Hop On Hop Off Belfast City Tour

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom and the second-largest on the island of Ireland. It had a population of 333,871 as of 2015. Belfast suffered greatly in the Troubles: in the 1970s and 1980s it was one of the world's most dangerous cities, with a homicide rate around 31 per 100,000. By the early 19th century, Belfast became a major port. It played an important role in the Industrial Revolution in Ireland, becoming briefly the biggest linen-producer in the world, earning it the nickname "Linenopolis". By the time it was granted city status in 1888, it was a major centre of Irish linen production, tobacco-processing and rope-making. Shipbuilding was also a key industry; the Harland and Wolff shipyard, which built the RMS Titanic, was the world's largest shipyard. Belfast as of 2019 has a major aerospace and missiles industry. Industrialisation, and the inward migration it brought, made Belfast Northern Ireland's biggest city and it became the de facto capital of Northern Ireland following the partition of Ireland in 1922. Its status as a global industrial centre ended in the decades after the Second World War of 1939–1945. Belfast is still a port with commercial and industrial docks, including the Harland and Wolff shipyard, dominating the Belfast Lough shoreline. It is served by two airports: George Best Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport 15 miles (24 km) west of the city. The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) listed Belfast as a Gamma global city in 2018.

Around four miles from the city centre along the A2/A6-Antrim Road is Belfast Castle. There are plenty of events here year-round, and it's a popular wedding venue due to its scenic location and beautiful historic building. A castle has existed on this site since the 12th century in many different incarnations. The current structure dates from 1870, although additions and embellishments have taken place since then.

Belfast City Hall is another government building that should be visited. Located in the city center, this handsome structure was built in 1906 and remains one of the most distinctive landmarks in Belfast's downtown core. Tourists are welcome to explore the building as part of a guided tour, so popular that they've become one of the top free things to do in Belfast (tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so allow plenty of time in your schedule). Highlights of these one-hour tours include seeing a good-sized art display and historic stained-glass windows and an exhibit outlining the city's history. Afterwards, you can browse the gift shop or visit the café.

St Anne's Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is a Church of Ireland cathedral in Donegall Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is unusual in serving two separate dioceses (Connor and Down and Dromore). A cathedral is a place where a bishop has a seat but Belfast Cathedral is unusual in having the seats of two bishops – the Bishop of Connor and the Bishop of Down & Dromore. It is the focal point of the Cathedral Quarter, Belfast.

Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a large-scale waterfront regeneration, comprising historic maritime landmarks, film studios, education facilities, apartments, a riverside entertainment district, and the world's largest Titanic-themed attraction centered on land in Belfast Harbour, known until 1995 as Queen's Island. The 185-acre (75 ha) site, previously occupied by part of the Harland and Wolff shipyard, is named after the company's, and the city's, most famous product, RMS Titanic. Titanic Quarter is part of the Dublin-based group, Harcourt Developments, which has held the development rights since 2003.