Belfast in two days, how to get to the center from the airport and what are the walking routes to follow to see the city in an economical way: Titanic Trail, City of Merchants Trail and Lagan Maritime Trail.
Since September 2016, Ryanair has finally placed the flights to Belfast and so, as a lover ofIreland, I decided to take advantage immediately to book a few days in the Northern Irish capital at the end of December.
As soon as you arrive at the airport, the fastest and cheapest way to reach the center is to take the bus "Airport Express 300”Just outside the terminal that reaches the center in 30/40 minutes for the price of 7,50 £ (or 10,50 £ if you buy a return ticket). The most central stop is the one on Royal Avenue, then of course it depends on where you have the hotel.
Belfast is a fairly small capital as well in two days in my opinion you can see a lot of things. Let's start from the center, at the bottom of the Royal avenue (the main street), in Donegall Square is the famous City Hall, a very beautiful historic building in Renaissance style that can also be visited inside with a free guided tour of about 45 minutes. Staying in the area, if you want to do some shopping you can go down Royal Avenue, there you can really indulge yourself. In the area behind the City Hall (therefore on the opposite side from Royal Avenue) there is the most famous pub in Belfast, the Crown Liquor Saloon, a photo in front of its beautiful façade is a ritual and obviously while you are there a pint cannot be missing, as long as you find a place.
A tip I give you to walk around the city seeing as many things as possible but without getting lost or wandering around is to go to the tourist center right in front of the City Hall and get a map of the city; there you will find three routes to do on foot that will allow you to see the most important things; each path has a different color (I personally walked the yellow and green) and along each "trail" there are signs with the color and the relative name that indicate the direction to follow.
Yellow path, Titanic Trail
It starts from City Hall, passing by the Albert Clock to arrive at Titanic museum with a walk along the Lagan River. I entered and I must say that I was satisfied, it is a multimedia museum that tells the story of the famous transatlantic in various ways, from its construction to the tragic ending. Admission costs £ 17,50 and the unguided tour takes around 1 hours.
Green trail, City of Merchants Trail
It starts from City Hall and then enters some alleys, the so-called entries (very well known in Belfast), passes through Victoria Square where there is a shopping center surmounted by a glass dome (since it is visible from various parts of the city I used as a reference point), the Belfast Waterfront, up to the Big Fish, a modern statue in the shape of a fish found on the riverside.
Blue route, Lagan Maritime Trail
The shortest and the initial part is along the green path. Belfast, however, as many know, is also and above all famous for its republican and liberal murals and therefore a visit to those too is a must. The murals are located in the peripheral area; it is possible to reach them and turn them on foot or through the famous ones black taxi. I did it on foot but honestly I do not recommend it because it is a long way and doing it all can be tiring; I would go back in a black taxi, comfortably seated with the driver who explains everything to me by stopping in front of all the most famous and important murals. The taxi tour should take around an hour and cost around £ 30 (price for two). If you decide to do it on foot the streets to reach and then walk are Falls Road (the most famous and visited) and Shankill Road.
In conclusion I was happy to have visited Belfast, it is a very nice city, quiet and pleasant to go around and visit, still not too touristy. I really liked the meeting of different styles, from modern to Victorian to Renaissance to classical; I highly recommend it.
