Belfast

Mural paintings

Sightseeing tours

Activities in Belfast

Accommodation in Belfast

Restaurants in Belfast

Pubs and bars

Shopping in Belfast

Travelling to Belfast

Early history of Belfast

17th to 19th century

Belfast in the 20th century

You might also like:

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20 Comments

Snows says:

Helena says:

Kenneth Risberg says:

Helena says:

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Our Vantastic Travels says:

Helena says:

Laila MA - Around the Equator says:

Helena says:

Lena in Wales says:

Helena says:

Anna in Dubai says:

Helena says:

Ann-Louise says:

Helena says:

Maria's Memoirs says:

Liniz Travel says:

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