Essential Guide To Belfast In 2024

Planning your trip to Belfast or just fancy ideas on what to do in Belfast on your days out, then take a look at some of our city's top attractions. Plan your route, grab your camera and get snapping. Belfast has a great maritime heritage and the city has in recent years created tourist attractions to enhance visitors experience. Need help planning your days out then contact the Belfast Visitor Centre, which is situated opposiate City Hall

The sinking of RMS Titanic 100 years ago is very much remembered in the city. Alongside the opening of the Titanic Belfast complex in 2012 was the opening of the Titanic Memorial Gardens in the grounds of the City Hall. The new momument lists all those lost in the 1912 disaster. In the east of the city is the newly restored SS Nomadic used to ferry passengers to the linen and newly refurbished HMS Caroline used as part of the fleet in World War One

Why not tour the city's landmarks, enjoy Queens Square, Custom House Square and the Albert Memorial Clock. Get snapping at St Anne's Cathedral, Saint George's Church, the Beacon of Hope, the Fish or the Rise Sculpture. There's the Spirit of Belfast at Cornmarket, the Lagan Weir and Lookout and buildings such as the Royal Belfast Academical Institution or the Courthouse. In the east of the city you'll find The Searcher, CS Lewis Wardrobe Statue, the Connswater Greenway and C S. Lewis Square & there's more...

The main museum in the city is the Ulster Museum which resides in the grounds of Botanic Gardens in the University Quarter. It is known for its Egyptian Mummy and massive linen looms celebrating the city's linen past.If you wish to see the city's Titanic past there is always the world class tourist attraction Titanic Belfast. In the South East of the city is a museum to the Orange Tradition, whilst at the Police Headquarters at Knock in the East of the City is the Police Museum looking at policing in Northern & Southern Ireland - you need to book!

There are great things to do and great places to go in Belfast and the surrounding areas. Our Guide to Belfast helps you plan for great days out! Looking for a little bit of history? Why not visit Titanic Belfast, Nomadic and HMS Caroline? Looking for a little bit of culture, check out the Ulster Museum or the Police Museum. Looking for a great night out then check out the Grand Opera House, the Lyric or even Theatre at the Mill. For events there's the Belfast SSE Arena, Waterfront Hall...I tell you want click on the link for more ideas

Thinking of taking a tour? The city offers various double decker bus sight seeing tours, Black Cab tours and there are even tours available from the Lagan Boat Company.

In additions to these tours did you know that you can tour free of charge Belfast City Hall, Parliament Buildings at Stormont and BBC Northern Ireland's Broadcasting House but remember to contact them as you may need to book!

Belfast is tripping over itself with culture and fesitvals. Just to give you a flavour the city has a Culture Night each year in the Cathedral Quarter, there's the Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival celebrating our past maritime heritage, there's the Belfast Mela celebrating the city's diversity, there's Belfast Gay Pride, there's the twelfth Orange Fest celebrations across Northern Ireland, there's photo festival, arts festivals, there's Pipe Band Championships and other great events including golf tournaments, Rose Week & Good Food Shows

Well, you know you're in Ireland, even if it's Northern Ireland when you discover that unlike other cities who have four main quarters, Belfast insists on having more and more quarters but if you get the time why not visit:

Cathedral Quarter
Titanic Quarter
Linen Quarter
University Quarter
Library Quarter etc..

Some of the buildings you might wish to visit whulst in the city should include Parliament Buildings home to the NI Assembly, Belfast City Hall which offers tours and the new EastSide Visitor Centre which includes the all new CS Lewis Square. Also in the East is the Odyssey complex, SSE Arena and Titanic Museum. Visitors might alos enjoy Belfast Castle,
Crumlin Road Jail & Customs House.

Whilst some visitors to the city hire a car to allow them to visit attractions both within and outside the city, other use Translink services. Translink offers Metro services within the city limits which should get you to your destination on time. Other services include Ulster Bus and NI Railways which offer services across Northern Ireland and include services to Dublin and its airport. Don;t forget you can also use Belfast Bikes

The city boasts parks and gardens glarore. Within the grounds of City Hall is the Titanic Memorial Garden which holds the names of all those lost when RMS Titanic sank. Parks include the Prmeau Park in the south which acts as finishing line for the River Rock Marathon. Victoria Park in the East builds on the city's maritime heritage whilst Botanic Gardens in South Belfast and its palm house is used for many city events.

The city's main market is called St. George's Market. On sale is gresh fruit, veg, fish and other foods. Also available are old collectibles and bric a brac. The city has also opened a new market during the summer season called the Folktown Market. Throughout the year such as May Bank Holiday and Christmas the city operates continental markets in the grounds of City Hall. Other ad hoc markets can usually be found along events in the city such as the maritime festivals

Looking for a night of culture or laughs, then choose your event from the programmes at the Ulster Hall, SSE Arena Odyssey Complex, the Grand Opera House or the
Lyric Theatre in the Stranmillis area of the city. Remember thete is always the MAC Theatre, the Rawlife Theatre Company or the theatre at the Mill. The city has many live performances from bands, to pantos to serious culture but as always it pays to book in advance - then sit back and enjoy life in Belfast!

The city has great private leisure and gym faccilities, in addition to its council facilities which are now run by a private contractor. Check our listings of private and public facilities if you want to keep fit, swim or keep in trim.
Council centres include Andersonstown Leisure Centre, Avoniel Leisure Centre, Ballysillan Leisure Centre, Belvoir Activity Centre, Falls Leisure Centre, Grove Wellbeing Centre, Indoor Tennis Centre and Ozone Complex, Loughside Recreation Centre, Olympia Leisure Centre, Shankill Leisure Centre or the Whiterock Leisure Centre

This city knows how to shop and whilst you can shop online, we would have to recommend shopping in Belfast. In the East of the City there is Connswater shopping centre, in the South its Forestside shopping centre, in the west its the Park Centre and the Kennedy Centre and in the North well it would have to be the Abbey Centre. Once you've worn out your shoes on these there is always Castlecourt shopping centre and Victoria Square in the heart of the city

The city is buzzing and many areas now thrive during the day and at night. Ballyhackamore in the East of the city is a prime example of an area bustling during the day with a thriving night time trade with restaurants, cafes and bars. In the South of the city the Lisburn Road is considered to be the place to go but the truth is whether its the Ormeau Road, Shore Road or Belmont areas - we offer some great shops

Over the years the city and surrounding areas has been known abroad because of our home grown now famous ambassadors such as the late great George Best, Frank Carson, Alex Higgins and the Rev Ian Paisley. The city is proud as punch of our own and these currently include Rory McIlroy International Golf Pro, James Nesbitt renowned actor, Liam Neeson Holywood actor and flutist James Galway. Oh and my personal favourites Jimmy Cricket and Roy Walker!

The city has many places made famous for both the wrong and right reasons. Famous Roads & Places include the:
Shankill Road, Falls Road, Sandy Row, Cornmarket and Van Morrison's Birthplace. The most famous building in the city is now the Titanic Belfast Museum, SS Normadic and HMS Caroline in the Titanic Quarter. The city's murals will giv you a snapshot of the past whilst experiencing what's new!

The Northern Ireland library system is one of our greatest assets and is free for most of its services. Its struggled a little in recent years but still manages to provide an extensive network or libraries not only across the city of Belfast but also across the whole of Northern Ireland. This section of our Belfast Guide aims to provide comprehensive listings on the city's library system and the services they provide to each community. If you live in the city, help us build up our guide listings

Northern Ireland is governed by the NI Executive, the NI Assembly & the following NI goverment departments: The Executive Office, the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs, the Department for Communities, the Department of Education, the Department for the Economy, the Department of Finance, the Department for Infrastructure, the Department of Health and the Department of Justice. Arms length bodies include the NIHE, NI Water, Police, the NHS, its hospitals etc....

Thinking of studying in the City well life just got easier as all of our further education colleges have merged into a regional college call the Metropolitan College, the Met. It has it main campuses in Titanic Quarter, Millfield and Castlereagh. If you are considering going to uni for either a foundation degree or post grad studies you can now choose from Queens University situated in the Botanic area or Ulster University at its new city centre building on York Street. In addition there is a Bilble College in the Dunmurry area of the city!

The main broadcast media serviing Northern Ireland is UTV, now part of the ITV network and BBC NI. Radio stations serving the city include Belfast 89fm, U105, Radio Ulster, Blast FM, Downtown, Cool FM and Q Radio. The city's main newspapers are the Newsletter, The Belfast Telegraph and the Irish News. Local newspapers and magazines are circulated in localised areas of Belfast and these include Simply Belfast Magazines.

There are many atractions outside the city that you can make a day out of, these include the Giant's Causeway, Carrickfergus Castle, the Gobbins paths, the Armagh Planetarium, the Argory, Navan For, Mount Stewart House (photo above), Castlewellan Forest Park, Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Ulster American Folk Park, Tullymore Forest Park and that's before we look at seaside towns - have a great day!