Things to see and do Northern Ireland

A Unesco World Heritage Site, Giant's Causeway is Northern Ireland's best-known natural landmark and one of the island's most popular tourist attractions. It's a world-renowned natural wonder, featured on the cover of many guidebooks to the region, that won't disappoint. Come early to avoid the crowds.

The legend: "When the world was created and fashioned out of a shapeless mass, this is what was left of it: remnants of chaos." The words are those of novelist William Thackeray. For the early Irish, this sorcery had only one explanation: it was the work of a giant, Finn McCool, commander of the King of Ireland's armies. Finn was a very powerful man, capable of incredible feats of strength. His greatest rival was the Scottish giant Benandonner. To fight him, Finn invited him and built a road so that his enemy could not avoid the fight. But when the latter arrived, the Irishman realized that he was far bigger and stronger than he was. He asked his wife for advice. She disguised him as a baby, and when Benandonner entered, he saw the enormous child and imagined the size of the father. He took fright and ran back to Scotland, destroying the pavement behind him...

The site: a spectacular modification of the coastline following a basalt eruption several million years ago, now frozen into 40,000 columns. It's impossible not to stand in awe of this imbrication of stones as black as lava and as ochre as Tuscan slab, stretching out over the sea. At once rust-tinted steps, salt-capped thrones and columns marbled by the forces of the sea, all carved and adjusted by a master surveyor whose essence is not human, it's hard not to marvel at these otherworldly places and the dizzying cliffs that surround them. It makes you feel very small in the face of such a strange and impressive natural wonder.

Visiting tips: in high season, the site is very busy, so avoid it between 11am and 3pm. Admission includes parking, an audioguide and entry to the visitor center, where you can learn more about the history of the site and the phenomenon. If you find the ticket a little expensive and don't plan to stay very long, park further up or down the road and then walk back around the visitor center to the Causeway Hotel side: pedestrian access to the site itself is free. Another option is to follow the Causeway Path hiking trail, which follows the entire coastline of the region and takes 2-3 days to complete. Of course, you'll have to walk on the basalt columns, have fun climbing them and enjoy this unique and magical place. But to fully appreciate the scale of the site, take the elevated path that winds its way along the cliffs just above the Giant's Causeway, and get a real sense of the extraordinary nature of the phenomenon.

Visitor Centre: the Giant's Causeway Visitor Centre is ultra-modern and ecologically responsible. With its glass walls, basalt columns, state-of-the-art interior and green roof offering 360-degree views of the coastline, it's a must-see. A shuttle bus can take you from the Visitor Centre to the Giant's Causeway, but walking is recommended.

Torr Head: from Cushendun, follow the Scenic Coastal Road towards Ballycastle. The route is quite narrow, so caution is required. In fine weather, it's an enchantment for your eyes. It seems that we are alone at the end of the world and we see, on the whole, Scotland, the Mull of Kintyre and the island of Islay. Once you arrive at Torr Head, you have to park the car and walk a few minutes to the headland and its post of ruined coast guards, where the viewpoint on the cliffs, the countryside and the coastline is absolutely magnificent.

Fair Head: more to the northwest and following Fairhead Road, we arrive at the parking lot before these stunning cliffs. You will have to follow a trail about a few hundred meters on foot to reach its impressive rocks, which plunge into the sea from their 180 m. The views on the horizon are breathtaking. Here too, we need to be careful on the road. To have an idea of the vastness of Fair Head, you can also admire the panorama from Ballycastle.

Tollymore is one of Ireland's largest forest parks, crossed by the Shimna River. It was the first state forest in the country and offers beautiful walks on the northern slopes of the. It is particularly nice to enter the Bryansford Gate, impressive door with its granite turrets and Gothic style architecture dating back to 1786. The whole site covers 630 ha and, like many other places in Northern Ireland, it has grown to posterity thanks to the game Game of Thrones, which turned some scenes into it.

Just outside the city walls of Derry is the Guildhall, a red brick building in the Gothic Revival style. Originally built in 1890, the building was rebuilt after a fire in 1908. It now houses the City Council Chamber and the offices of the Mayor of Derry. However, it is still worthwhile to enter the building, especially to have a look at the beautiful old stained glass windows, telling episodes of Derry's eventful history, and an exhibition on the Plantation in Ulster.

This open-air museum is a must-see attraction during a visit to the region in the summer. In a large natural park, the life and houses of the future emigrants to North America during the 18th and 19th centuries are reconstructed identically (with the materials of the time, of course). Along a marked route (which can take between two and three hours), you visit the blacksmith and the blacksmith, the milkmaid and her garden, the letter carrier and the post office, the printer in his store, the grocer and the grocery store, the banker in his bank... and all sorts of cottages inhabited by real people (actors in period costumes are waiting for you) who live in the skin of the inhabitants of yesteryear. The houses are not crammed together, and this is what makes the attraction so charming: discovering at the bend of a path, a field, a garden or a grove the farm or the cottage to be visited. We almost feel embarrassed to enter the courtyard where the chickens are pecking, or the well-ordered bedroom lit by a candle, as if it were a private home and not a museum! To finish, a whole street is reconstituted with the port of embarkation of the emigrants with the boat they are going to take (to visit also, with the passenger holds, striking!). In short, you will have understood, it is a playful and interactive visit. The ideal kind of museum for a family visit.

The Murlough Nature Reserve offers many hikes and is a paradise for all birdwatchers. It is a rare and 6,000-year-old dune area with superb views of the Mourne Mountains. There are many wildflowers and several species of butterflies.

This tourist agency offers a wide range of tours and activities linked to the international hit series Game of Thrones: archery, bike tours, King Robert's banquet, meeting the Direwolves (the Stark wolves), tour of Tollymore & Winterfell. The possibilities are endless and will delight Jon Snow aficionados. Their most successful offer is certainly the boat tour on Strangford Lough (in County Down), discovering the most impressive castles in Westeros. A serious address.

This superb bucolic bay with perfect curves unfolds languorously at the exit of the village of Ballintoy. The azure of the sea licks the immense white sand beach which is itself bordered by a gigantic mosaic of green grass and scrub... The site, which runs for 2.5 kilometers is visible from the main road. It is one of the wonders of this region, as much for its geological, botanical and archaeological particularities. You will have understood it, Whitepark Bay, it is a delicious stroll in perspective.

This pleasant peninsula is located north of Carrickfergus and reaches the port of Larne. The atmosphere is special and typical, apart from the rest of the country, although it is not an island. In the north, a ferry for Larne navigue every hour in the summer. The Muck Island, off the Mini mini port, is home to the largest site of bird nesting in Northern Ireland. The coast and its basaltic cliffs (the Gobbins) were the place of a sordid event in 1641, when the English soldiers of the Carrickfergus garrison threw the inhabitants into the sea. A very pleasant beach is located in the north (Brown Bay) and various walks are possible from the Whitehead car park. From the coast, we have a magnificent view of Belfast from Blackhead Path and its lighthouse. You should not miss Gobbins Cliff Path, which allows you to discover the beautiful cliffs of the peninsula.

This golden sandy beach is one of the most beautiful in Northern Ireland. It stretches between Portstewart and Castlerock and offers splendid views over Donegal and the north coast. It is a very popular place for boaters and families in the beautiful days, and walkers the rest of the year.

The XVIII domain reflects the heterogeneous and antagonistic tastes of Lord's couple and Lady Bangor for architecture. On the one hand, there is a neo-classical style, and the other is a rather Gothic influence… the differences are quite intriguing to observe between the front façade and the big staircase, as well as the back of the house and the éventail's range of the éventail. You can take tea in the rooms of the castle. Part of the site was used in the shooting of the game Game of Thrones for plans from Winterfell castle, which makes it a pilgrimage place for all fans.

The site was under British influence throughout the Middle Ages. Now in ruins, the place is worth a visit for its high gothic windows on the east side, the layouts of the chapter house and the refectory which give an idea of the grandeur of the heyday of piety. The marshes around the river Quoile are also interesting to walk around. Fans of Game of Thrones will not miss passing through here, as the place was used as a backdrop for a scene in the series, when the Starks asked to meet the Freys to cross the river!

This beautiful forest park spans 1 000 hectares. A 10 km road allows you to cross it and enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding hills. At the entrance to the site begins a hike for the Slieve Gullion Hill, from which you can see the whole county. At the top are some megalithic cairns.

The Carrick-a-Rede Bridge is one of the emblems of Northern Ireland and a great way to discover the region's beautiful coastline. Twenty meters long and 30 meters high above the sea, this bridge of planks and braided ropes connects the coastline to a small island where bird lovers can marvel. This bridge was built by salmon fishermen in 1755, who set their nets here during the migration of the salmon to the west and their native rivers.

It takes about 1 km to walk from the entrance to the site to the rope bridge. The trail is not too difficult and some benches have been provided, making it an accessible attraction. You will have to take stairs a few times, though, so avoid the stroller whenever possible. The view is perhaps one of the most beautiful and rare in Northern Ireland. The cliffs drop steeply into the sea, which here and there gives way to a tiny beach of fine, clear sand only a few square meters wide. The water is of a clarity that reminds us of more distant tropics and does not fail to amaze. If the weather is good, there is also a nice view on Rathlin Island and the Scottish coasts. Beware, victim of its success the site is taken by storm by tourists and it may be that all the tickets of the day are already sold when you arrive on the site. It is therefore necessary to think about taking your tickets in advance online.

Several tours, which invite to discover one of the dark pages in Northern Ireland and particularly Belfast, through the wall paintings of Falls and Shankill Road. These taxis also accompany guests on scenic shores north of Belfast.

Immortalized as the "Royal Road" in the legendary Game of Thrones series, Dark Hedges is a natural site of great mystical beauty, typical of Northern Ireland. Along a small road, this fascinating place owes its beauty to its magnificent hundred-year-old beech trees, whose twisted branches intertwine. It's one of the most photographed roads in the country! The trees were planted in the ^18th century by the Stuart family to impress visitors. Come early in the morning or late in the day for the best light.

In the north of Belfast, the famous prison of Crumlin Road Gaol is also known as HMP Belfast (in English: "Her Majesty's Prisons Belfast"). This prison was built from 1843 to 1845 by the famous English architect and engineer, Charles Lanyon (1813-1889), close to the court and connected to it by a tunnel, and its doors are open again since 2012, but this time for visitors. Visitors who are offered here a real immersion in this important prison in the history of Northern Ireland.

It is estimated that 25,000 prisoners, including political prisoners and members of the IRA during the Troubles, were interned there between 1845 and March 1998, when the prison was closed. The 1998 peace agreement allowed the release of political prisoners.Several Northern Ireland leaders have stayed there and it is now possible to take guided tours to understand the history of the place. Crumlin Road Gaol is today a place of memory of the political confrontations that bloodied Ulster and a real museum of prison life, with reconstructed cells, mannequins of prisoners, collections of shackles and keys, mug shots (anthropometric photographs) of prisoners .... The guided tour also passes by the terrible execution chamber of the prison. Chilling! Be careful, it is better to book a guided tour to be sure to have a place.

This tour takes you back in time on a legendary ship, the SS Nomadic, built in 1911 and still afloat. A White Star Line liner, it carried passengers from Cherbourg to the Titanic. Interiors, history, famous passengers, reconstructed scenes... everything is here to discover and will fascinate naval history buffs. For children, games are available to help them playfully discover this ship, which survived both world wars and sailed on the Seine in the 1970s-1980s, when it was converted into a restaurant.

Bogside ("the side of the bog") is the Catholic quarter of the city of Derry, located to the west of the walled enclosure. It grew up in the ^19th century, and was home to the city's Catholic workmen. As the years went by, it became poorer and more densely populated, turning into a veritable ghetto. In August 1969, the Bogside battle lasted three days, pitting local residents against the police. The violence of the riots was impressive. After this dramatic episode, barricades were erected here and in the neighboring Catholic districts. IRA militants patrolled the streets, and it soon became impossible for the police to enter. Its inhabitants dubbed it " Free Derry" and declared themselves independent of the civil authorities.

In 1972, it was in this area that the tragic events of Bloody Sunday took place. On January 30, 1972, thirteen Catholics lost their lives when British troops opened fire on unarmed demonstrators, turning the conflict into an international drama. Today, Bogside has been completely renovated, but remains a place touched by its tragic history. The old buildings have disappeared and the population has shrunk from over 30,000 to 8,000. The only witnesses to a bygone era are the murals recalling the country's difficult political history, including the famous " You are now entering Free Derry ", as well as paintings commemorating Bloody Sunday.