BELFAST CITY SIGHTSEEING RECOMMENDS...

Hi,

What we have tried to do here is give you an idea of what we think are the best things about our remarkable little city. Feel free to get in touch if you think we have left something out.

Belfast City Sightseeing

First things first: How to get here

George Best Belfast city airport is only two miles from the city centre and is serviced by FLYBE airline, offering regular, cheap flights to the city.

Click here to have a look at their destination guide which has detailed information on the departure and destination cities from which Flybe operates. Information on routes, flight times, journey times, airport locations, transport links, shopping and conference facilities is also included, together with regular blog posts with Flybe news, fares and new routes.

Unmissable Pubs:

Whites Tavern - Belfasts oldest pub. This bar has been down Winecellar Entry since 1630 so has survived plague, cholera, famine for eight years, two rebellions, the Luftwaffe and the Troubles. The pints continue to be delicious. When getting off the tour bus, walk up High Street towards the Albert Clock. Take a left after Bank of Ireland down the passageway. A firm favourite in winter months when the fire is blazing from early in the day.

Theres diddly-dee music downstairs most nights and at the weekends the nightclub upstairs is thoroughly unpretentious and one of the best nights out in Belfast.
:: www.whitestavern.com

Kelly Cellars - Kellys has been open since 1720 and retains an authentic feel. This is the real deal and is everything Irish theme bars dream to be. If there is a bicycle hung on the wall it is because someone is using it, it is not for decoration. Live traditional music every night and the restaurant upstairs is delicious. Tell Lilly we sent you and she will look after you. You will find it near the tour departure point down between Primark and Tesco.
Theres a photo of it above.

The Spaniard - A tiny wee bar in Skipper Street is great for a few drinks before exploring the rest of the Cathedral Quarter. The Irish cat swinging championships were to be held here recently but were cancelled due to lack of space. What it lacks in size it makes up for in heart. I-tunes behind the bar so suggest any song and they'll lash it on.

The Duke of York - Another smashing bar in the Cathedral Quarter. Sit outside if the weather permits or grab a snug inside the warmth. Theres normally good music on in the bar somewhere and the Black Box performance area is just around the corner. Gerry Adams used to pull pints in the Duke and the Entry around the back once housed Terry Hooleys studio where The Undertones recorded Teenage Kicks - our punk anthem.

Maddens - Berry Street - Quite difficult to find but it is out the back of Castle Court shopping mall and quite near Kelly Cellars. Music, music, music, music. Certainly off the tourist track so always a winner when you realise you've discovered a hidden gem.

Empire Music Hall - Tuesday night is the best stand up comedy night on the Island. Originally created by Paddy Kielty. When this place gets going it is hilarious. As much kudos to the hecklers as to the performers. The Empire is on Botanic Avenue near Queens University and it costs about £5 to get in. This venue is also the best place for gigs and tribute bands. - www.thebelfastempire.com

FOOD

The Belfast Welcome Centre can help those in search of flamboyant, exotic cuisine - www.gotobelfast.com. What we recommend are the following indigenous treats:

The Ulster Fry: The crucial, core ingredient in this staple meal is our local bread - namely Soda Bread, Potato Bread and northern Wheaten Bread. Belfast bread has to be ranked among the best in the world and is generally only available within 40 miles or so of the city so take your chance while you can!! There are a number of small home bakeries in Belfast close to the tour bus - e.g. Coyles in Castle Street or the Windsor Bakery out the back of Boots Chemists where you can sample the delights.

Always remember - an Ulster Fry is only an Ulster Fry when Soda Bread and Potato Bread is involved.

After consuming an Ulster Fry - please report to the Cardiac Ward in Belfast City Hospital.

Our Bread - http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/topics/work/bread.shtml

* The 'Belfast Bap' is another indigenous treat which has a very special role in the Belfast psyche - read about Barney 'Bap' Hughes here. -  An incredible guy - http://www.ulsterhistory.co.uk/hughesbarney.htm

(the classic schoolboy snack involves empting a bag of crisps into a buttered Belfast Bap). Any of the McCoys, Tayto or Bikers range go best. Will cost you less than a pound!!

The Pastie Bap/Pastie Supper: - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastie

No-one is quite sure what exactly a pastie is but by Jove are they tasty! A pastie bap is a pastie in a bap, and a pastie supper is one served with chips. These are available all over the city close to where the tour bus leaves from.

Billy Connolly - the Scottish comedian, reckons that Beatties Fish and Chip parlour on Tates Avenue is the best in the world outside of Govan in Glasgow. We have always had a soft spot for John Longs which is near Jurys Hotel. New and swanky it ain't but the food is delicious.

Crisps - Tayto Cheese and Onion - just buy a packet and see what you think.

Incidentally, it remains a mystery as to why we have one of the worst/highest levels of cardiac illness and disease in the EU.

Free tour of City Hall? - There are free public tours every day except Sunday at 11am, 12pm and 2pm (Saturday 2pm and 3pm). Why not join a tour and sit on the Lord Mayors seat, see the opulent ballrooms and debating chambers. City Hall opened in 1906 and the tour is a great opportunity to see the status and wealth of Belfast at the turn of the last century. For any locals - you own City Hall so all the more reason to join a free tour and have a look! -

:: http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/cityhall/index.asp?menuitem=tours

Read a Belfast Newspaper - Cost: 60p

Belfast is home to the oldest English language daily paper in the world - the Belfast News Letter which has been printed every single day since 1737.

The two most popular daily papers are both published in Donegal Street and are the Belfast Telegraph and the Irish News. For those looking to scratch below the surface in Belfast, we recommend reading both papers as they are printed with differing constitutional stances - one catering for a mainly British readership, and one aimed at a mainly Irish readership. The letters page and editorials will give you a great insight into the new assembly and a society emerging from conflict.

Note how they concentrate on different sports.

Continental/Christmas market @ City Hall - These seasonal markets are very popular with locals. You visitors can come the whole way here and then pretend you are back at home again.

Saint George's Market: This great market opens on a Friday and Saturday morning. Hop off the bus outside or use the free shuttle bus that drives around the city. It is only a five minute walk from Castle Place. The building is the real star and is the biggest covered market in Ireland. It was used during WWII as a temporary morgue when Belfast was blitzed in 1941. - http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/stgeorgesmarket/index.asp

Friars Bush Cemetery tours: -  www.friarsbush.org.uk
Friar’s Bush Graveyard on Stranmillis Road is Belfast’s oldest Christian burial site. The sense of ancient mystery enshrouding the old walled cemetery in south Belfast has long fascinated historians and local people alike. 

Friar’s Bush is the site of the medieval friary of St Patrick and contains the mysterious ‘Friar’s Stone’ with the implausible date, ‘AD 485’ inscribed on it. 

The tours run every Sunday at 3.00pm. To arrange - simply ring the tour guide Gerry Ward directly on 0044 (0) 79000 111 39

West Belfast Festival - This is one of the biggest community festivals in Europe and runs this year from August 5th to August 12th - www.feilebelfast.com

Get on a boat! -  Use our multi-ticket to cruise up and down the River Lagan on board 'Joyce Too'. For £20.00 you can take a bus tour, a walking tour and a boat tour over the course of 48 hours. Buy the tickets from any of our usual outlets. Also have a look at the Lagan Boat Company's seasonal specials - read more here

Other things to do:

Activ Belfast - www.activbelfast.com is your complete online guide to Belfast.

Use this site to find out about city events, special city offers and reviews of venues and bars and clubs.