Belfast rises with pride as the capital of Northern Ireland, a city that has turned a troubled past into a story of renewal and creativity. Its most recent emblem is Titanic Belfast, a futuristic museum on the Harland & Wolff shipyards where the famous liner was built. The Victorian centre revolves around the majestic City Hall and the revitalised Cathedral Quarter, dense with pubs, murals and live-music venues. The famous political murals of the Falls Road and Shankill recall the Troubles, best seen on the traditional black taxi tours. Belfast is also an ideal base for exploring the spectacular Antrim coast: nearby await the Giant's Causeway, a World Heritage Site with its basalt columns, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the landscapes of the Glens of Antrim, setting for many Game of Thrones scenes. Local cooking offers stew, seafood and welcoming pubs. Belfast is a frank, warm city where Irish hospitality blends with a new, contagious energy.
Auto
Giorno 2 — Belfast → Londonderry
Londonderry, known simply as Derry, is the only city in Northern Ireland to have kept its seventeenth-century walls intact. Walking this complete defensive circuit, among cannon and bastions, gives views over the city and tells centuries of history, from the siege of 1689 to the more recent Troubles. Within the walls gathers the old town with St Columb's Cathedral and the Victorian Guildhall with its splendid stained glass. The modern Peace Bridge, a sinuous pedestrian span, crosses the River Foyle, symbolically joining the two communities, while the Bogside district keeps the famous murals recounting the civil rights struggle. A city of strong musical and cultural identity, Derry boasts welcoming pubs and a lively arts scene. Its position makes it an ideal base for exploring the wild coast of Donegal and the vistas of Inishowen. Derry is a city with a resilient heart, where history and hope walk side by side.
