Belfast

Until "troubles" returned at the end of the 1960s, it was not uncommon in Belfast for the Ulster Unionist Party to have its council and parliamentary candidates returned unopposed. Protestant workers organised and dominated the apprenticed trades and gave a new lease of life to the once largely rural Orange Order. Industry drew in a new Catholic population settling largely in the west of the town—refugees from a rural poverty intensified by Belfast’s mechanisation of spinning and weaving and, in the 1840s, by famine. After a cotton boom and bust, the town emerged as the global leader in the production of linen goods (mill, and finishing, work largely employing women and children), winning the moniker "Linenopolis".

• They were built as temporary structures, meant to last only six months.
• On the east side, a branch of the Ulster Bank is built behind the classical portico of a former Methodist church dating from 1846.
• If you are short of time, you should start at the top with the major attractions, namely Titanic Belfast museum, a Hop-on Hop-off bus tour and perhaps a small-group tour to learn more about the city’s history.
• They have a large fleet, and if you’re coming into BFS late or leaving early, they’re a top choice.
• Buildings and walls throughout the city are adorned with murals that reflect the city’s social, cultural, and political traditions and history.

Belfast taxi tips

Guests can explore famous murals, peace walls, historic neighbourhoods, and key landmarks while gaining a deeper understanding of the city’s past and present. The full route can be done in a day but is best explored over a couple, taking time to enjoy a stay along the route. Buildings and walls throughout the city are adorned with murals that reflect the city’s social, cultural, and political traditions and history. Small, idiosyncratic Belfast has long punched above its diminutive weight in terms of cultural impact – the hometown of George Best and Van Morrison, the RMS Titanic and Harland & Wolff shipyard, and deeply politicized murals enlivening brick gable walls. Discover iconic landmarks like Belfast Castle, explore wildlife at Belfast Zoo, or delve into the past at Crumlin Road Gaol and Clifton House. Other attractions in the park include the recently restored Tropical Ravine, a humid jungle glen built in 1889, rose gardens and public events ranging from live opera broadcasts to pop concerts.

These driving excursions take you across the city to the murals and peace wall to uncover the city’s turbulent history. It’s home to a tropical ravine where you can explore incredible plants and wildlife from above the canopy. The following map gives you an idea of the route a Belfast taxi could take you between the airport, located 20 miles away, and Belfast City Centre. If something arises that prevents you from taking our tour, all we ask is that you let us know as soon as you do, especially if it’s on very short notice just call directly. The murals have a general theme of ‘highlighting oppression’ – from the race riots in America in 1969 to current events in Palestine. The next stop on the tour will be Sinn Fein press office, which is the site of one of the most iconic Falls Road murals of the Bobby Sands mural.

Bike Sharing in Belfast

a Antrim Rd, Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, BT36 7QZ 3.58 mi Buses are really best used if you plan to head out to the suburbs and neighborhoods outside of the downtown area, or when you plan to take the bus from Belfast to another part of Northern Ireland. The much smaller George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) is located just over a mile from the city center. The airport is located about 20 miles outside of the city but is well connected by the Airport Express 300 bus. You can use the trip planner on the Translink website to map your route and check the timetables for expected arrivals and departures. The buses follow 12 different routes, and the Translink website has a modern journey planner to help you find the best travel options.

North Belfast and Shankill

Your guide, Hugh Jordan, is a proud Belfast native with decades of experience sharing the city’s history. 📸 Photo stops and storytellingAmple time to take photos, ask questions, and hear authentic stories from someone who lived through the city’s transformation. Shankill Road muralsExplore the Loyalist murals that tell a contrasting story of identity and heritage from the unionist perspective.

With over 1200 cars on the road, fonaCAB is almost part of the furniture throughout the towns and cities of Northern Ireland. Make your next journey in Belfast enjoyable taxi belfast and efficient by choosing our dependable taxi service. Our services include a complimentary meet & greet at the airport, where your driver will wait inside the terminal. Why go through the hassle of finding a taxi on the spot when you can book a taxi with us and enjoy fixed prices that suit your budget?

These include Cupar Way where tourists are informed that, at 45 feet, the barrier is "three times higher than the Berlin Wall and has been in place for twice as long". To the north, it stretched out along roads which drew into the town migrants from Scots-settled hinterland of County Antrim. With dredging and reclamation, the lough was made to accommodate a deep sea port, and extensive shipyards. Beginning in 1970 with the Falls curfew, and followed in 1971 by internment, this included counterinsurgency measures directed chiefly at the Provisional Irish Republican Army. At the same time, a British-funded welfare state "revolutionised access" to education and health care.

Share board

Belfast Metropolitan College ("Belfast Met") is a further education college with three main campuses around the city, including several smaller buildings. But the presence of 18 selective grammar schools in Belfast is a further feature of post-primary education in Belfast that distinguishes it from that of comparable cities in Great Britain where academic selection was abandoned in the 1960s and 70s. Primary and secondary education is divided between (Catholic) Maintained Schools and (non-Catholic/ "Protestant") Controlled Schools. Significant projects included Victoria Square, the Cathedral Quarter, Laganside with the Odyssey complex and the landmark Waterfront Hall, the new Titanic Quarter with its Titanic Belfast visitor attraction, and the development of the original Short’s harbour airfield as Belfast City Airport. Northern Ireland’s peace dividend since the 1990s, which includes a marked increase in inward investment, has contributed to a large-scale redevelopment of the city centre.

Belfast has become a food mecca and it’s impossible to walk the city without being lured in by world-class food. It’s home to the city’s Botanic Gardens and also No Alibis, Northern Ireland’s only independent crime fiction bookshop. Spend a lively time in the heart of the city’s vibrant clubbing hotspot and LGBTQIA+ hub. Join in the festive cheer in Belfast – explore the magic of Christmas with twinkling market stalls and sparkling illuminations. Located a short drive outside of Belfast, immerse yourself in the iconic sets and artistry. This magnificent green space features orienteering trails, nature routes, playgrounds and themed gardens.