Belfast has well and truly patched up its bullet holes and shrugged off its industrial funk, and now has plenty of the other kind of funk. Yes, Belfast is as lively as ever, but it’s now a lot of fun too. The development of the Titanic museum has spread to a whole area of the docks, and the Titanic Quarter is now a stunning hub of visitor appeal that’s spread contagiously throughout the city. Titanic Quarter even has its own hotel, the Titanic Hotel Belfast, which is on our Gurus’ list of the best places to stay in Belfast. Converted from the offices of the shipping company, Harland & Wolff, this is an easy choice, but our Gurus’ list also includes a converted bank, a converted warehouse, apartment-hotels, B&Bs, and even a country estate which is surprisingly close to the centre of town.
As well as the Titanic Museum, this quarter now has several floating museums, and they’ve retained the two huge shipping cranes, Samson and Goliath, which are an incredible sight. Beyond Titanic are the relics of ‘The Troubles’: the white, pillared, neoclassical facade of Stormont, the Ulster Museum and Crumlin Road Gaol, which offer a fascinating reminder of this city's violent past. Today you’ll find more of a gentle melding of Irish and British culture, which makes for a unique city, totally unlike London or Dublin. Belfast's many years as a no-go zone means its relatively unspoilt and undiscovered — and one of the best ways to see it, is on a Black Taxi Tour, where an experienced driver, usually one who worked through 'The Troubles', will show you their city, complete with personal details.
If you’re here to have fun, to eat, drink and be merry on local craic, you’ll definitely find some of the best places to stay in Belfast around the centre of town, but you might also want to keep an eye out for accommodation in the Cathedral Quarter. Belfast is now awash with great places to eat and drink, and the real problem will be finding enough mealtimes to sample all you want to.