  Belfast
Click to get the inside scoop from
real travelers here at VirtualTourist. See the Belfast Travel GuideInside advice from real people on:Overview, Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping, General Tips, Transportation, Off the Beaten Path, Tourist Traps, Warnings or Dangers, Local Customs, Packing Lists or Sports Travel.
 1080 Belfast Tips.1616 Belfast Photos.0 Belfast Videos. Belfast Pages by pure1942
| Page Views: 51 Last Visit to Belfast: April, 2008 | Belfast - Ireland by pure1942 - last update: May 1, 2008 |
Belfast is Open for Business It took me 25 years to finally make it up to Belfast and Co. Antrim but it was worth the wait. The city really surprised me and after its troubled past the city is beginning to push forward. As an Irish person, I am proud of the way Belfast has begun to shake off its bad image. While things are far from perfect, the city's development is beginning to accelerate rapidly. The old dock area future development plans are a prime example of how the city is determined to develop into one of Ireland's great cities and is shouting out to be noticed as a top visitor destination.
Major plans are underway to turn the city's once bustling (now dormant) ship yard and docks into a modern and inviting riverside development. While the plans are being recognised (still some years from completion), the centre of the city are already open for business, with lots of intersting and impressive things to see and do. The main sights to see in the centre of the city are City Hall, Albert Clock, Customs House, The River Lagan and Banks, Belfast Eye, St. George Market, Queens University, Botanical Gardens, Opera House as well as the many impressive Churches and Cathedrals dotted all over the city. |
| Welcome to the Falls Road |
|  | Falls Road Outside the city centre, there are many areas of the city which should not be missed, especially for anyone interested in Ireland's recent history. The Falls Rd. and Andersonstown are the traditional heartland areas of the Irish and Catholic communities in west Belfast. In the past the area has been associated with violence and disturbance but is now open for visitors and is an interesting area to see. The world famous murals painted on the sides of many of the area's houses and buildings are now preserved as works of art and items of historical importance and rightly so. The murals are dedicated to victims of the Troubles and important political and historical figures associated with Irish Republican and Nationalist figures. The Falls Rd. area also has a International Wall which displays murals of national and international political issues. Examples include a mural dedicated to the Basque and Catalan seperatist movements and Palestine as well as Irish Republican murals. |
| | Running alongside the Falls Rd. is the Shankhill Rd. which is the British and Protestant version of the Falls Rd. It was only during my visit that I realised how close the two areas actually are. Dividing the two communities is the Peace Line which is a high metal and concrete barrier built during the Troubles to keep the two communities from clashing. The Line still exists and can be seen stretching along the back of the Falls and Shankhill Roads. The Line is broken by high security gates, which during the Troubles were closed and locked every evening to block access to the other side. I suppose there are obvious similarities bwteen the Belfast Peace Line and The Berlin Wall.
Also along the Falls Rd. are numerous memorials and gardens dedicated to the victims and political figures associated with the Troubles and Irish Republican and Nationalist movement. |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
pure1942's Belfast Travel Tips
 Comments for pure1942 about Belfast | | | | |
Luchonda Sun May 11, 2008 13:27 UTC
Love the "Harmony" statue. |
|
|
email me
add as friend
