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Belfast City Walk

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hagnel2
hagnel2
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5 out of 5
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Sunday Walk Around Belfast

  • November 12, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by hagnel2 from Hamilton, Ontario
Sunday Walk Around Belfast

We started out this walk beneath gentle raindrops, I am pleased to say they remained gentle for much of our walk and finally cleared in time for our city bus tour ”a soft day” indeed.

Leafy Donegal square is the hub of the city and its anchor is the Victorian City Hall. The hall was built between 1896 and 1906 of Portland stone and interiors of marble. Set around a central park like area the building is topped by a large copper dome. Public tours are permitted on weekdays. We wandered around the grounds and statues and I recognized Victoria but others were not so familiar. On the east side there is a wonderful group sculpture commemorating the victims of the Titanic.

Next landmark on our list was Saint Malachy’s Roman Catholic Church.

We exited the city hall grounds at the main exit gate, turned left along Donegal square South, at the corner we crossed into May Street, walked a short time then turned right into Alfred Street to reach St Malachy’s on the left. We didn’t enter the church because of Sunday mass but its ornate facade was worth the short walk. The church was built in 1844 in Gothic style, dark red brickwork and slender elaborate turrets. The interior ceiling is reported to be a copy of Henry the seventh chapel in Westminster Abbey.

From St Malachy’s we walked forward into Clarence Street and to the Crown Liquor Saloon on Great Victoria Street. It is perhaps a good idea to time the walk so that this former gin palace will be open, but if you plan to eat lunch make a reservation. Check out the Italian ceramics covering the exterior and prepare to be stunned when you enter.

Across the street from the Crown is the very modern glass and brick Europa Hotel and beside it the Splendid Opera house. This ornate building re-opened in October 2006 after a nine million pound refurbishment. I loved its candy floss pink and white facade.

Continue past the Opera House then turn right into Howard Street and return to Donegal Square. That part of the walk took around an hour not including the stop for lunch.

The Belfast Welcome Center in the square was our next stop, we booked our City Sightseeing Belfast bus tour and I used the Internet. Sightseeing Belfast offers many tours one of them to the Giants Causeway. That tour leaves daily year round 9:30am returning to the city at 6:30pm.

We enjoyed our day in Belfast but I regret we didn’t see the Botanic Gardens, it was a wet day and following our bus tour was walked around the Northern area of the city to St Anne’s Cathedral in the aptly named cathedral quarter. Work on the church took 80 years and seven architects to complete. One day was not nearly enough time we certainly plan to return.

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