"The Belles of Belfast City" a Belfast Travel Page by caoimhin

Situated on the southern shore of its Lough, nestled in its surrounding hills, Belfast was once among the great European seaports – home of the Titanic shipyards. Like its most famous daughter, the city also ran into trouble; but unlike the ship, did not completely sink. I came to this city in the spring of 2004 and have watched it drag itself from the ruins of a long and bloody civil war and turn itself into another major venue on the European city circuit.

The redevelopment of the city, especially along the river Lagan, over the last few years has been truly amazing and is continuing apace today. With the establishment of the old Cathedral Quarter as a cultural centre, the cultural scene in Belfast has expanded beyond belief. While the music scene, as befits the home of Van Morrison, Stiff Little Fingers and DJ David Holmes, is rapidly becoming one of the best in these islands. Belfast is also home to annual film, theatre and music festivals. The city is even trying to turn the once infamous Orange Lodge marches into the “Orange Parade”.

There are, of course, sections of the city it is still not safe to go to without a guide or local contacts. But this is true of any major city and if you want to see the rapidly disappearing Murals of Belfast you can always do a deal with a local taxi driver.