Welcome to Belfast! 

Belfast is a wonderful city!  It has everything that a tourist could want but not in such large quantities that you get bored.  It has lovely architecture, great pubs and places to eat, wonderful parks and walks and can also feel a bit ‘dangerous’ at times (without actually being that dangerous it must be told). 

Belfast as a city dates back to the Bronze Age; one relic that still exists from this time is an estimated 5000 year old henge in the suburbs of Belfast near Shaws Bridge called ‘Giant’s Ring’.  This is only the beginning, though, of what a visitor could see when visiting Belfast. 

Belfast’s population boomed in the 17^th century, after the Plantation of Ulster, with the city becoming an increasingly important city within the United Kingdom in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  Shipbuilding was an important industry by that time, with the Titantic, one of the most infamous ships that ever sailed, built on the docks of Belfast. 

What most people associate with Belfast is its fine City Hall, finished in 1906 and built to celebrate Belfast becoming the largest city in Ireland in 1901, which has become a focal point of the city centre area and is where locals congregate on their lunch break for a sunny picnic in the summer (on the occasional day it is sunny!)  

Currently, the garden around the city hall has hosts a ferris wheel attraction; while some locals have been quite critical about the ferris wheel, tourists flock to it to in order to see the views of the city while riding it.  Even Bruce Springsteen commented in a gig played in Belfast that any city with a ferris wheel is ok with him. 

While Belfast can be a beautiful city and offer the tourist a lovely experience, Belfast also has a dark side to it.  My first time in the city was in July of 2002; this summer was particularly contentious and resulted in a group of 10 tourists on a walking tour of the city being pelted with stones in an area that should have been safe (I was in that group)!  Obviously, the author did not hold the actions of immature youths in such high esteem to never visit the city again, but this experience did serve to remind me that not everything is what it should be in Belfast and that the tourist does need to be aware of their surroundings (much like you should do anywhere new to you). 

Belfast is a city that should be experienced.  It offers everything that a tourist could want – a bit of history for the history buff, a culinary experience for the food buff, walks and gardens for the healthy buff, and plenty of sport for those who do not get enough of it at home.  Belfast should not be missed. 

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