Titanic Belfast Experience. Copyright Gretta Schifano
I’m taking part in a European City Carnival with a group of fellow bloggers. Each of us is highlighting a different European city which we’ve enjoyed visiting with our families. We’re each creating a post about our chosen city, and linking up with each other’s posts. I’m writing about Belfast, which I visited last summer with my daughter, who was 17 at the time.
Top things to do in Belfast with teenagers
We both really enjoyed our short break in Northern Ireland, especially the time which we spent in the capital, Belfast. These are our Belfast highlights.
Titanic Experience
This is Belfast’s most popular visitor attraction, and deservedly so. The exhibition is in a building at the docks where the famous ship was built. More than 1500 people died when the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage, and this immersive exhibition tells the story of the ship and its crew and passengers.
Bus tour
If you don’t have much time in a new city, a bus tour is a great way to get an overview. We enjoyed our trip on a City Sightseeing Bus, and would definitely recommend it. The local guide explained some of the city’s history as we went along, and we stopped at various points along the way, including at the Stormont parliament building, the political murals on Shanklin Road and Falls Road, and the Peace Wall which divides Catholic and Protestant areas of the city.
Cathedral Quarter
This is a beautiful historical area to explore on foot in the city centre. We enjoyed seeing the quirky street art, especially around the Duke of York pub.
Street art, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast. Copyright Gretta Schifano
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
This fascinating museum is outside the city centre, but worth a visit if you have time. The Folk Museum section houses a collection of historical Ulster buildings which have been rescued and recreated here. There’s a variety of buildings on display, including a school house, a sweet shop and some farm cottages, and you can go inside them to explore. The Transport Museum part has a wide range of historical exhibits, including steam trains, horse-drawn carriages and vintage cars.
The Culloden
We were lucky enough to stay at one of Northern Ireland’s top hotels on our trip, as I’d been invited to review the five-star Culloden Estate and Spa. It was all very luxurious and relaxing, in a traditional country house kind of way, and I loved the hotel’s scenic location above Belfast Lough.
Steps, Culloden Estate & Spa, Northern Ireland. Copyright Gretta Schifano
More on Northern Ireland
If you’d like to know more about our trip to Northern Ireland, you can read these posts:
Luxury at the Culloden, Belfast
Slieve Donard Resort & Spa review
Six great things to do in Belfast with kids
European City Blog Carnival
Do pop over to read these European city posts by some of my fellow bloggers.
Bruges and Brussels, Belgium
Berlin and Munich, Germany
Reykyavik, Iceland
Bologna and Rome, Italy
Funchal, Madeira
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Oslo, Norway
Barcelona and Benidorm, Spain
Liverpool and London, UK
Over to you
Which is your favourite European city for a family trip? Have any of these posts inspired you to visit somewhere new?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you clicked through and booked I may receive a small commission. All opinions, images and words are my own, as ever.
Oh, wow! The places you went to are my travel destination dreams. Our family makes a trip once a year. Our plan is to go to places where culture is rich and sites are historical. Somewhere where our spirits will be renewed. Old cities, museums, castles and temples. I believe traveling lifts the spirit and soul. My teens imbibe it from me and would definitely pick Cambodia over Singapore.
It sounds like you and your family have some great trips Dawn.
I’d really like to visit the Ulster Folk Museum. That sounds like a real hands-on experience. Thanks for including my post!
Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) recently posted…Top museums for families in Oslo, Norway