s Northern Ireland’s largest city and the second largest on the entire island,
after Dublin, it’s natural that Belfast should form the capital of the north. It’s a
capital that was chosen more for its location than its size however, for the latter
came later. Primely positioned on the River Lagan, Belfast is a port that has
dominated not only Northern Irish trade, but also that governing Great Britain
ever since the Industrial Revolution kicked in at the start of the 18th century.
Head there today and you’ll many of those ghosts of Belfast’s industrial past preserved for
posterity, but complemented now by the glass and steel of a newer, more contemporary
city. From the dockyards, where the Titanic Quarter lies, to the residential streets daubed
with political murals, you don’t have to search for Belfast’s story: it’s literally engraved onto
this bewitching city, greeting you at every twist and turn.
The museums, renovated waterfront and quirky art galleries attest to a bygone era, albeit
one that elapsed not so long ago. For those who prefer to live in the present, well, what a
present you’ve stumbled across in central Belfast: the food’s flavoursome and innovative,
the sporting events are epic and the nightlife is intense in the best possible way. Start the
day with an Ulster fry, the traditional cooked breakfast that Belfast’s cafes have turned into
an art form. It’ll ease the cobwebs from the night before and ready you for a full day of
exploring, from the banks of the Lagan all the way to St George’s Market.
While the world’s most famous ship looms large over Belfast,
there’s much more to the maritime city than the Titanic Belfast
Experience. Crumlin Road Gaol; the botanic gardens
at Palm House; City Hall, with its beautiful Baroque
flourishes. Not to mention Stormont Castle, Cave
Hill and Albert Clock, its leaning Pisa-esque tower
now rectified. Examples of the city’s success in
distancing itself from its past can be found in such
case studies as RISE, a startlingly modern artwork
that dominates the approach to the city, evoking
satellites and the search for extraterrestrial life.
Belfast’s contemporary pleasures are extremely
alluring indeed.
Without that all-important local knowledge,
discovering Belfast and Ulster’s freshest seafood
restaurants, greatest family attractions and quaintest
cafes comes down to potluck. The Entertainment
Guide believes that no holiday or business trip should
be dependent upon sheer serendipity. Your time is too
valuable to be spent on run-of-the-mill excursions and
forgettable eateries. Thankfully, there’s a better way.
INTRODUCTION
4
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