Belfast Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Belfast

For over a century, the political situation of Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, has been the source of strife, first between the Crown-loyal Protestants and Irish Catholics, and more recently between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Sitting on the banks of the River Lagan where it meets the Irish Sea, the city owes its name to this coastal condition, with "Belfast" derived from the Irish phrase “Beal Feirste” which means “Mouth of the Sand-bank Ford.”

Belfast was established as a town in 1613 and was mainly settled by the English and Manx Anglicans. Later, they were joined by Scottish Presbyterians and French Huguenot refugees, who introduced the production of linen, an industry that carried Belfast trade to the Americas.

In the 19th century Belfast rapidly evolved from a market town to a major industrial port, and was eventually granted a city status by Queen Victoria in 1888. The plentiful supply of cheap Catholic labor from outlying rural districts helped attract the English and Scottish settlers to the city. While the investment they brought was welcomed, the rich newcomers were Protestants, which was also the cause of insecurity and had helped trigger deadly sectarian riots between the Catholic and Protestant populations in 1864 and 1886.

In 1920–21, as the two parts of Ireland drew apart, Belfast suffered greatly during the violence accompanied that partition, as well as during the more recent conflict, known as the Troubles, from the late 1960s to 1998. Although heavily bombed during World War II and despite various episodes of sectarian conflict, Belfast has retained much of its historical heritage: 19th- & 20th-century architecture, beautiful landscapes, and more. There are plenty of spots in the city for tourists to marvel at, including:

Belfast City Hall – finished in 1906 in the Edwardian style which later influenced the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta, India, and Durban City Hall in South Africa.

Crown Liquor Saloon – internationally famous as the setting for the classic film, Odd Man Out, starring James Mason. The restaurant panels in the Crown Bar were originally made for Britannic, the sister ship of Titanic, built in Belfast.

Grand Opera House – completed in 1895 and bombed several times during the Troubles; now restored to its former glory and oriental theme.

Belfast Cathedral – aka St Anne's Cathedral, unusual in serving two separate dioceses.

For a closer acquaintance with these and other grand attractions of Belfast, take this self-guided introductory tour.