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Belfast gained notoriety around the world during The Troubles (1969-1997) due to the frequency of gun and bomb attacks in the city. Parts of Belfast were effectively no-go areas for security forces and therefore took on a lawless quality. Today, the scars of Belfast's troubled past make it an intriguing destination for travelers from around the world.
Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, most... Read more
Belfast gained notoriety around the world during The Troubles (1969-1997) due to the frequency of gun and bomb attacks in the city. Parts of Belfast were effectively no-go areas for security forces and therefore took on a lawless quality. Today, the scars of Belfast's troubled past make it an intriguing destination for travelers from around the world.
Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, most of the politically-motivated violence has evaporated. Belfast was recently awarded the accolade of being the safest city in the UK, based on a comparison of nation-wide crime figures, and, as part of its commitment to maintaining peace, now seeks tourism from all around the world, especially from countries other than the Irish Republic and the rest of the UK.
Those who live in Belfast tend to either love the city or loathe it, although the outsider's perspective tends to be more forgiving, as Belfast was voted the fourth best city in the UK for a city break in the Guardian/Observer travel awards. A visit to Belfast will be rewarded by a glimpse of a unique city that has finally begun to celebrate, rather than fight over, its place as a cultural meeting-point of Britain and Ireland. Belfast is certainly exhibiting an air of determined optimism, with new hotels, bars, restaurants, clubs, and shops opening at an incredible rate. It is a city that is proud of its Victorian and Edwardian heritage and efforts to restore historic buildings are proving successful. Tourism is on the increase in Northern Ireland, especially among those seeking a weekend away or short break in Ireland as Belfast can offer a significantly cheaper and more rewarding alternative to the busier, more expensive and more tourist-driven Dublin.
Belfast remains a great place to explore, as it is still relatively undiscovered compared with its neighbor in Dublin and is ideal for the tourist who enjoys a city with character, yet still has raw unspoiled energy. A visit to the capital of Northern Ireland will provide a more stimulating trip as, once you scratch the surface, it is easy to see beyond the ethnopolitical conflict of past years. It is a city which has changed dramatically in a decade due to this peace and prosperity, and you will be greeted with warmth from locals who feel a new-found sense of pride in their city. Indeed, the old cliche that you will be welcomed like an old friend by the patrons of Belfast's many pubs and bars is actually true, as the locals love to find out what draws you to their little part of the world and, of course, they like the chance to share a little bit of their history with you! Ask any local, and they will tell you that a trip to Belfast will mean that you learn far more about the Irish and British psyche than a trip to a cheesy Irish pub in Dublin or on a tourist-orientated tour in London.
Some recent events, mostly the flag protests, may have put people off going to Belfast but violence is minimal and more or less peaceful.
In recent times, Belfast has also gained some degree of international fame for being the production center of the famous television series Game of Thrones.
Tourist information
The center of Belfast is small enough to be explored by foot. However, to explore the suburbs of the city, as in any city, requires some transport. From the center of Belfast to the city limits at any point is perhaps a distance of eight miles.
By bus
Within the city, there are two very distinct bus systems. Translink, a private company, operates the 'Metro' (previously Citybus). Buses run along a colour coded high-frequency routes that radiate from the city center from around 6 AM until 11 PM. All major bus routes start or pass through Donegall Square, and a Metro information kiosk is on the West side of the square (Donegall Square West). Tourist passes are available from here; more frequent travelers can purchase and pre-load a Smartlink card with credit for bus trips. While the routes are extensive, the travel is expensive, as it is for the whole of the country. Buses frequently do not turn up and staff can at times be unhelpful. Since 2018 Belfast has a rapid transit system, Glider, essentially a big long bendy bus that looks like a tram on wheels and is purple. The key difference between the Glider and the pink-colored Metro services is that, with Glider, you purchase your tickets from a ticket vending machine at each halt, and you don't have any contact with the driver (unlike the Metro buses where you pay the driver). Also, the Glider operates a continuous west to east route, starting at McKinstry road in West Belfast and going via the city center to Dundonald, in the east. There will be a Glider service into the Titanic Quarter as well, which will be convenient for the Titanic Belfast and docks.
By taxi bus
Belfast's second 'Bus' service is the 'Taxi Bus' or more commonly known as the 'Black Taxis'. This London style Black Taxis was brought to Belfast in the early 1970s and occurred at a time when the 'Troubles' was in its infancy. Riots and armed conflict were a daily occurrence and the established Bus company would suspend its services to sections, or all of Belfast in response to this conflict. This suspension of services left much of Belfast without a regular transport service. It had a negative effect on many working-class areas of Belfast which found that they were unable to get to or from work, or in the case of children, school. The communities response to this was for individuals to travel to England and to purchase old London Taxis. These Taxis initially appeared in Republican areas of Belfast and later in Loyalist areas of the city. The Taxis operated as buses and were shared by members of the public who would hail the taxi and pay a nominal fare. For more than 40 years this system has existed and developed.
The primary provider is the West Belfast Taxi Association which operates this service in Nationalist/Republican areas. They have a fleet of around 220 taxis and service, from their base at King Street, Belfast areas such as the Falls, Whiterock, Glen, Andersonstown, Stewartstown and Shaws Roads as well as outlying areas such as Twinbrook and Poleglass. The Association also provides a similar service in the North of the city covering the New Lodge and Ardoyne areas as well as to the small town of Crumlin.
By tour bus
If your time is limited, the open-top 'Belfast Sightseeing' bus tours are recommended. You will be shown the sights in the city center and suburbs including famous murals painted on the ends of terraced houses during 'The Troubles' in the Falls Road area, the Harland and Wolff shipyards where the RMS Titanic was built and Queens University. The guides are friendly, well informed and interesting, although many locals still remark that is unusual to see bright red open-top tour buses passing through once-troubled neighborhoods. You may prefer a less obvious exploration of the city.
By taxi
Belfast is now famous for its Black Taxi tours of the city, which are highly recommended. These tours are given by regular taxi drivers who have worked through the troubled years and have a wealth of knowledge and very personal experiences, which they are glad to share during a tour that can last up to two hours.
Uber is also available in Belfast and has quickly grown in popularity. Many people still don't use it though so it can be handy to get back after a night out instead of trying to wave down a taxi in the street (a very common sight on a Saturday night) Uber is also available in Belfast and has quickly grown in popularity. Many people still don't use it though so it can be handy to get back after a night out instead of trying to wave down a taxi in the street (a very common sight on a Saturday night).
By bicycle
Belfast Bikes, the public bike hire scheme operated by Nextbike, has 40 rental stations. You need to register once and pay for a yearly membership. This gives you free bike rides for 30min.
To make the most of your time in the city your first point of contact should be the centrally located Belfast Welcome Centre (Tourist Office) 3 at 47 Donegall Place, just north of City Hall. The first-floor center is accessible by elevator and escalator just to the left of the Boots Pharmacy. The staff can provide maps, book accommodation, and tours, recommend itineraries and places of interest and sell you overpriced and tacky souvenirs. There is also a useful left luggage facility.
Belfast city center is focused on Donegall Square and Belfast City Hall in its center. All major city bus routes converge here and, on sunny days, this is where shoppers and office workers can be found enjoying their breaks. The City Hall is the grand centerpiece of the city and the orientation point for your exploration of Belfast. Running north from the center of Donegall Square is Donegall Place, a broad and bustling shopping street, which will lead you towards the Cathedral Quarter and the Arts School. The city center is bordered to the east by the River Lagan, and to the south by the area around Donegall Pass. Where Belfast city center meets the River Lagan, windswept pavements prove that meaningless sculptures and grandiose attempts at urban planning do not necessarily make for a popular urban space. The horrendous dual carriageway known as the Westlink separated the center of Belfast from the western suburbs of the city in the 1970s; this borders the city center to the west. On the plus side, the network of dual carriageways and motorways mean that one can get from the city center to all the surrounding suburbs and satellite towns in less than fifteen minutes, even during the rush hour, something which is impossible in many other cities, for example, Dublin.
In between these rough boundaries, you'll find Belfast's heart. Parts of it are blighted by dereliction, others are blighted by narrow-minded money-grabbing redevelopment. Note that while largely safe at all times, years of city center curfews during the troubles means that the center of Belfast can be startlingly empty of pedestrians after 8 PM. City center living has yet to become as popular here as in other parts of Britain and Ireland.
Belfast's leafiest and most accessible suburbs are found south of the city center along Botanic Ave, and University Rd around the Queen's University. Apart from the small loyalist community around Donegall Pass, the areas between University Rd and Lisburn Rd are mostly mixed, and there is a dense student population living in rented accommodation. It's a 20 min walk from Donegall Place to Botanic Avenue. The commercial core of Belfast is apparent on Bedford St, and the lively bars, takeaways of Dublin Rd are busy most nights of the week. Botanic Ave is somewhat quieter with less traffic and is lined with cafés, restaurants and small shops. Farther south, beyond the University, is the Lisburn Rd, recently christened "Belfast's Bond Street", with its eclectic mix of boutiques, chic bars and restaurants, and lively coffee shops. This part of town is the most affluent of the city and is regularly referred to by its postcode: BT9.
East Belfast is the largest of the cities' 4 electoral wards and is serviced by some large arterial roads (Cregagh Road, Castlereagh Road, Newtownards Road, and Holywood Road), which all start in or close to the city center.
East Belfast is a mainly residential and largely Protestant area encompassing a wide range of housing from the working class terraced streets along the Beersbridge road, to wide tree-lined avenues of Belmont, and all areas in between. Despite its largely Protestant nature East Belfast is generally the area of the city where newcomers to Belfast of all religious and political persuasions from within Northern Ireland will look to purchase houses in when they arrive in the city. The rationale for this may be that although South Belfast is often thought of as a desirable locale it is in many cases prohibitively expensive. North and West Belfast are even cheaper than the East but whilst both contain many pleasant neighborhoods they still have a lot of echoes from the troubles that can put newcomers off. North Belfast especially has a large number of "interface areas" (regions where working-class loyalist and republican areas meet) that can occasionally flare up into trouble. East Belfast, possibly because it has only one interface area and is relatively homogeneously Protestant, was less on the "coalface" of the troubles than both the North and the West.
While the urban area of Belfast itself has a population of just over 480,000 people, the larger Belfast Metropolitan Area encompasses neighboring councils of Lisburn, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, North Down and Castlereagh with a total population of just over 640,000.
It is worth noting that a large make-up of the City's daily commuters come from these areas and the areas themselves have certain sights worth visiting.
Conveniently, rail links go to all Belfast Metropolitan areas via Belfast Central Station and Great Victoria Street Station. Bus links are also an option from Great Victoria Street Station. Prices vary, where buses are typically cheaper but take slightly longer, usually not more than around 30–40 minutes in total.
Belfast has everything to quench any appetite, and best of all, eating meat on a Friday during Lent is no longer regarded as an expression of anti-Nationalism.
Belfast has a vibrant and bustling nightlife even though it is a relatively small city. Pubs around the city center are open until 1 AM several days a week, though some may close around 11:30 PM. Clubs run from around 9 PM through until 2 AM, though a small number do stay open much later.
The following bars are beside each other in the Cathedral quarter. These all get a friendly alternative crowd:
Belfast has the full complement of high street chain stores that can be found in any other UK and Irish city. It does, however, have a variety of more interesting places to browse and shop, and a visit to Belfast would not be complete without experiencing them.
You will also find a number of interesting shops on and around College Street, and on Dublin Road.
Belfast's reputation as a dangerous city is often exaggerated. A recent study by the United Nations International Crime Victimisation Survey (ICVS) shows that Northern Ireland has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe. The majority of incidents are committed by local people against local people, unsurprisingly following religious, sectarian or political differences. Tourists are outside this culture and should not be very concerned. As with any other city, it pays to be careful and always be aware of your surroundings. Do not flash valuables or money or walk around reading your guidebook or map. If you need directions, ask in any shop or bar.
There are areas in Belfast which have been scarred by trouble in the past. Though these areas are largely safe to visit, it is important to be aware of where you are. In nationalist areas of the city, it would be foolish to wear a Glasgow Rangers, England, or Northern Ireland football jersey. In unionist areas, wearing Glasgow Celtic, Republic of Ireland and Gaelic Football (GAA) jerseys would almost certainly lead to trouble. Though this is unlikely to affect tourists, it is best to avoid wearing green or orange or the name of any area, especially Northern Ireland or England.
Perhaps more importantly, it is not advisable to make any overtly political statements about Northern Ireland, even if you think that your comments will align with the views of the people to whom you're making them. It is unlikely that anyone will ask your thoughts about the political situation; however, if this does happen, it's best just to say you don't have an opinion. Otherwise, ask locals for advice and enjoy the hospitality of the majority of Belfast people.
LOCAL TIME
6:41 am
August 12, 2022
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