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Belfast Travel Guide
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| Belfast
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The
capital of Northern Ireland (pop. 400,000) is an industrial
city that has become synonymous with sectarian violence,
but we hope you don't have the impression that Belfast is
all crime and grime. The city center is compact, and many
areas are now off limits to automobiles, making it a pleasant
city to walk through. Belfast has charming architecture
-- as you walk, be sure to look up at the buildings, where
you'll see ornate carvings ranging from faces to figurines.
Be on the lookout for the Ulster Bank (built in 1860, it
looks like a Venetian palace and holds the gold collection
from several Spanish Armada shipwrecks); the Ulster Museum
(it has very nice botanical gardens -- the glass Palm House,
in particular, is fascinating); the Crown Liquor Bar in
South Belfast (even non-drinkers will appreciate the pub's
incredibly ornate decor); the Sinclair Seaman's Church,
which has a ship's bow for a pulpit; and the City Hall (on
warm days, the lawn is covered with sunbathers; we recommend
that rather than join them you go inside and check out the
staircase and mural).
The Belfast Cathedral and Queen's University buildings are
also worth seeing, and you can tour the impressive grounds
of Stormont, Northern Ireland's parliament building (after
the Troubles began, London shut down the House and imposed
direct rule, but the new Northern Ireland Assembly now meets
there). The new science museum, called W5 (named for the
five questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why?), covers topics
as diverse as lie-detector tests and physics. In the evening,
try to take in a performance at the Grand Opera House. We
were impressed with both the acoustics and the venue itself,
which is grand and intimate at the same time. For an atmospheric
evening, head for the Entries, a system of narrow alleyways
in the city center that are lined with fine old saloons.
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| Belfast
Travels & Tours |
Crown Liquor Saloon
Now this is real living history. Belfast's Crown has reached
legendary status and the legend shows no sign of abating.
This Victorian Liquor Saloon, set right on the Golden Mile
opposite the magnificent Grand Opera House, is for many
the ideal drinking establishment. Despite being run by the
National Trust this is not a museum, but a fully functioning,
thriving bar. A must see, you can even come at lunchtime
for oysters, Irish stew and of course excellent Guinness.
Black Taxi Tour
This taxi ride takes you on an impartial journey around
the city's most famous buildings, and around the hot spots
that have made Belfast one of Europe's most infamous cities.
See the murals which reflect Belfast's sectarian divisions,
and the peace line - Belfast's own version of the Berlin
Wall. These images don't normally feature in the tourist
brochures but still hold a macabre fascination for visitors.
The tour also visits chapels, the courts, Crumlin Road Jail
and the shipyard where the Titanic was built.
Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle was built by John de Courcy after the
Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. The walls
are a metre thick with several impressive defence features:
arrow slits, twin portcullises and a "murder hole"
for raining boiling tar down on stranded enemies below.
The centre of the castle is the Keep, in which exhibitions
divulge intimate details of medieval life, such as the contents
of those huge feasts ("quail", "seagull",
"pheasant", "swan", etc.) and dress.
A room is laid out as a banqueting hall, where you can come
and party as a private group. On the top floor there's an
enormous chessboard and a chest of medieval clothes you
can even try on while you play. A cafe and gift shop complete
the tour.
Ballyholme Beach
Ballyholme Beach is now Bangor's largest sandy beach following
the transformation of the marina area throughout the 1990s.
Depending on the tide, bathers can walk out to sea for several
hundred metres before the water reaches their waists, although
the area has in recent years become renowned for leisure
pursuits somewhat more adventurous, shall we say, than paddling.
Yes, Ballyholme is Bangor's wind-surfing paradise. (Charles
Dickens once stopped off for a swim in the bay on a reading
tour of Ireland. It is sadly unclear whether he himself
surfed or not). The beach is still ideal for families and
has a plentiful supply of sandcastle-building materials.
Just behind the beach is a large grassy area for further
fun and games.
Carrick-A-Rede
Rope Bridge
The crossing isn't that long, but there's still an 80-foot
drop below to black rocks and roaring water (i.e. certain
death) and you're held aloft by the most precarious means
imaginable. If you've parachuted, bungee jumped or are addicted
to roller coasters, the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge has to
be next on your list. If you do cross, (and don't forget
you've got to come ALL THE WAY BACK AGAIN), spectacular
views from the island await you. If you don't, the walk
over the tops of white cliffs is still worth it. The rope
bridge was originally slung across the narrow causeway by
intrepid salmon fishermen. Today the army step in and lower
the bridge into position from helicopter at the end of winter.
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