With a vibrant arts scene in the Cathedral Quarter, the regenerated Titanic
Quarter, and lots of innovative restaurants, this is the best time to visit
Belfast in Northern Ireland. We’ve put together a list of ten things we love
about Belfast, including the Queen’s Quarter, the lively indoor stalls at St
George’s Market, the Black Cab tours of the city and of course the iconic
Titanic Center Belfast, set in the old shipyards.
Credit: Collected by Yvonne Gordon, AFAR Local Expert
St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast
Cathedral · Belfast
"Explore the Cathedral Quarter Centred around St Anne’s Cathedral, the narrow streets of this city quarter are thriving with restaurants, pubs and arts venues – stop here for food, drink or a cultural outing at the MAC arts venue in St Anne’s Square, which has three galleries, two theatres and a dance studio."
Queen's University Belfast
University · Belfast
"The Queen's Quarter, Belfast With its eye-catching gothic facade, as well as plenty of other listed buildings around its spacious campus, Queen's University is worth an hour or two’s exploring (you can take a self-guided walking tour with a map from the visitor's centre). Don't miss the special Narnia wardrobe door (Belfast was the birthplace of writer CS Lewis). The Queen's area is also home to the Botanic Gardens, Ulster Museum and the Lyric Theatre, so there's plenty to do, and thanks to the large student population, the shops and restaurants in the Queen’s Quarter have a relaxed, bohemian vibe and won't bust the budget."
St George's Market
Building · Belfast
"A Vibrant Indoor Market This is a vibrant indoor market with everything from tasty food stalls (hot and cold) to crafts, jewelry, and often live music, adding to the atmosphere and making it a great place to spend a couple of hours on a weekend day. If you only do one thing in Belfast, make this it. Photo: NITB."
Linen Hall Library
Library · Belfast
"A Library with Cafe and Exhibits This is a great place to take refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Entry to the city’s oldest library (which dates from 1788) to browse the collections is free, and there’s also a great café and regular exhibitions."
Ulster Museum
Art museum · Belfast
"Ulster Museum, Belfast Bring all the family to see dinosaur exhibits, Egyptian mummies and art galleries, as well as interactive science, art and history exhibitions. It's a great building to spend time in – but don't miss the adjacent Botanic Gardens."
W5
Science museum · Belfast
"Who, What, Where, When and Why at W5 Otherwise known as Whowhatwherewhenwhy, W5 is a fun interactive discovery centre in the Titanic Quarter. Beat the lie detector, touch the sound wall, build a race car or robot, play invisible instruments and boggle your mind with optical illusions. It’s designed for kids, but big people will love it just as much. Photo: NITB."
Ulster Folk Museum
Open air museum · Ards and North Down
"Back in Time at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum A short drive from the city in Cultra, this museum not only has an impressive collection of vehicles from past times, including trams, steam trains and buses, but there are recreations of thatched cottages, farms, schools and shops from over 100 years ago – complete with costumed characters. There’s also an impressive Titanic exhibition in the museum, with authentic artefacts. The museum is big, with a large outdoor section, so leave yourself a couple of hours take it all in. Photo: NITB."
The Best of Belfast
7 Places
With a vibrant arts scene in the Cathedral Quarter, the regenerated Titanic
Quarter, and lots of innovative restaurants, this is the best time to visit
Belfast in Northern Ireland. We’ve put together a list of ten things we love
about Belfast, including the Queen’s Quarter, the lively indoor stalls at St
George’s Market, the Black Cab tours of the city and of course the iconic
Titanic Center Belfast, set in the old shipyards.
Credit: Collected by Yvonne Gordon, AFAR Local Expert
St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast
Cathedral
"Explore the Cathedral Quarter Centred around St Anne’s Cathedral, the narrow streets of this city quarter are thriving with restaurants, pubs and arts venues – stop here for food, drink or a cultural outing at the MAC arts venue in St Anne’s Square, which has three galleries, two theatres and a dance studio."
Queen's University Belfast
University
"The Queen's Quarter, Belfast With its eye-catching gothic facade, as well as plenty of other listed buildings around its spacious campus, Queen's University is worth an hour or two’s exploring (you can take a self-guided walking tour with a map from the visitor's centre). Don't miss the special Narnia wardrobe door (Belfast was the birthplace of writer CS Lewis). The Queen's area is also home to the Botanic Gardens, Ulster Museum and the Lyric Theatre, so there's plenty to do, and thanks to the large student population, the shops and restaurants in the Queen’s Quarter have a relaxed, bohemian vibe and won't bust the budget."
St George's Market
Building
"A Vibrant Indoor Market This is a vibrant indoor market with everything from tasty food stalls (hot and cold) to crafts, jewelry, and often live music, adding to the atmosphere and making it a great place to spend a couple of hours on a weekend day. If you only do one thing in Belfast, make this it. Photo: NITB."
Linen Hall Library
Library
"A Library with Cafe and Exhibits This is a great place to take refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Entry to the city’s oldest library (which dates from 1788) to browse the collections is free, and there’s also a great café and regular exhibitions."
Ulster Museum
Art museum
"Ulster Museum, Belfast Bring all the family to see dinosaur exhibits, Egyptian mummies and art galleries, as well as interactive science, art and history exhibitions. It's a great building to spend time in – but don't miss the adjacent Botanic Gardens."
W5
Science museum
"Who, What, Where, When and Why at W5 Otherwise known as Whowhatwherewhenwhy, W5 is a fun interactive discovery centre in the Titanic Quarter. Beat the lie detector, touch the sound wall, build a race car or robot, play invisible instruments and boggle your mind with optical illusions. It’s designed for kids, but big people will love it just as much. Photo: NITB."
Ulster Folk Museum
Open air museum
"Back in Time at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum A short drive from the city in Cultra, this museum not only has an impressive collection of vehicles from past times, including trams, steam trains and buses, but there are recreations of thatched cottages, farms, schools and shops from over 100 years ago – complete with costumed characters. There’s also an impressive Titanic exhibition in the museum, with authentic artefacts. The museum is big, with a large outdoor section, so leave yourself a couple of hours take it all in. Photo: NITB."
