Northern Ireland- Belfast

It is extremely popular to travel to Belfast these days. And totally understandable. It is the IT place to be! How ‘bout ye?

It has the perfect sized city center not to get totally lost whilst shopping uncontrollably.

It is clean, pretty, friendly, bursting with cool pubs, live music and good grub. Brilliant.

My friend is furthermore running a tight ship at the best bar in town, the Northern Lights. It is the best craic.

For years I have wanted to go to Ireland for an extended holiday. I have been to both Belfast and Dublin before but sadly only on short trips. I have been yearning to really explore especially Belfast and also the supposedly breathtaking coastline up north.

This summer I got the chance as my Irish friend Sinead invited me over. Initially for a cult Madness concert but as it turned out my friend had plans. We ended up enjoying both Belfast, the scenic north and Dublin. More on the two latter in other posts.

The Irish are free, friendly and untamed in the best ways possible. They are without compare the most hospitable people in the world. You will never feel more seen and welcome whether you are a guest or are waited on by someone of Irish descent- be it abroad or on the actual green island. And by the way it is really surrealistically green. To the point were it hurts your eyes. Anywho. Barhopping in Belfast is a must of course. Start off with checking out my friends place. You'll love it!

Another cool must-visit pub is Duke of York. It has a great history and although rebuilt in 1974 the old interior and vibes were kept in this institutions old style. Just imagine- the cult rock band Snow Patrol played their first gig in this very spot.

Yet another typical and cosy Belfast joint is The John Hewitt. It has such great atmosphere and casual style that you want to stay forever. The food is great and so is the service and the drinks. You can also get a real decent glas of wine here. I had the pleasure to met up with Jawbox Gin-founder Gerry White at his former work place for a wee chat about his fabulous gin. More on that topic in an exlusive article.

Other places not to miss in this port city is the sizzling St.Georges Market.

The Belfast Cathedral in the city center is a beautiful piece of architecture with spectacular interior.

Belfast is also the birthplace of the RMS Titanic. Imagine that. Due to this fact the city have dedicated over nine interactive galleries to the Titanic- with multi-dimensional exhibitions, scale reconstructions, and many interactive features inside this attraction called the Belfast Titanic experience.

Discover the tales of how Belfast fought for freedom throughout the years as you visit the freedom wall and the many graffiti covererd walls dividing the protestant west parts of Belfast from the citys catholic neighborhoods. Today the conflict has stabilized but, sadly, is yet to be resolved.