Northern Ireland

Belfast is a city that does not hide its scars — and that is precisely what makes it so fascinating. Northern Ireland's capital was the scene of the bloody conflict between Unionists (Protestant, pro-British) and Nationalists (Catholic, pro-Irish) for over three decades, known as "The Troubles" (1968–1998), which claimed over 3,500 lives. Today, Belfast is a city reinventing itself: The Titanic Quarter is world-class, the Cathedral Quarter scene is vibrant, and the people have a humor as dry as a good Bushmills.

The Titanic Quarter at the site where the RMS Titanic was built is Belfast's flagship. The Titanic Belfast Museum (£22) is one of the best museums in Europe — an iconic, silver building shaped like ship bows, telling the story of the Titanic across nine galleries: from its construction at Harland & Wolff shipyard to its maiden voyage and sinking. The interactive "Shipyard Ride" simulates work in the shipyard, and the original ship SS Nomadic (the last existing ship of the White Star Line) is in the dry dock next door.

The Cathedral Quarter is Belfast's cultural and nightlife district: street art, independent shops, the MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre, free), artisanal coffee houses, and the best pubs in town in the evening. The Duke of York (Commercial Court) is Belfast's most atmospheric pub — a narrow alley crammed with memorabilia, reminiscent of London's most hidden corners.

The St. George's Market (Friday–Sunday) is one of the best food markets on the British Isles: fresh fish, Irish cheese, handmade sweets, street food, and live music on Saturday mornings — an institution since 1604.

The murals of Belfast are the most visible legacy of the Troubles — and an absolute must for any Belfast visitor. In the districts of Falls Road (nationalist/Catholic) and Shankill Road (unionist/Protestant), huge political murals cover the house facades: depictions of paramilitary fighters, freedom heroes, historical events, and messages of peace.

The most impactful way to experience these districts is a Black Taxi Tour (about £40–50 for 1–2 people, 90 minutes). The drivers — often themselves witnesses of the conflict — drive through both districts and share firsthand accounts of the Troubles. You see the Peace Walls — up to 8 meters high concrete walls that still separate the districts and are closed at night. You sign the wall (like thousands before you) and hear stories that no history book can tell.

The tour is not easy to digest, but essential for understanding Northern Ireland. It shows both the unionist and nationalist perspectives without taking sides. In the end, you better understand why the peace process is so fragile and so valuable.

Important murals: Bobby Sands (Falls Road) — the IRA hunger striker who died in prison in 1981 and became a martyr. King William III (Shankill Road) — the Protestant king who won the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The Peace Wall on Cupar Way — here you can leave your own messages.

The Giant's Causeway (Clochán an Aifir in Irish) is Northern Ireland's crown jewel — a UNESCO World Heritage Site protected since 1986 and often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. Around 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns, perfectly shaped as if by giant hands, stretch from the cliffs down into the sea, forming a surreal landscape that looks like an extraterrestrial structure.

Science says: 60 million years ago, lava flowed over chalk rock, cooled in a controlled manner, and contracted into these perfect hexagonal shapes — a phenomenon of physics. The Irish legend tells it better: The giant Finn McCool (Fionn mac Cumhaill) built the causeway to challenge his Scottish rival Benandonner to a fight. When he saw how huge his opponent was, he disguised himself as a baby. Benandonner, frightened by the size of the "baby," fled back to Scotland and destroyed the causeway behind him — the remnants on the Scottish side (Fingal's Cave on Staffa) prove the story!

The visitor center (£13) offers an exhibition on geology and mythology, an audio guide, and the shuttle bus to the Causeway (the walk takes 15–20 minutes downhill). The cliffs around the Causeway offer several hiking trails, including the spectacular Shepherd's Path with views from above the columns.

The Giant's Causeway is located on the Causeway Coastal Route, one of the most beautiful coastal roads in the world, running from Belfast to Derry. Combine the visit with the nearby Dark Hedges, Carrick-a-Rede, and the Bushmills Distillery for an unforgettable day.

The Dark Hedges are one of the most photogenic roads in the world — an avenue of ancient, gnarled beech trees that intertwine into a natural tunnel over the road, creating an atmosphere that is both fairy-tale-like and eerie. In the morning mist or at dusk, the avenue looks like a portal to another world.

The Dark Hedges became world-famous as a filming location for the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones — the scene where Arya Stark, disguised as a boy, flees north was filmed here. The avenue was planted around 1775 by the Stuart family to beautify the approach to their estate Gracehill House.

The avenue is closed to vehicular traffic. Park in the designated parking area (free) and walk the approximately 500 meters to the avenue. For the best photo, come early in the morning — during the day, the avenue is full of Instagrammers, and the fairy-tale feeling is lost in the crowd.

Other Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland: Castle Ward (Winterfell, £9), Cushendun Caves (birthplace of the shadow), Ballintoy Harbour (Iron Islands), Tollymore Forest Park (Haunted Forest). For fans, an organized GoT tour from Belfast is worthwhile (£50–70, full day).

The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a 20-meter-long suspension bridge spanning a 30-meter-deep chasm between the cliffs and a tiny offshore rock island (Carrick-a-Rede, "rock in the road"). The bridge was originally built by salmon fishermen to reach their fishing spot on the island — today it is one of Northern Ireland's most popular attractions.

The crossing is short (30 seconds), but not for the faint-hearted: The bridge sways in the wind, the sea roars far below you, and the planks are narrow. Once on the island, a fantastic view rewards you of the Antrim coast, Rathlin Island, and on clear days even the Scottish coast (Mull of Kintyre, only 24 km away).

The path to the bridge (1 km from the parking lot) runs along the cliffs and is already spectacular. The rock island hosts a breeding colony of puffins in spring and summer — the comical little birds with their colorful beaks can be observed from May to July.

Derry (or Londonderry — even the name is political: Nationalists say "Derry," Unionists "Londonderry," Pragmatists "Derry/Londonderry" or jokingly "Stroke City") is one of the most historically significant cities in Northern Ireland and the only city on the British Isles whose city wall is completely preserved and walkable.

The city wall (built 1613–1619, about 1.5 km in circumference) offers an elevated walk around the entire old town with views of the Bogside (the nationalist district), St. Columb's Cathedral, and the River Foyle. The walk on the wall takes about 45 minutes and is free.

The Bogside below the walls is the counterpart to Belfast's Falls Road — a district full of political murals, essential for understanding recent Irish history. Here, on January 30, 1972, Bloody Sunday occurred, when British soldiers shot 14 unarmed civilians during a civil rights demonstration. The Museum of Free Derry (£8) on Rossville Street documents the events vividly and emotionally. The "Free Derry Wall" (also "You Are Now Entering Free Derry" — the famous gable wall) and the "People's Gallery" (12 political murals) are freely accessible.

Since 2011, the Peace Bridge — a curved pedestrian bridge over the Foyle — has connected the historically divided halves of the city and become a symbol of reconciliation. In 2013, Derry was the first city in Northern Ireland to be named UK City of Culture and has since developed a thriving arts and music scene.