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Northern Ireland has it all - 5 highlights on the perfect holiday

Northern Ireland - Giant's Causeway - Travel
Northern Ireland is well worth a visit on holiday. The small country is full of great experiences.
 

Northern Ireland has it all - 5 highlights on the perfect holiday is written by Jens Skovgaard Andersen.

Northern Ireland - Carrickfergus Castle, Belfast - Travel

Northern Ireland: Wild history and wild stories

Ireland is a really exciting travel country with a really exciting history. And for most of history, Ireland has been a united island with a common people. In fact, it is what we know today as Northern Ireland only 100 years old.

The last 100 years in Ireland have been very eventful and there are some clear differences between the south and the north. But there are also many similarities. The special Irish culture and atmosphere are present on both sides of the otherwise invisible border and it makes really good sense to visit both countries on the trip to Ireland.

In Ireland, they really like to tell stories, and you should probably not always count on them being 100% historically correct - it's less important. The stories help to create a strong narrative about Ireland and the proud - and self-ironic - Irish people both before and after the division of the island.

If you start your journey in Dublin, then it's easy to go to Northern Ireland too. Belfast is only 2 hours to the north and there are plenty of boats buses and trains between the two capitals. Of course, you can also easily drive yourself, if travel around Ireland by car.

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Northern Ireland - Belfast, town hall - travel

Belfast and the riots

The capital of Northern Ireland Belfast, where Ireland meetings Great Britain, is in many ways a typical British city with both grandiose classic landmarks such as the city's large town hall, but also more aesthetically challenging neighborhoods. Belfast, however, is a quite cozy city that is manageable geographically.

To make the city easier to navigate, Belfast is divided into a number of neighborhoods, named after either well-known landmarks in the neighborhood or by those who live there. Between most neighborhoods, the transition from one neighborhood to another is not something you notice. But there are exceptions.

In western Belfast, one clearly notices that there are major political differences in a rather limited area. The modern history of Northern Ireland has been marked by the unrest known as The Troubles, and it is not something that is over yet.

Between the Protestant area around Shankill Road and the predominantly Irish-speaking and Catholic Gaeltacht district runs a high wall. It is called the Peace Wall, and it has the clear purpose of keeping the neighborhoods and residents separate. Something resembling an old-fashioned border crossing makes it possible to get from one side to the other, but the transition also makes it possible to close the wall if necessary.

The Peace Wall itself has become a major tourist attraction, and guests - both prominent and quite ordinary - from all over the world have written peace greetings on the wall. And new ones are added every day. The wall and the many political gable paintings, flags, graffiti and symbols can be visited on one guided taxi ride around the city, and we can highly recommend it.

In Shankill is also the Crumlin Road Gaol prison, which has housed many of those arrested during The Troubles. The prison has a dramatic story to tell and you can get on several different guided tours. And just calm down; you should probably be allowed to come out again eventually.

Northern Ireland - Belfast, Titanic Belfast - Travel

Downtown Belfast - street art, food art and shipbuilding art

In central Belfast you will find the Queen's neighborhoods, which are named after the university, the Cathedral, which is named after the cathedral, and the Titanic harbor district, which is not surprisingly named after the Titanic.

The world-famous luxury liner Titanic with its tragic history was built in Belfast. It was the pride of the city and Northern Ireland and in many ways still is. In the impressive museum Titanic Belfast you get the whole story of how Belfast evolved from a textile city to a shipbuilding city, and how in particular the construction of the Titanic and her sister ships really put the city on the other end.

It's an experience for all the senses you get in Titanic Belfast, and it's not without reason that the museum is famous worldwide. The violent shipwreck, of course, fills a part of the museum, but there is at least as much focus on what made the Titanic so famous and historic before the shipwreck. It is a great experience that settles in the heart long after the visit.

In the small streets of downtown Belfast especially in the Cathedral Quarter you will encounter lots of impressive street art and there is great variety in the themes. It is not only politics and religion that fill something in the street art of the city. It's definitely worth a walk if you're into street art at the truly artistic end of the scale.

In the Cathedral you will also find many small hip and cozy bars with live music most days. Some even still have cages around the front door and windows; a relic from The Troubles, where it was not unusual for bombs to be thrown in through the windows where many people had gathered.

In recent decades, Belfast has changed its image and is now as much known for its nightlife and culture as for its harsh history. Not least gastronomic culture have experienced a big boost in the city and you do not have to look long to find a really good restaurant. Even on weekdays, it is often fully booked, and that says a lot about what today's Belfast residents and tourists use the city for.

A few recommended restaurants from here are James ST, Coppi and Deane's Meat Locker and also Bert's Jazz Bar where you get good music for the food. Bon appetite!

Northern Ireland - Giant's Causeway - Travel

Excursions from Belfast - rolling countryside, castles and the Giant's Causeway

There is plenty to do in Belfast itself, but it is definitely worth exploring the surrounding area around the city. Belfast is located in County Antrim, which extends north and west with County Down to the south. These two counties are obvious to explore in.

In County Down is the fjord Strangford Lough, which together with the peninsula Ards east of the fjord is a fairly scenic area. Stop by one or more of the beautiful old mansions and castles, where you can both stroll in the cozy flower-adorned park on Mount Stewart and sniff the atmosphere of old days in the monastery ruins at Greyabbey House. There are plenty of stories in the old walls, and you can also spend the night or just eat a little when you are there anyway.

On the south side of Strangford just west of the town of the same name you can visit the castle Castle Ward, which has become more than commonly known from the TV series Game of Thrones. This is where the series' 'Winterfell' is located. You can both see the originals rentals and also try your hand at life in Winterfell with activities such as sword fighting, archery and ax throwing and experience the whole place on mountain bike. Perfect for the family with a penchant for Game of Thrones. More on the TV series in a bit.

The coast of Northern Ireland is packed with both cozy little coastal towns and large medieval castles. One of the first you meet on the way out of Belfast to the north is Carrickfergus. The impressive castle has played a major role in the history of Ireland. If you continue along the coast to the north there is plenty to look forward to.

North of Belfast the route starts Causeway Coastal Route. It runs all the way to the town of Derry / Londonderry in the north-west corner of Northern Ireland, but most visitors focus on the stretch near UNESCO landmarksn Giant's Causeway, which has given name to the route.

The entire coastline is a long attraction with dramatic landscapes, beautiful views Scotland on the other side of the water, cozy little coastal towns and not least well-known and lesser-known sights.

On the way you will pass Rathlin Island, the suspension bridge Carrick-a-Rede Bridge, the historic castle ruins Dunluce Castle on the edge of the cliffs and of course not least Giant's Causeway.

Giant's Causeway has rightly become one of the biggest draws in all of Ireland, and the tens of thousands of basalt columns create an almost surreal landscape that disappears from the green cliffs into the rushing water. Many tourists and guests come every day, but there is so much space on the stone pillars that it is to get the perfect picture anyway.

Set aside plenty of time for Giant's Causeway and listen to the really fine audio guide as you explore. For the curious young people in the family, it is worth setting aside time for the visitor center with the many activities that make it both educational and fun to learn more about how the very special landscape has emerged.

Game of Thrones everywhere

In these times, it is not to be missed by Game of Thrones when visiting Northern Ireland. Even if you are not 'thronie', as the most hardcore fans of the series are called, then you can easily explore the adventurous world that can be found all over the country.

The all-important attraction for thronies has just opened in the spring of 2022 and it is an absolute must. Game of Thrones Studio Tour in the original film studios in the town of Banbridge south of Belfast are packed with scenographies, props, costumes, movie tricks and secrets that are almost too much of a good thing. The interactive elements are fun to try, and otherwise it's just about letting yourself be sucked into the series' adventures.

In addition to being an excellent introduction to Game of Thrones, a visit can also be used to gain a deep understanding of film production in general. This Studio Tour is the only officially approved Game of Thrones exhibition, so remember to book your ticket in advance so as not to go in vain.

The rest of Northern Ireland is perfect for hunting for Game of Thrones locations. There is of course help to pick up with different maps of the recording locations, and there are arranged tours that make it all a little easier.

If you're a fan of the series, have a map ready when you travel around Northern Ireland, as there are plenty of locations to visit and they's usually marked with a blackboard telling you what's being filmed here and when in the series, you can see it. Quite useful.

One of the major film studios where the series is filmed is located right next to Titanic Belfast on the harbor. From here you can also take a stroll into the center of town, and on the way you will pass the many fine glass mosaics, which under the name Glass of Thrones were created to pay homage to the series. They are all different and each tells its own part of the epic tale.

If you travel around the country by car, you can also go looking for the beautifully carved wooden doors that have been donated to hotels, pubs and restaurants where the film crew and actors have stayed while filming for almost a decade.

Yes, there really are Game of Thrones everywhere in Northern Ireland.

See all about traveling in Ireland and Northern Ireland here

Northern Ireland - Trees, Game of Thrones - Travels

Get started on your Northern Ireland journey

As described, there are many reasons to take action Ireland og Northern Ireland on your next vacation. And there is almost no reason to wait. Feel free to start the journey in Dublin and get the Irish mood into the body from the start. If you yourself love the north from here, then you can consider making a stop in Banbridge on the way and seeing the great Game of Thrones exhibit. Then you avoid the 'detour' later.

A good tip from here is to give yourself plenty of time to also 'get a little stuck' on the road around Northern Ireland. It's easy to fall in spells over the stunning views of the cliffs to the north. Or falling into talk with the locals over one Guinness and forget the time. There has to be room for that - it's part of a trip to Ireland both in the south and in the north.

Another tip is to find one good local guide, which is full of great stories. Like robbery stories too. You get a lot more out of the journey that way, and it's the stories and those that tell them that make Ireland Ireland. Good trip to the green island.

RejsRejsRejs was partially invited by Tourism Northern Ireland - all attitudes and opinions are, as always, the editorial staff's own.

About the author

Jens Skovgaard Andersen, editor

Jens is a happy travel nerd who has traveled in over 60 countries from Kyrgyzstan and China to Australia and Albania. Jens is educated in China Studies, has lived in China for 1½ years and is a member of the Travel Club. He has extensive experience with the travel world as a tour guide, lecturer, advisor, author and photographer. And of course most important of all: As a traveler. Jens often goes to places where it is also possible to watch a good football match in the company of other incarnated fans and has a special fondness for Boldklubben FREM, where he sits on the board. For most people it is obvious to look up to Jens (he is barely two meters tall), and then he is a 14-time champion in the TV quiz Jeopardy and still single, so if you can not find him out in the world or on a football stadium, you can probably find him out touring in the Copenhagen quiz environment.

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