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Belfast has emerged from its troubled past, transformed into a friendly city with a strong maritime history and an abundance of things to see and do for a long weekend. Voted ‘Best place to visit’ by Lonely Planet in 2018, Belfast has proved its worth for any destination bucket list.

This was my first visit to Northern Ireland and Belfast was a great place to start. It is an extremely accessible destination with short flight times from across the UK. There is even a Stena Line ferry service from where I live in Wirral, near Liverpool. Did I take it? Eight hours on the Irish Sea versus a 40-minute flight from Liverpool, I think not. Belfast provided the ideal short break, allowing me to me focus on enjoying what the city had to offer.

Belfast is made up of five quarters and this In Your Pocket guide provides a good overview for navigating through them. The Cathedral Quarter is in the city centre and home to many of the restaurants and bars, as well as St Anne’s Cathedral.

1. The Titanic Experience

I began in the Titanic Quarter, on the other side of the River Lagan from the city centre.

Living most of my life on a peninsula close to Liverpool, I felt an affinity with this waterfront city. Both Liverpool and Belfast have White Star Line connections. Liverpool was home to the headquarters for this shipping company and where Titanic was registered. Belfast is home to the Harland & Wolff shipyard, where the fateful ship was built. I’m not sure if I should admit that I was in love with the 1997 film with Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet, and could largely recite the script. Leaving that impressionable age behind me, I was still really looking forward to visiting Titanic Belfast.

The building itself is star-shaped, echoing the White Star Line logo. My own interpretation was that it was reminiscent of an iceberg, dramatically cutting through the air and its surroundings. The visitor experience inside takes you on a voyage through nine interactive exhibits and immerses you in the story of the RMS Titanic.

Don’t miss out on the Titanic Hotel next door, formerly the Harland & Wolff headquarters. It is an attraction in itself but doesn’t feature in many tourism hotspot guides, apart from as a hotel. The building fell into disrepair in 1989 after Harland & Wolff vacated it, and was only restored in 2016, the process of which is shown through photographs within the building.

You can access what were previously the drawing offices, now a bar and a function suite. This was where hundreds of ships, including Titanic, were designed. These long rooms with high vaulted ceilings are flooded with light during the daytime, creating the perfect space for drawing. It seems unfathomable to me that despite these vast drawing offices and all the skill, labour and investment that went into Titanic, it was design flaws along with material failures that contributed to the rapid sinking of the ship and the loss of so many lives.

I found this poster encouraging wives to keep a watchful eye over their husband’s stress levels, and telling them that they ‘must’ book a winter cruise with Red or White Star line for rest and relaxation.

2. Afternoon Tea at Titanic

Both the hotel and the Titanic Belfast offer afternoon tea. I couldn’t resist the latter for its replica of that famous staircase from the ship, providing the setting. It only takes place on Sundays so be sure to book ahead. There is a selection of teas to choose from and the cakes and sandwiches did not disappoint but the ‘Titanic Clanger stole the show (best described as an upgraded sausage roll). The White Star Line logo on the crockery and menus all added to the experience, with photo opportunities on the staircase being taken advantage of.

3. Murals & Street Art

If you like street art and murals then you will like Belfast. The ‘Yellow Umbrella Passage’ off Commercial Court in the Cathedral Quarter, should be top of your list. The entrance is closed most of the day but if you go into The Dark Horse – a coffee bar a next door, where if you buy something, they will let you have a look. The courtyard at the back is packed full of bold and colourful murals featuring political, historical, maritime and cultural references, as well as Belfast’s own, George Best, arguably one of the best footballers of all time. I wondered why the umbrellas weren’t yellow but it was revealed that the umbrellas and murals are regularly modified as part of an evolving story.

‘The Big Fish’ by John Kindness celebrates the return of fish to the River Lagan and refers to an Irish myth called ‘The Salmon of Knowledge’. This was about a fish called Fintan and versions of the story differ on whether Fintan was a common fish or an immortal who could be eaten and yet continue to live. The story tells of a salmon who consumed nine hazelnuts, which gave him all the world’s knowledge and those that ate his flesh would in turn gain knowledge. Perhaps it is fortuitous then, that I love both salmon and hazelnuts.

4. The Architecture

The Parliament Buildings at Stormont appear with all the superiority of a palace, with the long path uphill leading to this white Greek classical building surrounded by the grounds of the Stormont Estate. It is only one building but as it was planned to be more than one, ‘Buildings’ was kept in its title.

Stormont is open Monday to Friday, free to visit and has free guided tours twice daily. During our tour we discovered that on the lead up to World War II the building was covered in a bitumen and manure mixture so that it would become invisible at night. It successfully avoided being bombed.

The Parliament Buildings are home to the Northern Ireland Assembly, however, astonishingly when I visited (January 2019) Northern Ireland had been without a government since January 2017. This was due to unresolved disagreements between Sinn Fein and the DUP parties. In Northern Ireland Unionists and Nationalists must share power as The Northern Ireland Executive, and therefore, one cannot exist without the backing of the other. With Brexit on the horizon, parties were undoubtedly biding their time to see the outcome of a deal or no deal, and the possibility of a closed border with the Republic of Ireland.

Belfast City Hall is the focal point for Donegall Square. This Baroque Revival building offers three guided tours per day, during which you explore the grand and ornate interior while learning about the history of the City Hall and its current civic functions. The ground floor includes a visitor exhibition displaying a journey through the city’s history.

Victoria Square Shopping Centre

The Victoria Square Shopping Centre has an added feature to set it apart from others, which is its glass dome offering 360-degree views of the city.

5. CS Lewis Square

Slightly out of the city centre is an urban park commemorating the author CS Lewis, who was born in Belfast. You will encounter various characters from the Chronicles of Narnia novels as bronze sculptures along a trail.

The trail leads to a visitor centre with interpretative panels on the man himself along with other famous faces and the wider significance of Belfast. Read these at your leisure with a coffee in this relaxing space.

6. The Food & Drink Scene

Made in Belfast has three restaurants in Belfast with a fourth soon to open. I opted for lunch at its Cathedral Quarter base. The eclectic interior creates a very pleasant setting in which to enjoy a bite, and the food is ethically sourced. If you look more closely you will realise the artwork on the walls is created in marker pen.

Another recommendation in the Cathedral Quarter is the slightly more formal Italian restaurant, Coppi. I chose the flavourful and satisfying gnocchi with venison, but the cicchetti (Italian tapas) piqued my interest for a return visit.

Weekends are the best time to visit St George’s Market because there are more stalls and live music. A wide selection of arts and crafts, food and drink and local produce can be found. Once you’ve chosen your lunch, enjoy it while listening to a local band.

I look forward to visiting Belfast again to experience more of the craic and to explore The Giants Causeway.

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Useful tips

• Return flights: Liverpool to Belfast in January with Easyjet @£43.
• Express bus (300) goes regularly from Belfast International Airport to the Europa Bus Centre in the city. Return ticket @£11,
• Belfast is a largely walkable city but it has a good bus system with day tickets for £4.
• Visit Belfast Tourist Information Centre can be found in Donegall Square. Open Mon-Sat: 9am – 5.30pm (7pm in summer) & Sun: 11am – 4pm.
• Hire a car if exploring outside Belfast for a few days or more. There are organised coach trips but be aware that they can last all day and include places you might not choose on the itinerary. If you can bear the ferry crossing, you could bring your own car.
• Bringing a waterproof is likely to be a good idea all year-round in Ireland but in winter dress warmly. For the rest of the year, layer up for changes in weather.
• Allow 2.5 to 3 hours for your visit to Titanic Belfast. Adult tickets are £18.50, including entrance to the SS Nomadic, berthed around the corner. This is the only remaining White Star Line vessel and was a tender ship for Titanic, as well possessing a much longer history, including serving in both world wars.