Belfast may well be synonymous with a certain giant ship - but there’s no danger of getting any sinking feelings upon visiting this multi-layered city.
Of course, it’s hard to look past the impressive Titanic Belfast building when visiting Northern Ireland’s capital — previously named the world’s leading tourist attraction, it is simply a must-see.
The centre reopened its doors earlier this year following a multi-million-euro investment which includes four new themed galleries — Never Again, Ballard’s Quest, The Ship of Dreams and The Lasting Legacy.
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The galleries feature a mix of exhibits, immersive technology and fascinating stories of the people involved in making the doomed liner, as well as its passengers.
I was travelling with my wife and our two children aged 6 and 9 and there is plenty to keep the younger ones entertained too — a particular highlight for them was the Shipyard Ride which takes you on a rollercoaster journey through the ship’s interior.
Another X factor moment comes near the end of your tour, when you come face-to-face with an illuminated scale model of the Titanic which hangs from the ceiling and fully rotates.
In the same room, exhibits include an original deckchair and violin from the liner — responsible for the well-known phrases “like rearranging (the) deckchairs on the Titanic” as well as “And the band played on...”, the latter referencing the ship’s orchestra famously continuing to play as the vessel sank into the icy waters.
And no visit would be complete without recreating Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet’s romantic pose on the ship’s bow from the Titanic movie or else his ‘I’m the king of the world’ moment — there is a spot set up especially for this Instagram-friendly pose.
Your ticket for Titanic Belfast also gives you access to the SS Nomadic — the last remaining White Star Line ship in the world — which rests just outside the centre and is well worth a visit to ensure you really do have your sea legs.
The nearby HMS Caroline — the only surviving ship from the 1916 Battle of Jutland — has also reopened in recent months after it was closed down due to the pandemic.
And speaking of openings, one of Belfast’s latest attractions, Titanic Distillers, is now going full steam ahead.
Located in the Pumphouse in the heart of the Maritime Mile — where the Titanic last rested on dry ground — it’s a gleaming combination of the old and new and is the city’s first working whiskey distillery in almost 90 years.
Tours are available with great insights into the building’s rich history and of course you can indulge in tasting the finished product too! They do vodka as well as whiskey and we ended up taking a bottle of the latter home.
While my kids weren’t as interested in the whiskey as I was, they were in for a treat too with a visit to W5 at the SSE Arena.
A firm favourite with families on both side of the border — parents on the school run were always asking about W5 when they heard we were visiting Belfast — the destination has had a major revamp after a significant investment.
What is great about W5 is that it engages both children’s physical and cerebral sides.
For the former there is a fantastic Lost Planet soft play area — not that I can vouch for having tested it personally, but fantastic for giving us the chance to sit down and have a coffee while the kids ran and climbed to their hearts’ content.
Once all that steam has been let off, there are two floors of diverse exhibits to explore with something to capture every child’s imagination.
The exhibits range from nature to the human body to film, TV and music — learning how to create your own little stop-motion movie was a particular highlight.
In fact, in W5 — and furthermore in Belfast itself — there is so much to see that it is very hard to cram it all into one visit, which means that we are already planning our return to see what other treasures we can discover.
FACT FILE
HOW TO GET THERE: Belfast is just two hours from Dublin by car but you can also catch the Enterprise train.
WHERE TO STAY: The Grand Central is an ideal base to explore the city, with spacious and stylish family rooms and a hard-to-beat breakfast buffet. If it’s good enough for President Biden... A standard double room with two people sharing starts from £260.
WHERE TO EAT: Home restaurant is a foodie’s haven with plenty of choice for those on a plant-based diet. Fratelli is a family favourite with classic Italian dishes. And Drawing Office Two at the Titanic Hotel — in the former HQ of Harland and Wolff — is a unique spot for all-day dining.
For more inspiration on Belfast, see Discover Northern Ireland
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