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This handsome and elegant Victorian city boasts a clock tower looking very similar to Big Ben, but listing slightly to one side. The Albert Memorial Clock Tower is named after Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort. "His purity was too great, his aspiration too high for this poor, miserable world!" Victoria wrote after Albert's death.

Belfast has received a lot of bad press in recent years - yet the city itself is clean, pleasant, and extremely interesting - as well as safe. It is also now undergoing something of a major renaissance, as for years it has been the poor cousin to the "go-go" exuberant pace of Dublin in the south, but it is now emerging as a vibrant city and destination in its own right. It has great shopping, pubs and nightlife, and for visitors, some of the most helpful and friendly people in the world. As an example of the new Belfast `can do' mentality, the new Tesco's supermarket in the city is housed in a superb old Victorian building that has been beautifully and sympathetically restored, inside and out. It's a gem - and a lesson to all city planners worldwide. Statistically, Belfast is one of the safest cities in Europe, with one of the lowest crime rates.

It's also the place to access ancestor or family history records to trace your family tree at: PRONI, the Linen Hall Library or the Ulster Historical Foundation.

Click on the headings to find out more:

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast is located about a 5-minute cab ride from the centre of town. It is the official place of deposit for public records in Northern Ireland. PRONI hold millions of documents, which relate mainly but by no means exclusively, to Northern Ireland. Although records are incomplete, (the IRA blew it up in 1926), it still has records dating from 1219, with the main concentration of records covering the period 1600 to the present. It is the first port of call annually for tens of thousands of people researching their family history.

The records at PRONI fall into three general categories:

Records of government departments, which often date back to the early nineteenth century.
Records of courts of law, local authorities and other non-departmental public bodies.
Records deposited by private individuals, churches, businesses and institutions.

(See www.ancestortravel.com for assistance for family/genealogical research.)

Also a "must visit" for genealogy and family research is the Ulster Historical Foundation, a non profit making organisation that is one of the principal genealogical research agencies in the country. It's located in the centre of Belfast city at 12 College Square East, and the helpful staff assist over 3000 genealogical researchers every year. Also the Linen Hall library, (opposite the City Hall), is a great history/ genealogy research centre. (See www.ancestortravel.com for assistance for family/genealogical research.)

Lagan Weir, completed a few years ago, has put life back into the city's river, once polluted and choked. You can inspect it all from the Lagan Weir Lookout. You can even catch fish in the weir now. Not that you have to - restaurants are busy and food is excellent; residents are friendly and happy to chat.

The Europa Hotel in the centre of Belfast, once notorious as the most bombed hotel in Europe, now shows no traces of its numerous bombings. Each time a bomb went off, citizens worked hard to rebuild the hotel even better than before, as a matter of honour. Today it is a beautiful and elegant 4 star hotel.

Immediately opposite the Europa stands the Crown Liquor Saloon, one of the world's greatest pubs. Built in 1885 by an architecture student who brought back flamboyant ideas from Spain and Italy, the Crown is a riot of ornamentation. Tiles, stained glass, old gas lights, carved oak snugs resembling railway compartments, a griffin guarding the door, gunmetal plates for striking matches - you'll find them all. In the words of one local: "If you're buying a beer, buy two. By the time you've taken it all in, you'll need another."

Belfast is quite a new city in European terms. It was transformed by the Industrial Revolution and little trace remains of its history before that. It's not large, so a walking tour is possible without undue effort and well worth it!

Donegal Square is the city centre and the beginning of the lively entertainment and dining district know as the Golden Mile, which extends south to Queens University, a 15-minute walk away. The imposing City Hall, constructed in 1906 of Portland Stone, is distinguished by an ornate tower in each corner. Look out for the Titanic Memorial and a statue of Queen Victoria looking distinctly un-amused - her expression is quite alarmingly dour.

The Linen Hall Library in Donegal Square holds thousands of rare books. Its hushed, muted atmosphere dares you to speak above a whisper. Also worth seeking out are St Anne's Cathedral in Donegal Street (Protestant, consecrated in 1904 and known for its mosaics) and the Grand Opera House in Great Victoria Street (near the Europa Hotel). Don't miss The Entries, a labyrinth of alleyways between High Street and Ann Street. Great old pubs in here include White's Tavern, oldest in Belfast, a good place for lunch.

After an extensive refurbishment program, Belfast's famous St George's Market re-opened a year or two ago. The market, which attracts hundreds of traders and customers on Fridays, is looking better than ever. Using original drawings of St George's Market, Belfast City Council architects and surveyors recreated the look and atmosphere of the market 100 years ago. The market's glazed and Bangor Blue slated roof has been reinstated, gates have been refurbished and new market stalls have been set up.

A little further from the city centre, the Botanic Gardens in Stranmillis Road backs onto Queen's University, in red and yellow brick. Ulster Museum presents the city's past and Stormont, a majestic building erected originally to be Northern Ireland's Parliament, remains an impressive sight. Prehistoric remains can be seen on Cave Hill. Caves here are not natural - they were carved out during the Neolithic period). Belfast Castle nearby was built in 1870, very late for a castle.

Falls Road and Sandy Row, working class Catholic and Protestant enclaves respectively, are notable for their politically inspired murals (and for their incredibly heavily fortified police stations -which are all now in the process of being closed). A taxi from the city centre is the best way to see Falls Road, but you can walk to the Sandy Row area, as it's only a 5-minute walk from the centre of town. We would recommend however that you take a guided tour, as not only is it the best way to learn about the history of the Troubles, its also better for your peace of mind.

By the river, the dockland area has been transformed and is a mecca for fine restaurants, bars, nightclubs and boutique shopping.





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