Where walls reflect historyBelfast

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Words // Reem Khokhar

Giant castles, bustling weekend markets and raucous pubs, home to the most famous television show in the world and the most famous ship that was,

Belfast is fierce and fascinating

rom the murals and graffiti splashed across the walls of the city; to Samson and Goliath, the towering yellow cranes dominating the skyline; to the gleaming Titanic Belfast; the rich, productive and absorbing history of the city is visible everywhere. The sea and docks dominating the shoreline lend Belfast a feeling of openness and space, though the city itself is comfortably compact, easy to navigate on foot.

RemembeRing TiTanicThe city’s association with the most famous ship in the world – the Titanic – is one of the reasons it is renowned world-over. Testament to the eternal lure of this ill-fated liner, the Titanic Belfast was voted the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction in 2016. Over the course of nine galleries with a range of exhibits, rides, multimedia and interactive displays, the story of not just the Titanic, but the

Fcity of Belfast and its people are explored. The introductory gallery focuses on the city as an industrial hub where flourishing industries like linen production and ship building dominated the economic landscape. The journey continues into the world of Harland and Wolff, the company renowned for being Shipbuilders to the World (the title of their published official history), and the creators of the Olympic-class trio of liners – RMS Olympic, RMS Titanic and RMS Britannic. Some of the highlights include a ride that dips and bobs through special effects and a reconstruction of a shipyard in the 1900s. Further galleries take visitors through the frenzy around the launch of The Titanic and a reconstruction of the ship’s opulent interiors. It is difficult to not get swept away in the tragedy that follows, unfolding through displays of the last messages sent out to neighbouring ships to come to

Top: The Titanic Belfast monument was built as a tribute to the city’s maritime heritage; Above: The Big Fish, a ceramic mosaic sculpture in Belfast’s Donegall Quay

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pitstop

its rescue (Titanic to Carpathia: ‘Come as quickly as possible old man’. ‘The engine room is filling up to the boilers’.); accounts of passengers like Ida Strauss who almost entered a lifeboat, but then decided to stay back with her husband, Isidor, to spend their last moments together; and the shocked survivors being rescued by the Carpathia and arriving in New York to a media frenzy. It’s an absorbing and riveting exhibit, all the way across to the discovery of the wreckage and a view of the outlines of the ships in the ground, lit up in blue in the dark.

a visiT To The pasTAmid the bustling pubs and restaurants, and exciting arts and cultural scene, is evidence of the area’s history and culture. If they could talk, then Belfast’s walls certainly have a story to tell. There are reportedly over 2,000 murals across the city. Most of them are political, but non-political artwork like images dedicated to the linen industry, the Titanic, and Northern Irish footballer, George Best can also be seen. Visitors can learn more about the region’s history through dedicated tours to explore the artwork around the city and the peace lines – walls originally built to segregate the Unionist and Nationalist neighbourhoods. There are 48 peace lines running over 21 miles in Northern Ireland, most of them in Belfast, though there are discussions around taking down the walls in a few years.

Literary Inspirations

A series of hills flank the northwestern side of Belfast, including Cavehill which is believed to have inspired author Jonathan

Swift’s sleeping giant in his novel Gulliver’s Travels.

Tales From Another Century

The Giant’s Ring, in Belfast, is a 5,000 year old henge monument from

the Neolothic era (when stone was extensively used) making it older than

even the Pyramids at Giza.

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aRound The ciTy A bus or taxi tour imparts a unique flavour to the city. Some notable stops include St. George’s Market, an award-winning attraction with weekends being the best time to visit. Housed within a Victorian building, one can look for fresh produce, trinkets and souvenirs, live music and a range of specialty food.

Another stop is C.S. Lewis Square where bronze sculptures of characters and objects from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, including Aslan, Mr Tumnus, and the Stone Table, are on display.

The Titanic Studios, used for the filming of HBO’s Game of Thrones (GoT), though not open for visitors, can be seen from outside. Enthusiasts of the show can take GoT tours that start in Belfast and include spots like Cushendun Caves where the Sorceress Melisandre gives birth to a dark spirit; one of Northern Ireland’s most photographed settings – the Dark Hedges, a long road clustered by gnarled beech trees; and Tollymore Forest where the Stark children find the direwolf pups.

coasTal geTawayAnother popular day trip from Belfast is along the stunning coastal route to The Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The drive takes in sweeping views of the Northern Irish coastline, meandering through quaint fishing villages and serene towns. Carrick-a-Rede-Rope Bridge, originally built by fishermen to check on their nets, along the way is worth a stop. It hangs above a 30m wide and 20m deep chasm over the roaring sea with spectacular views and the strong winds giving visitors a good wobble as they cross.

Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC)Visit MAC, Belfast’s award winning culture and arts hub at Cathedral Quarter for an entirely different visual experience. Here you will find an eclectic array of displays from the world of music, theatre, films and art.

Gastronomic Tours As the old Irish proverb goes, ‘Laughter is brightest, where food is the best’. The Irish are hearty foodies and their food and wine tours are very popular with tourists. So opt for one and get to know the city through its food trails.

MIssNot to

The Carrick-a-Rede-Rope Bridge hangs above a 30m wide and 20m deep chasm over the roaring sea with

spectacular views

Giant’s Causeway Trail, a UNESCO world heritage site

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The Giant’s Causeway is remarkable, deserving of a long wander along the intriguing polygonal basalt columns that form a rough pathway into the sea. Both the scientific and mythological explanations of its origins are captivating. The former describes the natural formation as a result of an ancient volcanic eruption, while the latter tells the tale of the causeway being built by a giant, Fionn Mac Cumhaill, affectionately referred to as Finn MacCool. Challenged to a fight

by a Scottish giant, Benandonner, Finn built the pathway across the sea so that they could meet. While leaving the area, the haunting ruins of Dunluce Castle appear atop a cliff. The castle was built in the 13th century and a part of it plunged into the sea below, the broken remains forming a poetic and eerie setting atop the lonely cliff.

an evening in The ciTyIn Belfast, pub hopping through areas like Catherine Quarter is a great way

You can fly to Belfast with Vistara’s codeshare partner British Airways and interline partners Emirates, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Qatar

Airways and Virgin Atlantic. You can also

avail the through check-in facility on any of

these airlines.

to spend the evening. There is no dearth of spots with flowing beer, sticky floors and lively music. Whether quirky Muriel’s Bar, known for its gin loving, cocktail swirling patrons; The Dirty Onion or The Thirsty Goat, which are packed to the brim and have live performances; or nightclubs like China White, where you can dance the night away, the nightlife options are amazing. Jostling around with a glass in hand, feet thumping to a local band belting out U2 and Florence and the Machine, and having a stranger spill their drink on you, mark a successful night out here!

There is much more to Belfast, than just the Titanic connect, including natural beauty, industrial and literary heritage, and a cultural vibrancy which make for an absorbing visit.

In Belfast, pub hopping at Catherine Quarter is a great way to spend the evening. There is no dearth

of spots with flowing beer and lively music