Heading to Belfast for our fourth round Heineken Champions Cup clash against Ulster Rugby this weekend? Check out our travel partner Thomas Cook Sport’s whistle-stop city tour!
Belfast, home to Ulster’s 18,196-seater stadium, is one of Europe’s overlooked treasures, the Northern Irish capital is now home to Michelin stars, trendy cafes and great spots to drink.
Start your trip at the Belfast City Hall, you can take a free hour-long walking tour of the building, where you’ll explore its political past and hear ghoulish stories of the building’s haunted corridors. You’ll see fantastic works of stained glass and learn about the city’s storied history, head into the gardens after the tour to visit a memorial to the city’s most famous industrial output, the Titanic.
A mile south of the City Hall, you’ll find Belfast’s Botanical Gardens, nestled by Queens University, the park is home to a classic example of a Victorian glasshouse. The curved glass surface of the structure was incredibly technologically advanced for its time and meant that Victorian horticulturists were able to grow exotic plants in the much colder UK climate.
Continue your city garden exploring at the CS Lewis Square, devoted to the writer of The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe who was born in the city, the garden is home to sculptures of the author’s most famous characters.
Belfast is famed for being the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, the world-famous vessel sank on its first transatlantic journey but since its famed iconic image has become a symbol of the city’s industrial past. Explore the shipyard where the ship was built, you will experience the sights, sounds and smells of the Titanic’s doomed journey from Belfast to the Atlantic seabed. This really is a must for fans of the film or history.
Head outside of Belfast into the incredible Northern Irish countryside, tours of Game of Thrones locations are easily available from local tour operators and exploring the Gobbins cliff walk is an unforgettable experience.