BELFAST
Titanic Belfast
Sunflower pub Ulster Sports Club BEL F A S T St George’s Market
The Ulster Hall Linen
Northern Ireland
REPUBLIC OF
IRELAND 500 yards Belfast Quarter
The best musicians from
across Northern Ireland play nightly at Bert’s Jazz Bar
1 .30PM VISIT CRUMLIN ROAD GAOL Crumlin Road Gaol dates back to 1845 and housed prisoners for some 150 years before its eventual closure in 1996. Having re-opened as a tourist attraction in 2012, visitors can now delve into the gruesome history of Northern Ireland’s only remaining Victorian- era prison. Explore the historic hanging cell and prison wings, the underground tunnel to the courthouse and even the graveyard, before a trip to the on-site whiskey distillery.
crumlinroadgaol.com
mcconnellsirishwhisky.com
3PM FOLLOW THE BELFAST TRADITIONAL MUSIC TRAIL The island of Ireland is perhaps known best for its traditional folk music sessions, where locals get together in pubs to perform songs that often date back centuries. You can really get under the skin of this musical genre on the official Belfast Traditional Music Trail, which begins at Maddens Bar with a few pints of Guinness and an introduction to the instruments used in performances, like the uilleann pipes — Ireland’s version of Scottish bagpipes. Think of this as a pub crawl of sorts, which ends with an Irish dance and — you guessed it — more Guinness.
belfasttradtrail.com
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NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL
6PM DINNER AT BERT’S JAZZ BAR Transport yourself to 1930s New York at this brasserie-cum-jazz club at The Merchant Hotel. Bert’s is the city’s only dedicated jazz bar and, between 6pm and 8pm, seven nights a week, you can catch the early jazz session, when the best musicians from Northern Ireland and beyond play classic hits and try out new material. As for the food, it’s French bistro-style dining in a 1 AA Rosette restaurant. The early, three-course set menu offers superb value midweek at £35 per person.
themerchanthotel.com
8PM COCKTAILS AND LIVE MUSIC IN THE CATHEDRAL QUARTER Just behind Bert’s is arguably Belfast’s most lively corner: the Cathedral Quarter. Named after the cathedrals that pepper the area, it’s now a burgeoning arts and entertainment district where visits to quintessential Irish pubs, live music venues and buzzing cocktail bars are the order of the evening. For a whiskey-based cocktail, such as an old fashioned, The Harp Bar has you covered. And if it’s live music you’re after, make sure you head to The Black Box, an intimate space for up-and- coming bands.
cathedralquarterbelfast.com
dukeofyorkbelfast.com
blackboxbelfast.com
GETTING THERE & AROUND Airlines including Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly daily from most major UK airports to Belfast, while Stena Line runs daily ferry crossings from Cairnryan in Scotland and Liverpool Birkenhead. P&O Ferries also offers two-hour crossings between Cairnryan and the Port of Larne, north of Belfast.
ryanair.com
aerlingus.com
stenaline.co.uk poferries.com Average flight time: 1h. Central Belfast is easy to get around on foot. Belfast’s public bicycle scheme, Frank and Honest Belfast Bikes, has docking stations across the city — three-day passes start at £6. Translink is the city’s bus and train provider and fonaCAB is the preferred local taxi app, but Uber also operates. Local buses and trains within zones 1, 2 and 3 are included in the three-day £17 Belfast Visitor Pass, which includes discounts for some attractions.
belfastbikes.co.uk translink.co.uk fonacab.com
WHEN TO GO Northern Ireland is susceptible to rain all year round and Belfast is no exception; October and November see regular downpours. June, July and August are peak travel months, with average highs in the low 20Cs and music festivals in full swing. One of the best times to visit is during the shoulder season (April-May and September-October), when you can benefit from lower room rates.
WHERE TO STAY Room2 Belfast has studio apartments from £139 per night.
room2.com
MORE INFO
visitbelfast.com
discovernorthernireland.com
HOW TO DO IT EasyJet Holidays has a three-night break in May from £366 per person, including flights and accommodation in the Maldron Hotel.
easyjet.com
Bedford Street
Shankill Road
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Falls Road
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ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
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