Belfast was a successful Victorian city that prospered from trading a number of different goods. Most notably, it had a large shipbuilding industry and, it was here in the Belfast Shipyard that the Titanic was built. There are many buildings worth seeing that remain from this period, especially in the city centre where they have been converted into hotels and trendy bars and restaurants.

Although shipbuilding has greatly decreased, the docklands area is dominated by the huge cranes that can be seen for miles around. Tourism is now on the increase and the government is investing heavily to boost the city’s popularity. New hotels, offices and attractions are springing up in each of Belfast’s districts, and visitors are exploring areas that would have been off limits several years ago.

Among the city's most popular sights are the 19th century Belfast Castle, the historic Stormont Parliament Buildings, and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. The Botanical Gardens contains some tropical flora and fauna and makes for a pleasant place to relax and escape the city life. Most of the shipyards have been redeveloped for residential and commercial usage, but the Titanic Boat Tour offers a unique insight into the ill-fated ocean liner.

Transport to Belfast is comprehensive and comprises of flights, trains, buses and ferries. The city is served by two airports with a good choice of destinations throughout Europe. George Best Belfast City Airport is only a couple of miles from the city centre, and offers mainly domestic flights to Ireland and the UK.