Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and home to numerous attractions from Parliament Buildings to the Crown Saloon.
Planning for Belfast’s City Hall began, naturally enough, in 1888 when it was awarded the status of city by Queen Victoria (hence the relatively large number of things in the city named after her, of course) with building competed in 1906.
The city centre location makes the grounds a very popular area for lunch in the Summer months and they’re used as the venue for the Christmas markets and various concerts.
Although there are regular free tours of the building during the week, these aren’t terribly well promoted at the moment so many people miss the impressive Victorian architecture, stained glass windows and paintings which are certainly worth the 40 minutes or so that they take.
There is extensive redevelopment work being carried throughout the city centre so parking spaces tend to be at a premium and it's best to take the bus if you can.
Not far from the city hall you can visit the Crown Saloon (owned by the National Trust) which is just across the road from the Europa Hotel. This is currently undergoing a facelift.
The grounds of the Stormont Estate houses Parlament Buildings which can be visited on a guided tour.
The George Best Airport (BHD) mainly concentrates on flights to the UK mainland and is about 15 minutes drive from the city centre. Belfast International Airport (BFS) is around 30 minutes drive outside the city.
Ferries operate mainly to Belfast and Larne from Stranraer and Cairnryan in Scotland and Douglas in the Isle of Man.
