Visitor Attractions

Shopping

Shopping in Belfast City centre is distinguished by the fact that apart from a great number of fabulous boutiques and independent stores there are two exceptional shopping centres offering a huge range of shopping styles. Castle Court on Royal Avenue has been established for more than a decade and houses more than 70 independent stores including Debenhams the centre flagship, Laura Ashley and Gap.

Just a short walk down the street, close to Cornmarket Square is Victoria Square which has just celebrated its second birthday. It is a breathtaking urban design on four floors with a central communications area to take shoppers to different levels including a viewing gallery at the top from which to view the city. Inside Victoria Square, there are ninety eight shops, Odeon 8 screen cinema and a dozen eateries. With Northern Ireland’s first House of Fraser store, here you will also find the first Northern Ireland openings for prestigious brands Hollister, Pumpkin Patch, All Saints, Firetrap and Hardy Amies. Victoria Square is open seven days a week, Funky restaurants and hip stores create the perfect mix of social exchange and shopping experience

 

 

Queen’s University, Belfast

 

Queen's is a member of the Russell Group of the UK's 20 leading research intensive universities, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the European University Association, Universities Ireland and Universities UK. The university offers academic degrees at various levels and across a broad subject range, with over 300 degree programmes  The main Lanyon Building at Queen's University was designed by Charles Lanyon in 1849. The building is famous for its Gothic Revival facade and Great Hall. The Great Hall underwent an extensive £2.5m renovation in 2002, restoring it to Lanyon's original plans. The University also forms the focal point of the Queen's Quarter area of the city, one of Belfast four cultural districts.

 

 

The Albert Clock, Custom House Square

 

The Albert Clock constructed in 1853 from sandstone and standing at over 113 ft high and, was designed by W J Barre. The clock was erected as a memorial to Queen Victoria's late consort and includes a life size statue of the Prince mounted on the west side. The memorial has four clock faces and a two tonne bell. The Albert Memorial Clock has a distinctive lean of approximately 4.5 ft off the vertical as it is built on soft marshy land.

 

 

St Annes Cathedral

 

To the north, by way of Royal Avenue and Church Street, is St Anne's Cathedral, the principal church of the (Anglican) Church of Ireland, begun in 1898 (architect Sir Thomas Drew). A neo-Romanesque building of the basilican type, it has three fine west doorways decorated with sculpture. The baptismal chapel has a mosaic ceiling made of hundreds of thousands of tiny pieces of glass. In the chapel is the tomb of Sir Edward Carson (died 1935), leader of the Ulster Unionists.

The "Black Santa" tradition at St Anne’s Cathedral was started by Dean Sammy Crooks in 1976. Concerned at the emphasis being placed on necessary and costly building programmes at the Cathedral, Dean Crooks decided to stand on Donegal Street in front of the Cathedral and beg for the poor and charitable causes.

With a small barrel in which donations could be placed, and dressed in the familiar black, Anglican clerical cloak, Dean Crooks "sat out" each day of the week before Christmas. Thus began the tradition of Belfast's Deans sitting out for charities. The local press described Dean Crooks as, Belfast's Black Santa, and the description struck a lasting chord with the public. Dean Crooks was succeeded by Dean Jack Shearer who involved members of the Cathedral Chapter in the Sit out. Under his leadership the event continued to develop so that by his last Sit out in 2000, a total of £2.2 million pounds had been raised for charities over the previous 24 years. The commencement of the Sit out attracts considerable attention in the local press, radio and television. The leaders of the four main Churches in Ireland, the Lord Mayor of Belfast and many other community leaders call at the Cathedral to greet the Dean...and to contribute!

 

 

St Georges Market

 

St George's Market is one of Belfast's oldest attractions. It was built between 1890 and 1896 and is one of the best markets in the UK and Ireland. It has been voted one of the top five UK markets and most Atmospheric Market in the UK by the Observer newspaper.

 

 

Titanic Dock & Pump House

 

The Thompson Dock is essentially Titanic’s footprint. At the time of its construction the Thompson Dock was the biggest Dry Dock in the world, built for the biggest ships in the world. RMS Olympic was the first ship dry-docked here in April 1911, followed later by her sister ships Britannic and Titanic. The Dock was named after Robert Thompson who was Chairman of the Harbour commissioners at the time. The Dock was always left dry, in readiness for the next ship. It would then be flooded and the gate ‘stabled’. Next, the ship would be hauled in, the gate replaced in position and the dock pumped until the ship rested on the keel blocks down the centre of the dock floor. Visit the Dock & Pump House for a truly unique experience.

 

 

Botanic Gardens

 

Occupying 28 acres of south Belfast, the gardens are popular with office workers, students and tourists. They are located on Stranmillis Road in Belfast's university area, with Queen's University nearby. The Ulster Museum is located at the main entrance.

The Palm House in Botanic Gardens with its unique glasshouses, collections of tropical plants, outdoor plantings and mature trees is certainly worth a visit. The gardens opened in 1828 as the private Royal Belfast Botanical Gardens, they are a key part of Belfast`s Victorian heritage.

 

 

Stormont Estate

 

The Parliament Buildings, known as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont area of Belfast, is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive. It previously housed the old Parliament of Northern Ireland, which was commonly referred to simply as "Stormont". The history of the Northern Ireland Assembly dates back amy years when the old Parliament of Northern Ireland was abolished. Two more attempts were made in 1973 and 1982 to devolve a new power-sharing Assembly, but both were ultimately unsuccessful. The modern Northern Ireland Assembly was established as part of the 'Good Friday' Agreement in 1998. After its first session 1 July, 1998, it operated in a 'shadow' period until full devolution the following year.

 

 

City Hall

 

Belfast City Hall was designed by Alfred Brumwell Thomas, the home of Belfast City Council, built in Portland stone, Belfast City Hall was completed in 1906.

For many centuries, Belfast was a small settlement. Everything changed in 1613, when a Royal charter gave Belfast town status. It expanded rapidly, becoming an important port and manufacturing centre. By the end of the 19th century, Belfast had outgrown its status as a town and was a major industrial powerhouse, known for its shipbuilding, ropemaking, engineering, tobacco and textile industries. In 1888, Queen Victoria gave Belfast the title of city and it was generally agreed that a new city hall was needed to reflect this change in status. Negotiations to acquire the one and a half acre White Linen Hall site, located in Donegall Square, began in 1896 and a price of £30,000 was agreed.

The first stone was laid in 1898 and building work was completed eight years later.

In total, Belfast City Hall cost less than £500,000 to build. Belfast City Hall opened its doors on 1 August 1906 during a great time of prosperity for the city.

Today, the magnificent building is a lasting memorial to Belfast's success and a great source of civic pride.

 

 

The Waterfront Hall

 

Belfast Waterfront is now one of the world’s leading conference centres and is a top destination for national and international performers.

Since 1997 welcomed more than five million visitors, staged more than 3,000 entertainment events and hosted more than 2,000.

 

 

The Kitchen Bar

 

The original pub, dating back to 1859, was the favourite watering hole for the star performers of Belfast's famous music hall, The Empire. The bar has now relocated to a characterful old converted warehouse close to the Waterfront Hall but it retains all the charm and charisma that visitors experienced at its former site. 

 

 

Cavehill

 

Cavehill is a hill overlooking the city of Belfast and is distinguished by its famous "Napoleon's Nose". It offers views across the city and on clear days the Isle of Man and occasionally Scotland.

 

 

The Ulster Museum

 

Northern Ireland's treasure house of the past and present. Take 8,000 square metres of galleries, add rich collections of art, archaeology, local history and natural sciences, mix them with a constantly changing programme of temporary exhibitions and events, and you have all the ingredients for a fascinating voyage of discovery. From ancient Ireland to the South Pacific, from masterpieces of modern art to rare flowers.

 

 

Belfast Castle

 

The familiar landmark overlooks the city from a prominent site 400 feet above sea level on the slopes of Cave Hill.

The first 'Belfast Castle' was built by the Normans in the late 12th century. On the same site a stone and timber castle was erected in 1611. The home of Sir Arthur Chichester, barron of Belfast, was burned down in 1708, leaving only street names (eg Castle Place) to mark the site. The building was rebuilt in 1870, having far exceeded the initial estimate cost of £11,000.  From the end of the 2nd World War until the 1970's the castle became a popular venue for wedding receptions, dances and afternoon teas. In 1978 Belfast City Council instituted a major refurbishment programme that was to continue over a period of ten years at a cost of over two million pounds. The architect this time was the Hewitt and Haslam Partnership. The building was officially re-opened to the public on 11 November 1988.

 

 

The Crown Bar

 

The Crown Bar a is probably the most famous pub in Belfast and one of the finest high-Victorian saloons in the UK. It features Ornate interior of brightly-coloured tiles, carvings and glass and a Wonderfully atmospheric setting in which to down a pint.

 

 

The John Hewitt

 

Located in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter, The John Hewitt first opened its doors in December 1999. The bar is unique in its ownership as it is owned by The Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre. The Resource Centre's managers had always relied on various grants to fund its work, when in the mid ninties, they came up with the idea of generating some of their own funds by going into business... And why not a pub! John Hewitt, the late poet, socialist and Freeman of Belfast officially opened the Resource Centre on Mayday 1983, hence the name of the bar.