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| Welcome to Belfast! |
County Antrim is one of the 6 counties belonging to Northern Ireland and hence depending on the United-Kingdom. Belfast, which was originally the main town of Co. Antrim, has been also the Capital of Northern Ireland since 1921. Thanks to this status, the City has many means of transportation (airport, bus and train), which you can use. It is very easy to go there for a "city break", whether you come from the Republic of Ireland or from somewhere else. I think a weekend is long enough to visit the main attractions of the City. Avoid the months of July and August because of the tensions created by the Loyalist Orange Marches. |
| 1. Visit the Town Hall by day or by night... [   ] The city of Belfast has a municipal type of administration, with a Lord Mayor, a deputy Lord Mayor and a High Sheriff who are elected from among 51 councillors. When you arrive in the City of Belfast, you can’t miss the striking Town Hall of Belfast. The latter can be visited only at particular times during the weekend (so check their opening hours carefully). Feel free to roll your mouse over the image to see the Town Hall by night. |
| 2. Cross Queen's Bridge... [ ]
Queen's Bridge is one of the 8 bridges crossing the City of Belfast. This one was opened in 1849 by Queen Victoria to replace the Long Bridge. At the end of the bridge, you'll see a beautiful sculpture of Harmony... Quite nice by night. |
| 3. Witness tensions between Royalists and Republicans... [ ] On top of the display of the Union Jack (UK flag) and Orange Marches with drums and trumpets in the streets of major towns of Northern Ireland, you'll be able to see rather provocative wall paintings in some quarters of Belfast. Photo n°3, for example, shows the complete loyalty of this area to the United-Kingdom. |
| 4. Have a walk in the Botanic Gardens... [ ] If you wish to escape the City, the Belfast Botanic Gardens and its surface of 0,5 km² will allow you to get some fresh air. This park actually attracts over 700,000 visitors a year. |
| 5. Visit Belfast Queen's University... [ ] Belfast has 2 universities. Queen's University (with the "Lanyon" building pictured) was founded in 1845. This is one of the biggest universities of the United Kingdom with more than 25,000 students. The other university is the University of Ulster, created more recently in 1984. |
6. Visit Belfast Castle... [ ] The Castle, as it stands today, was built in 1870 for the 3rd Marquess of Donegal and was given to the City of Belfast in 1934. Nowadays, it is used for various occasions, such as wedding receptions. There is very little to see inside, except a restaurant and an antiques shop. The outside of the Castle is far more interesting. You will see beautiful gardens and a fantastic panoramic view of Belfast and its estuary. |
7. Competing with Kilkenny... [ ] Legend has it that the castle's residents will experience good fortune only as long as a white cat lives there, a tale commemorated in the beautiful formal gardens by nine portrayals of cats in mosaic, painting, sculpture and garden furniture. Your kids will certainly enjoy this "cat hunt", and of course no animal will be hurt in this game. |
| The City of Belfast in pictures | ||
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 Photo 2. Queen's Bridge. |
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 Photo 3. Royalist wall paintings. |
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 Photo 4. Belfast Botanic Gardens. |
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 Photo 5. Queen's University. |
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 Photo 6. Belfast Castle. |
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 Photo 7. One of the cats of Belfast Castle. |
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Would you like to visit another Irish County? Then, please click on one of the following links: Antrim (Belfast; County); Armagh; Carlow; Cavan; Clare; Cork (City; County; Islands); Derry; Donegal; Down; Dublin (City; County); Fermanagh; Galway (City; County; Aran Islands); Kerry; Kildare; Kilkenny; Laois; Leitrim; Limerick; Longford; Louth; Mayo; Meath; Monaghan; Offaly; Roscommon; Sligo; Tipperary; Tyrone; Waterford; Westmeath; Wexford; Wicklow.
Legend:
Nice; Worth a visit; Well worth visiting
Please note that this grading system is only based on my interests and personal experience as a French expat in Ireland. Feel free to visit the same locations and share your experience 
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Free or Not Applicable 
Entrance fee ≤€5 ; €5<Entrance fee≤€10 ; €10<Entrance fee≤€15 and so on...
These price ranges are indicative only to help you plan your holiday budget and are subject to change. Discounts generally apply for families, groups, children, students and seniors citizens.
While the admission to this site is free, a parking fee may apply.
Heritage Site managed by the Office of Public Works. Most OPW sites are free of charge on the first Wednesday of every month during 2011. A Good tip: the Heritage Card entitles you unlimited admission for one year to all OPW sites (around €21).