Things to see and do Belfast

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.

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.

The City Hall is the city hall of Northern Ireland's capital city,and is certainly the most famous building in Belfast. It is amagnificent Edwardian building, completed in 1906, was erected to establish the grandeur of the city, with a 53m dome. The Renaissance-inspired building of white Portland stone has figures above the door celebrating the city's commerce and arts. The entrance hall is paved with marble and the dome inside is painted in the style of St Paul's Cathedral in London.

The western districts of Belfast were very hard hit by the Troubles and the stigma is still there to testify to it. There are many murals in honor of the fighting units (IRA for the Republicans, UVF/UDA for the Unionists) and the great political figures are glorified. There are many of them in the neighborhoods of Falls Road (Catholic) and Shankill Road (Protestant), which are separated by a huge peace line wall along Cupar Way, to limit relations between communities. Crossing points are set up all along and the doors can be closed if necessary by the authorities. This type of interface is very present in the outskirts of Belfast, but it is still here that the example is the most striking.

Another particularly impressive wall is in East Belfast, separating the Catholic neighborhood of Short Strand from the vast Protestant areas of that part of the city. The tiny Unionist cul-de-sac of Cluan Place is quite sadly and literally walled off to prevent its inhabitants from coming into contact with the Republicans.

The best way to discover this political heritage, sometimes violent, sometimes turned towards peace and the future, is to take one of the famous black cabs for a guided tour. But if you decide to go on foot, the easiest way is to start from the city center and go first on Falls Road, the Republican artery. The Divis Tower marks the entrance to the neighborhood. This breeding ground for Republican resistance was particularly closely watched by British troops, so much so that the top of Divis Tower was topped by a military observation post in the 1970s. At the height of the conflict, it was only accessible by helicopter...

Further on, the murals between Percy Street and Northumberland Street are of great quality. Continuing, we pass the Garden of Remembrance in homage to the IRA volunteers and, at the corner of Sevastopol Street, we can see the paintings of the hunger strikers on the Falls Road library, as well as a huge portrait of the iconic Bobby Sands on the Sinn Féin party building. Turning onto Clonard Street, one reaches the Clonard Monastry, then another memorial honoring the dead of the Troubles, on Bombay Street.

For a complete change of atmosphere, you will have to go to the protestant district of Shankill Road. Here, no more Irish flags, but Union Jacks and banners of armed groups such as the UVF. While going up Shankill Road, one will see many frescos in homage to the paramilitary unionist factions. They commemorate their battles, but also their deaths. At the corner of Crimea Road, a facade covered with portraits of the Queen is almost refreshing, compared to the many images of soldiers and armed men present on the other facades. At the intersection of Argyle Street, a monument commemorates the victims of an IRA attack. While going down Northumberland Street towards Falls Road, we pass again doors and the wall, while seeing many murals of both camps. One joins then easily the city center. Northern Ireland is today presented as an open-air creative space. Since the 1960s and the birth of this mode of expression, nearly 2,000 murals have been recorded in Belfast and Derry.

This clock tower was built between 1865 and 1870 by the Irish architect William Joseph Barre in memory of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband (who died in 1862). It is 43 m high and contains a two-ton bell, as well as the statue of the Prince Consort visible on the west façade. The style is said to be of Gothic influence, both French and Italian. Located not far from Customs House and the River Lagan, the clock square was once famous for its prostitutes who waited for sailors at the end of the day.

Visit Belfast is an excellent tourist office, with huge, well-stocked offices. You'll find paper and digital information on the whole of Northern Ireland, as well as on the whole country. There's also a store where you can pick up a few souvenirs of your Northern Ireland escapade. A recommended stop-off before your visit. You'll find all the brochures and documentation you need to organize your stay.

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.

Famous university of the city, it is a beautiful building of dark red brick and yellow sandstone, with a cloister of neo-medieval style, inspired by the Tudor style. Built in 1849, this faculty is one of the most prestigious institutions in Great Britain. The Queen's Welcome Centre is a souvenir store and a well-documented tourist information center about Belfast and Northern Ireland. It is possible to enter the Lanyon Building to see the Great Hall and the Naughton Gallery, and walk in the gardens on the other side.

This original work, created in 1999 by local artist John Kindness to mark the regeneration of the Lagan River (previously too polluted for fish to swim in), features a 10-meter-long salmon made of more or less blue ceramic and engraved with text telling the story of Belfast. Standing on the edge of the Lagan River, not far from the Albert Memorial Clock and the Customs House, the "big fish" fits perfectly into the skyline of new Belfast. A must-see if you're ever in the area.

Pavarotti made his debut there, Van Morrison recorded a live album in 1984 and Sarah Bernhardt, Orson Welles, Laurel and Hardy had already performed there long before... Grand Opera House, the largest theater in Northern Ireland, has been a fixture on the Belfast cultural scene since 1895. The building is a mixture of Victorian style with its red bricks and oriental influenced decorative elements with its minarets (English architect Frank Matcham). The theater hosts the greatest shows (ballets, operas, musicals ...).

In the heart of the botanical garden, the Ulster Museum is a superb museum not to be missed. Although walking through the museum is a bit like trying to find your way through a maze, it is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in Northern Ireland's past, in all its extraordinary diversity and richness. Glass and steel walkways allow visitors to move around the central atrium and to view some of the exhibits, as well as the museum from different angles and dimensions depending on the location and the floor they are on. Collections include archaeological pieces from the Stone Age to the late Middle Ages, Irish paintings from the 17th to the 20th century, a natural history gallery with many stuffed animals, objects from the world's cultures... The fossil of the dinosaur Edmontosaurus is undoubtedly a masterpiece, the mummy of Princess Takabuti of Thebes (the first mummy to be exhibited to the public outside of Egypt in 1835), 2,500 years old, is also a must-see and fits into the theme of life and death in ancient Egypt. The section on the Troubles will fascinate anyone who wants to know more about this terrible period. It will also prevent you from making the slightest mistake in discussing the subject during your stay. The "stop and think" panels are very well laid out and allow questions to be raised and debates to be launched. This part is organised in chronological order and offers a new vision of the conflict, different from the one relayed by the media.

The Ulster Museum is a lively and interactive museum, full of re-enactments and videos, and with many dynamic scenographies. Everyone can find an interest, a subject that fascinates them, whether it be history, art or science, and one can easily spend several hours there. One can easily spend several hours there. One can move from one era, field and century to another, like a journey through time. Everything about Northern Ireland is brought together in one place and the bridges between the subjects are particularly pleasing. After discovering the history of the country in the first floors, we discover Northern Ireland and its significant events in painting through the paintings of great masters of the country. This is a great museum to do with children, as each part of the museum has a specially designed room where they can handle objects, experiment and have fun.

The current Anglican cathedral replaced the old building, which dated from 1776 and was destroyed. The reconstruction took place in several stages, from 1899 until 2007, when a stainless steel spire was added to the bell tower. Meanwhile a Celtic cross (the largest in Ireland) was incorporated into the pediment and dedicated to the victims of the First World War. It is also the burial place of the Unionist Edward Carson (1854-1935), one of those who worked for peace. The monument is in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter and gave it its name.

Located in the heart of West Belfast, Colin Glen Forest Park is the city's green lung (100 ha), comprising woodland and meadow, waterfalls and ponds set around a river and undulating ground rich in biodiversity. Small paths lead to both sides, with explanations on the vegetation, birds and fauna related to a wet environment) along the way. Legends and myths are rooted in these woods along the river. An interesting idea for a walk with children.

Located below Cave Hill, Belfast Castle was built in 1870 by the third Marquess of Donegall in the style of the Scottish barons' houses. It also offers a splendid view on the city and the lake of Belfast by its height (100 m above the sea). The Shaftesburye family, thanks to a marriage, then inherited the site which was offered to the city in 1934. In Italian Renaissance style, it has a magnificent exterior spiral staircase where newlyweds now come to have their picture taken.

Coiste organizes "political" tours of West Belfast's Republican neighborhoods by former Republican political prisoner guides. Many tours. Falls Road Mural Tour, to see the Falls Road murals. The Ballymurphy Story: an IRA stronghold during the conflict in which the population actively supported the IRA, a very personal tour by a guide who grew up in this neighborhood. Milltown Cemetery: the cemetery where all the great figures in the history of Irish Republicanism are buried. City Cemetery: another place where many heroes of the republican cause have found their final resting place. United Irishmen: a visit that looks back at the 1798 revolt of the United Irishmen Society for Irish independence. This society gave birth to Irish Republicanism as we know it today.

Another joint tour with a loyalist organization in Shankill Road. This tour involves 1.5 hours in the Falls Road area with a Republican guide and 1.5 hours in the Shankill area with a Loyalist guide. This is a unique opportunity to hear two versions of the recent conflict from people who were actively involved. These tours connect history and personal stories. The guides do not offer "the truth" about the events, but simply their view. Coiste Irish Political Tours is a social enterprise that works to defend the rights and reintegrate former political prisoners.

An open-top bus that takes you on a 90-minute, 8 km tour of the city, taking in the Titanic Quarter, Stormont, Shankill and Falls Road, Queen's Quarter and Clifton Street. Visitors can hop on and off the bus as they please to better appreciate the different sites and neighborhoods. During the journey, a guide tells you the history of the city through a microphone, with anecdotes, some funny (it seems, but you have to understand the Irish accent and humor for that!) and some not so funny.

Just 20 minutes from the city center is this unspoiled and protected natural area with its caves and cliffs, its biodiversity and prehistoric sites, its circular fort and its hill that is said to resemble Napoleon's nose! Cave Hill is 368 meters high and, on a clear day, it is possible to see the Mourne Mountains, Strangford Lough and the important buildings of Belfast. For walks, there are signposts from the castle parking lot. It is possible to walk to the zoo, the castle and Cave Hill.

The Belfast Botanic Gardens are a true institution and have existed since 1828. They are the result of a Victorian passion for horticulture and particularly exotic plants, with large beds of green herbs ideal for families and students who regularly come to walk around. On site: large majestic trees, a labyrinth of roses, landscaped areas to stroll while enjoying nature ... Outdoor concerts are also organized. You can also visit the Palm House of 1839, which is the bold work for the time of Charles Lanyon and Richard Turner. It is an imposing greenhouse of cast iron and glass with a magnificent dome of curved glass under which tropical plants live. It has a charming old-fashioned feel to it, and inside the plants radiate in a most pleasingly organized jumble. You can also come and see Tropical Ravine, a smaller greenhouse with a simple design, carefully preserving a collection of old varieties of plants (lilies, orchids, banana trees...) that you can discover from an elevated walkway. The Tropical Ravine was recently completely restored and offers new educational panels on flowers and fruits, ideal for children. A walk in the botanical gardens is a must in Belfast, you will spend a great time among the plants. In the spring, the tulips shine by hundreds, coloring the flowerbeds in the most beautiful way.

Here, we propose a walk on Queen's Island where the shipyards that built, among others, the mythical Titanic are located. The tour includes a visit to the Harland & Wolff cranes, a tour of the buildings where the architects drew up the plans for the Titanic, the possibility of walking on the bridge where the Titanic was born (the famous Titanic's Dock), as well as a visit to the Pump-House and the screening of a film (with a half-hour break for lunch at the Pump-House café; please note that this is not included in the price).