Weekend in Belfast!

I recently spent a weekend in Belfast, Northern Ireland with some friends and I one hundred percent recommend anyone studying abroad or even coming to Ireland go and check out Belfast. It was a very easy two hour train ride from Dublin's city center into Belfast, and the views along the way were incredible. I did not end up staying in Belfast, but instead stayed in a smaller town called Saintfield about ten miles outside of the city. I planned this trip kind of late, but I do recommend staying in Belfast itself if possible. The public transportation was incredibly reliable, but it just meant being out the entire day when leaving the house. Besides the location of where I was staying, the rest of the trip was remarkable! On Saturday we went into the city hall where there's a small museum and the building itself is just gorgeous. Then we went to the St. George Street indoor market where we grabbed a coffee and listened to live music while walking around. Then we went and explored the Titanic Museum which does live up to all of the hype. I spent about 3 hours in the museum and easily could have been there longer, for this make sure to book your tickets in advance because it was almost sold out when I went! After the museum we went back into the city and got some dinner before walking around and listening to more music and playing cards at the Dirty Onion pub. The following day we grabbed coffee and breakfast in the city before doing a taxi tour of the peace walls. This tour was one of the most interesting, and moving things I’ve done my entire time here in Ireland. The driver explained so many things about the Troubles and life in Belfast now, and he answered every single question we had while showing us around. These tours are a must in Belfast. Be sure to do the one that takes you in and out of both the Irish and British neighborhoods to get a fuller picture of the city now. After the taxi tour we grabbed a quick lunch before heading to the train station! I was a little hesitant about going to Belfast at first, because while I knew it would be fun once I was there I wasn’t sure I wanted to go on a weekend trip in Ireland when the rest of Europe is also so close. Well I was definitely wrong on that thought. I loved being in Belfast so much, and I highly, highly recommend planning a weekend trip there as well! One thing I didn’t get to see was Giant's Causeway, but who knows maybe I’ll go back! My biggest take away from this trip was to plan ahead a little bit more, and to find a place to stay closer to Belfast City Center so that you can fully embrace all the city has to offer.