There are plenty of myths that have grown up around Belfast in recent years, some coming from visitors who misunderstood the place, more coming from those who have seen pictures on TV. But I know the real Belfast, both its ugly side and its alluring side.
Like every city everywhere, Belfast ... Read review
This poster was originally used by The Ulster Tourist and Development Association to ... more
promote tourism. The poster shows an image of the original pilot tower in Belfast Lough. In the background is Cavehill and Harland&Wolff (where the Titanic was built). The painter of the original poster was Norman Wilkinson who was made famous for his paintings for railway companies. The age of the original poster dates to 1934 approximately. This is truly an outstanding print taken from the original poster and is printed on excellent quality Fujitsu photographic paper. It is not a cheap flimsy poster. Height 40 inches. Width 50 inches. The size of this print is very close to the original poster size. We do not reduce the size of our posters because we have found that they simply don't look right in smaller dimensions. This is part of the reason that our posters are superior to others. We also pride ourselves in selling prints that have top quality ink and striking clarity. We have a vast collection of posters for sale. Our posters are normally dispatched within three working days.
Information: :Usually dispatched within 2-3 business days...
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Advantages: Plenty of culture Disadvantages: Seedy underside, ugly areas, not as good as Derry (or am I just biased?)
...that have grown up around Belfast in recent years, some coming from visitors who misunderstood the place, more coming from those who have seen pictures on TV. But I know the real Belfast, both its ugly side and its alluring side.
Like every city everywhere, Belfast has some ugly areas. The Falls Road (Catholic area) and the Shankill Road (Protestant) are working class areas of political hostility and sometimes violence. Nowadays the ... ...extremely small. Another myth about Belfast is that since the cease-fires declared in the Mid 1990s the place has been bound with prosperity. While tourism is on the up since then, prosperity was beginning sooner than that. The people of N. Ireland don't stand around watching their backs all day, they get on with their jobs.
Perhaps I am being a little harsh, but a city that's most prominent landmarks are two massive yellow cranes ... more
There are plenty of myths that have grown up around Belfast in recent years, some coming from visitors who misunderstood the place, more coming from those who have seen pictures on TV. But I know the real Belfast, both its ugly side and its alluring side.
Like every city everywhere, Belfast has some ugly areas. The Falls Road (Catholic area) and the Shankill Road (Protestant) are working class areas of political hostility and sometimes violence. Nowadays the violence is largely concentrated on specific targets in 'punishment beatings' and revenge attacks. Bombs do not go off as readily as fireworks on New Years Eve. The last major bomb was the tragedy of Omagh, a city in the North West of Ireland (Belfast is in the North East). And while this tragedy remains all too fresh in the memory, the threat of something similar is extremely small. Another myth about Belfast is that since the cease-fires declared in the Mid 1990s the place has been bound with prosperity. While tourism is on the up since then, prosperity was beginning sooner than that. The people of N. Ireland don't stand around watching their backs all day, they get on with their jobs.
Perhaps I am being a little harsh, but a city that's most prominent landmarks are two massive yellow cranes and an orange hospital tower block, does not seem particularly cultured. Harland & Wolfe may once have been the greatest ship-builders in the world at a time (I'll ignore the sectarianism within the company), building the most famous of all ships RMS Titanic, but it is now a business shambles set in an ugly harbour.
Their are scenic areas though. Belfast castle (pictured in the Epinions Belfast page) is a fine building, albeit not a real castle and the view from Divis Mountain is panoramic. Their is the seat of contentious politics at Stormont too.Up the river Lagan we find signs of new prosperity in the new flats and the renovated St. George's Market which is back in use. You can catch a performance at the beautiful modern construction of the Waterfront Hall, that sits beside the nicer part of the river. Botanic Gardens looks beautiful on a sunny day and the City Hall is a fine example of turn-of-the-century architecture.
If you want culture their is plenty of it. In October the Belfast Festival at Queens is a cultural event second only to Edinburgh in Europe. The Empire lends itself to both music and comedy, their are a plenty of Theatres for plays like the Arts. Live music and concerts can be seen at the Ulster Hall, Kings Hall or get more intimate at the excellent Limelight. Their are the pretentious trendy bars for those who like that sort of thing. Orpheos being one. Their are the restaurants like Roscoffs and Morrisons. And any tourist must have a drink in The Crown Bar where the Guinness is the best in the North.
Shopping is something that many (although not I) enjoy and Belfast excels at this. It has all the usual big name stores and trendy stores but it's the small secluded ones I like. Hector's Houss is the best record store in the city and has hundreds of rarities. Matchetts music supplies me with all I need for instruments. I doubt if a tourist will come home with £300 fiddle, but it's the window shopping that is most satisfactory (and inexpensive). Prices in Belfast are a lot cheaper in general than its more snobby but cosmopolitan neighbour Dublin.
So that's Belfast in a nutshell. Not the finest city in the world but not the ugliest (ever been to Birmingham, England?). I prefer Derry myself, but Belfast is not without its charms. I hope I've dispelled a few myths.
Advantages: Growing Gay Scene, if very slowly Disadvantages: Still small
...as the gay scene in Belfast is very small. Gay bars and clubs have came and went. The Crows Nest Bar, perhpas the best known in skipper street was perhaps the first experience many of us had of a gay bar but unfortunately it has now closed. So what of the alternatives. The only other 100% gay venues are the Parliament and the Kremlin. The Parliament a nice venue, with a bar, a quiet cosy corner and a club upstairs. The Kremlin, our newest addition ... ...Wednesday night. If visiting Belfast it is worth phoning Carafriend, our local gay helpline to check what is currently on offer.
A word of caution about the Parliament. The area around it is known as a cruising area and is extremely dangerous. There have been a number of attacks recently on gay guys leaving the venue. So please be extra careful.
There are no saunas or gay guest houses in Belfast and it remains to be seen just how 'gay friendly' ...
adrianmcaleese 21.03.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Belfast (Ireland)
Advantages: The Activities Disadvantages: The Noise
...you to do in Belfast. Belfast has grown to become one of the most popular weekend break destinations in the U.K. The Northern Ireland capital is always buzzing and full of energy.
There are more than enough hotels to chose from. If you want to experience the nightlife or city life then you can stay in one of Belfast's most luxurious hotels such as the Europa. In here you will find helpful staff, nice meals, modern decor and not to forget high prices. ... ...of the hotels just outside Belfast such as the La Mon Country House in Co.Down. In here you can find a luxury health club, Gym, Tennis Court and this would be perfect for a family vacation or a weekend break and it is just 15 minutes outside the capital. There are also tons of things you can do in Belfast. If you decide to take a trip to Belfast then you may want to consider taking the Belfast Bus Tour. On this tour you are shown all of Belfast's ...
gsturgeon884 05.01.2009
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Belfast (Ireland)
Advantages: Friendly people Disadvantages: Still slightly intimidating
...from a short stay in Belfast and found it to be much as I expected. My previous visits to Belfast mainly consisted of drive-throughs on the way to the ferry terminal, but since the troubles have calmed down I thought it would be a good time to see the city.
As far as cities go Belfast is nothing special. The people are very friendly, but then again the same could be said for Glasgow, Dublin or Edinburgh. As for sights, well there aren't really too ... ...main reason for people visiting Belfast is out of a morbid curiosity about the troubles. It is pretty safe to take a drive or a tour through the notorious areas such as the Shankhill or Falls roads. The wall murals that can be seen on both sides really are works of art (often painted by the same artist on both sides!!).
I think Belfast makes for a half decent city break, especially if you have any interest in the historical side of things. But if ...
Lad 13.08.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Belfast (Ireland)
Advantages: great pubs & restaurants, friendly people Disadvantages: tourists might get bored after a week or so
...the way of life in Belfast more, but I can see its limitations more clearly too.
While the city does have a welcome sense of closeness - it doesn't take long to start seeing familiar faces as you walk around, and it's good to feel like you can go into a bar and know at least one person - it has to be said that that relative lack of ethnic diversity (apart from the large Chinese community) does lead to a slightly 'closed' mindset amongst some people ... ...Republican or Loyalist parts of Belfast are no worse than some parts of London, Manchester or Glasgow. If you do want to see the murals and so on, there's a bus with a guide that leaves regularly from just outside HMV in the city centre, and I'd thoroughly recommend it as a bit of an eye-opener. ...
jonathancampbell 28.06.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Belfast (Ireland)
Advantages: Always something to do Disadvantages: Not always easy to find the places
...other reviews as I found Belfast to be full of things to go and see. Firstly one of the best times I have had in years was at the Odyssey first we had a few drinks and something to eat in the Pavilion which had something for everyone pubs, nightclubs restaurants (Indian, American, Mexican etc), bowling alley, cinema and much more but the highlight was watching the Belfast Giants Ice Hockey team I've never been a fan of Ice Hockey but the atmosphere ... ...Belfast offers a host of options for those who like to think of themselves as more cultured such as the Grand Opera house and the Ulster Hall which didn't look like much from outside but is very impressive inside. Although I found the atmosphere in the Waterfront more appealing and the range of shows and star names appearing regularly was quite a surprise to me.
In terms of pubs in clubs I found all of the bars in and around the city center bursting ...
dazzagaelic 15.06.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Belfast (Ireland)
Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Belfast (Ireland)"
Advantages: Big Budget Productions Disadvantages: N/a
As one of the oldest theatres in Belfast, this traditional Victorian venue hosts a variety of performances from classical to comedy, and ballet to musicals.
It has recently been renovated to include an additional studio theatre - named the Baby Grand - and also a new restaurant Lucianos. The bar facilities have also been recently updated.
Other tourist attractions worth catching in the local area are the famous Europa hotel (next door to the Opera House) and the Crown bar just across the road - one of the oldest remaining pubs in Belfast, and perhaps Northern Ireland.
Closest car park is located in Glengall street next to the theatre itself. Bus and train links also available there (within five minutes walk of the threate doors). ...
Advantages: Belfast has a lot to offer Disadvantages: The weather can sometimes be a bit miserable.
This is a guide to let tourists know the many interesting features of Belfast in Northern Ireland, Hopefully within my review
I provide some useful information for anyone interested in visiting belfast so that they can derive maximum enjoyment from their visit.
Belfast has many places to visit such as the City hall, where the belfast wheel can be found, the charge to get on the wheel is around £6.00 and you are on it for about 15 minutes, as the wheel slowly turns , the view of Belfast is stunning. Then in the east of the city we have Harland and Wolff where the famous Titanic was built.
There are murals painted on gable walls across North, East, South and West belfast, the black taxis offer a city tour to see both the sites and the murals around Belfast, the cost for this is around £8.00 per person and the tour would last about ...
jenny967 16.05.2008 (19.05.2008)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Belfast in general
Advantages: Pleasant atmosphere and nice friendly people Disadvantages: Shaky peace agreement
Belfast in Northern Ireland gets all the bad press in the news and it is virtually only ever heard of when bombs go off there. You never hear about Belfast when large concerts are there or when there are parades. Belfast despite its reputation is a lively city, with recent developments it is also a very pleasant British city. There is a lively night life with such nightclubs as Storm or the M Club. Belfast also has its more educational side with museums and art galleries as well as its own share of historical buildings. The shopping in Belfast is not to be snubbed either with many shops and good parking in the city centre leaving dubliners to migrate there for Christmas shopping some of the time. Belfast if u havent been is well worth the trip. ...
