Belfast, Northern Ireland is an old city. You can see it in the red brick houses that stand shoulder to shoulder along busy streets in the old areas. And you also see it in the overblown splendor of the some of the renovated old buildings in the city center. The landmark City Hall was built in 1906 in Classical Renaissance style of Portland stone and is the core of Belfast.
Black Taxi Tours of Belfast
To understand a little of this wounded but engaging city, first take a city tour, maybe a Black taxi taxi tour and get yourself located so that you know what is where in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Everything seems to kick off from the main shopping area around Donegal Place opposite the City Hall where you’ll find every shop you’d find in any modern city high street in Europe.
But the host of pubs with pots of soup, hot-and-ready and great beer running out the taps and the bookies you see around every corner makes this city pure Ireland. It’s a strange mixture of Irish and British, but the black taxi cabs that cruise up and down the main roads looking for share-fares are particularly Belfast. And the accents? They are broad and beautiful.
Belfast Wall Murals
For many tourists the essence of Belfast, Northern Ireland lies in the wall murals somewhere between theFalls Road and the Shankill Road– the main Catholic and Protestant areas in West Belfast that were the bloody battle grounds of the Troubles There areas are still bisected with a high wall/fence with gates that shut the one side off from the other at night. Ironically it is called the Peace Fence/Wall.
If you are interested in seeing more of the amazing wall murals, especially those on the Falls Road side – take a walking tour through the area, via the Sinn Fein office to the cemetery where hunger striker Bobby Sands is buried. 2006, was the 25th anniversary of the Hunger Strikes. For a local flavor and insider view of the wall murals take a political tour with an ex-political prisoner as your guide who will give you a Republican viewpoint or you can take a Black Taxi tour.
Van Morrison and Protestant Wall Murals
In East Belfast, across town, one finds the home of singer Van Morrison and like him you can “walk one more time, down on Cypress Avenue”. Here you will see more Protestant wall murals, which look very different from the Republican wall murals on the West side of Belfast.
Other Things To Do in Belfast, Northern Ireland:
- Visit the dockyards where the Titanicwas built; the quarter is under-going a long term project to transform the area.
- Visit Belfast Castle on the slopes of Cavehill overlooking Belfast Lough.
- One of the most popular tours in Belfast is a pub tour – there are a few of them –and as the advertisement warns – wear suitable clothing and footwear. Pub tours in Belfast are friendly and lethal.
- Visit Stormont, the seat of government . It is an impressive building to visit– it was a gift from the British to the people of Northern Ireland – one always sees politicians rushing in and out of it on television.
Belfast Accommodation
For travelers who look for accommodation in Belfast on the internet, take care. If you possibly can, first have a look at the B&B or Guest house or Hotel before you give anyone any money. You get all kinds of accommodation in Belfast, from fancy modern hotels to backpackers lodges. Farset International is a great place to stay if you want clean, no frills accommodation on the bus route at 466 Springfield Road (off Falls Road) in West Belfast.
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