Belfast surprised us, as it seems to surprise most people who visit for the first time. The city has an energy and a confidence that’s hard to square with its troubled recent history, and the Cathedral Quarter in particular has become a genuinely excellent destination — good bars, good food, good street art, and the kind of lived-in Victorian architecture that makes you want to look up at the buildings as you walk.
The Crown Liquor Saloon on Great Victoria Street is a mandatory stop — a Victorian gin palace with ornate tiled walls, carved wooden snugs, and gas lighting that’s been under the care of the National Trust since 1978. It’s the most photographed pub in Ireland, probably, and for good reason. The Guinness is well kept and there’s something about drinking it there that feels entirely appropriate.
The Titanic Quarter and the Titanic Belfast museum are worth half a day each on their own. The building is architecturally distinctive — its faceted aluminium exterior is meant to evoke the prow of a ship — and the exhibition inside is more affecting than you might expect. The dry dock where the Titanic was fitted out is preserved and walkable, giving a proper sense of the ship’s scale. Belfast is, without question, worth more than a work trip.