🇬🇧United Kingdom · Places to discover
What to see in Belfast?
23 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Landmarks & heritage
8 places
1Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0Landmark
Belfast City Hall
Edwardian baroque city hall in white marble, opened in 1906, crowned with a 53-metre dome. Free guided tours reveal sumptuous rooms and the city's fascinating history.
2Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0Landmark
Clifton House (Poor House)
Georgian building from 1774, one of Belfast's oldest structures, formerly a workhouse. Often overlooked by visitors, it's an architectural gem in a neighbourhood undergoing transformation.
3Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Landmark
Crumlin Road Gaol
Victorian prison in operation from 1846 to 1996, site of executions and internments during the Troubles. Guided tours are compelling and occasionally haunting—among Belfast's finest historical experiences.
4Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0Landmark
Shankill Road Murals
The loyalist counterpart to the Falls murals, just a few hundred metres away. The Peace Wall separating the two communities still stands, covered with signatures from visitors around the world.
5Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0Landmark
SS Nomadic
The last intact White Star Line vessel, moored in the Titanic Quarter. This tender that ferried first-class passengers to the Titanic is often overshadowed by its neighbour, undeservedly so.
6Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Landmark
Titanic Belfast
Iconic museum erected on the exact site where the Titanic was built. The striking aluminium architecture shaped like a ship's bow is spectacular, and the immersive experience of the Harland & Wolff shipyard is genuinely moving.
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Landmark
Landmark
Queen's University Belfast
Neo-Tudor campus founded in 1845, one of Ireland's finest. The central Lanyon Building is an architectural gem, and the surrounding neighbourhood brims with independent cafés and bookshops.
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Landmark
Landmark
Falls Road Murals
The Irish republican wall murals along the Falls Road tell the story of the Northern Irish conflict better than any textbook. Take a black taxi tour with a local driver to get context from both sides.
Museums
1 place
9Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Museum
Ulster Museum
Free and underrated museum covering Irish art, prehistory, Egyptian mummies and treasures from the Spanish Armada recovered from Irish shores. Allow at least half a day.
Religious sites
1 place
10Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 2.0Religious site
Belfast Cathedral
Neo-Romanesque Anglican cathedral whose construction spanned over a century. The baptistry mosaic with its 150,000 tesserae and the steel spire added in 2007 are well worth seeing.
Nature
3 places
11Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0Nature
Divis Mountain
The highest point in the Belfast hills at 478 metres, managed by the National Trust. Peatland, wildlife and panoramic views over Belfast, the Mournes and Scotland. Less trodden than Cave Hill but wilder in character.
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Nature
Nature
Stormont Estate
Northern Ireland's Parliament set within a 120-hectare park open to the public. The straight 1.5-kilometre avenue leading to the striking neoclassical white building is ideal for running or picnicking.
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Nature
Nature
Black Mountain
A 390-metre summit dominating west Belfast, accessible on foot from the city in under an hour. Offering 360° views of Belfast, the Mourne Mountains, and occasionally Scotland on clear days.
Parks & gardens
3 places
14Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Park
Ormeau Park
A popular large park in south Belfast, favoured by locals rather than tourists. Pleasant riverside stretches along the Lagan with animated sports facilities at weekends.
15Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Park
Botanic Gardens
Victorian gardens adjoining the Ulster Museum, featuring the 1840 Palm House of cast iron and glass, one of the world's first curvilinear glasshouses. Popular with students from neighbouring Queen's University.
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Park
Park
Cave Hill Country Park
Volcanic hill dominating Belfast with breathtaking panoramic views across the city, the lough and the Antrim hills. McArt's Fort at the summit is where Wolfe Tone planned the Irish rebellion of 1798.
Viewpoints
3 places
17Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 2.0Viewpoint
Cavehill Viewpoint (Napoleon's Nose)
A distinctive basalt promontory said to have inspired Jonathan Swift's giant in Gulliver's Travels. Commanding views across Belfast Lough and the entire city from this prominent landmark.
18Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Viewpoint
Lagan Weir Footbridge
Pedestrian crossing over the Lagan offering fine views across the Waterfront and Titanic Quarter. An ideal starting point for walking along the regenerated riverbanks towards the Titanic Quarter.
19Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0Viewpoint
Samson and Goliath (Harland & Wolff Cranes)
Two colossal 96-metre yellow cranes dominating Belfast's skyline from the historic shipyards. Industrial symbols of the city, visible from almost everywhere – a viewing point in the Titanic Quarter is unmissable.
Activities
4 places
20Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0Activity
W5 Science Centre
Interactive science centre in the Titanic Quarter, excellent for children and curious adults alike. Over 250 hands-on experiments exploring science, technology and engineering.
21Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Activity
St. George's Market
Victorian covered market in operation since 1896, with Friday food markets, Saturday city food and crafts, and Sunday variety stalls. Northern Irish local produce here is excellent.
22Wikimedia CommonsActivity
Waterfront Hall
Concert and conference venue on the Lagan waterfront, with an attractive riverside terrace. Check the programme—classical and Irish pop concerts here are frequently excellent.
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Activity
Activity
Oh Yeah Music Centre
Hub celebrating Northern Ireland's music scene—Snow Patrol, Ash and Therapy? all claim roots here. Exhibitions, a working recording studio and live concerts in the Cathedral Quarter.
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