Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital and largest city, sits on the threshold of the River Lagan and is surrounded by low-lying hills. It is a natural location for maritime trade, one of the industries that made Belfast famous. After Dublin, Belfast is the second largest city in all of Ireland, with a population of 278,000 in 2001.

The name “Belfast” comes from the Irish term Beal Feirste or “mouth of the Farset” in reference to the river on which the city was built. (The word “fierste” comes from the word “fearsaid” or “a spindle”.) Over time, the River Lagan has come to be regarded as a more vital river than the River Farset, especially as the Farset now flows under the High Street in virtual darkness. Bridge Street, as its name suggests, indicates the location of the original bridge that spanned the Farset River.

Belfast rose to fame as a commercial and industrial center during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Behind industries such as linen, tobacco, rope manufacturing, and shipbuilding, Belfast became the most industrialized city in Ireland during this time.

In terms of tourism, Belfast is a unique city known as the precise place where the United Kingdom meets Ireland, but completely different from any other area that both countries have to offer. Belfast was recently selected as the fourth best city in the UK for a city break in the Guardian/Observer Travel Awards.

Belfast is a city bustling with activity and exudes an air of cautious optimism as new hotels, shops, bars, clubs and restaurants open all the time. There is also a rich sense of history in the city, especially in the historic buildings that hint at the city’s rich Victorian and Edwardian heritage. Compared to Dublin, Belfast is widely regarded as a significantly less expensive and more rewarding tourist destination.

Belfast is also a great place to explore, despite its widely criticized town planning and long history of armed conflict. Ironically, this story of conflict lends an ever-present air of danger and excitement to the city and a general feeling that something might happen. Locals like to say that their city is a prime example of how ethnic conflict should be handled anywhere in the world and boast that one can see deeper into the British and Irish psyche by going to Belfast than by visiting Buckingham Palace. or an Irish pub in Dublin. . In this way, Belfast is a place like no other and has something to offer that Dublin, Galway or Bristol cannot.

According to the recent United Nations International Crime Victimization Study, Belfast is not as dangerous a city as its reputation might suggest. The study indicates that Northern Ireland is second only to Japan in terms of having the lowest crime rates in the industrialized and developed world. Apparently, most of the incidents involve locals against each other, with tourists largely left out of the incidents. Of course, it pays to be careful wherever you are and to be aware of your surroundings.

Belfast residents are avid restaurant goers, perhaps trying to make up for lost time after years of not even daring to venture outside their own districts. There are many small fine restaurants throughout Belfast. A rather strange source of local pride is the fact that the ill-fated RMS Titanic was built in Belfast (apart from hundreds of other ships that didn’t sink, of course). In fact, visitors can take a boat tour of the area where the Titanic was built.

One of the most popular places in the city is the area between City Hall and Queens University, Belfast’s main university, as it is full of major bars and clubs. It’s generally safe, except on Friday and Saturday nights, when young revelers gather there after closing time and fights and minor fights regularly break out. For weekend trips here, be sure to arrange your own transportation as taxis are very hard to find.

As a general rule, tourists should avoid making overtly political statements when in Belfast, unless they trust the company they are with. Certain sports shirts should also be avoided, mainly those of the Rangers or Celtic teams of the Scottish football league. The same goes for English football shirts and Irish rugby shirts. If you’re lost and don’t know where to go, it’s better to ask for directions than to wander aimlessly with your directional map. Most people in Belfast are very hospitable and helpful.

Tourists can visit Belfast at any time of the year, but perhaps the best time to visit is from April to June or September, when the weather is better, the crowds are thinner than usual and the main attractions are still open. The average temperature remains at a relatively moderate level of 10 °C (50 °F) throughout the year.