Busy Girls Guide to Belfast
After three decades of sectarian violence, Belfast's post-ceasefire regeneration is taking place at breakneck speed. Visit now to discover a city where new hotels, bars, restaurants & shops are opening all the time & find out more about a fascinating, turbulent history that is barely over.
Read on for the essential guide to getting out & about in Belfast
Getting there
You can fly direct from Manchester to Belfast with Fly Be, BMI Baby, or British Airways.
Key attractions
Perched on Cave Hill, Belfast Castle offers an historic visitors centre, a children's playground, the delightful Cellar Restaurant & panoramic views of the area.
Other iconic landmarks include Belfast Cathedral, the Parliament buildings & public park at Stormont & the poignant Loyalist & Nationalist murals, which provide a visual reminder of ‘the Troubles’.
Busy tip
A city tour is the best way to see Belfast’s more troubled areas, including the infamous Falls Road & the ‘peace line’, which divides Catholic & Protestant West Belfast.
Try the Mini-Coach Belfast City Tour, which also takes in the Titanic Quarter, City Hall, Belfast Castle & more.
Shopaholics
Head to Lisburn Road for designer boutiques; & St George’s Saturday market for food, flowers & a bustling conviviality.
Dining out
Celebrity chef Paul Rankin holds the aces when it comes to eating out in his hometown. Try Rain City Restaurant, located in a cosy, yet chic terraced building on Malone Road (028 9068 2929).
For a casual lunch, or late Sunday brekkie, head to Cargoes on Lisburn Road, where you can eat in or take away a range of delicatessen delights.
A pint of the black stuff
Relax & enjoy beautiful 19th-century ornamental décor, created by Italian craftsmen, at the Crown Liquor Saloon, along with a decent 21st-century pint of Guinness.
Nightlife
Visit the arty Cathedral Quarter for trendy bars, live music & nightclubs; or, for a more cultural evening, take in a show at the Grand Opera House.
Get out of town
Take a walk up Devis & the Black Mountain, for views over Belfast that were inaccessible for 30 years while the area was owned by the Ministry of Defence. See www.belfasthills.org.
For a five-star visit
Stay at The Merchant Hotel in Cathedral Quarter: a magnificent, Victorian Italianate, Grade A-listed building which boasts an beautifully ornate restaurant with delicious food, the trendy Cloth Ear bar & Ollie’s nightclub. You could even order an airport transfer in the hotel’s chauffeur-driven Bentley.
Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau: www.gotobelfast.com
Have fun Busy Girls!
Rowena Forbes
Busy Girls Journalist, Writer & Travel Expert
Contact Rowena by clicking here
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