We’ve all heard of Titanic, the unsinkable ship that sadly sank on her maiden voyage. Her tragic story and the stories of her ill fated passengers have held our fascination for over 100 years, but did you know that Titanic was built in Belfast, home to the famous shipbuilders Harland and Wolff? Titanic Belfast, a museum dedicated to all things Titanic, is appropriately located in the very spot Titanic was built and launched. The moment I knew we would be in Belfast I knew this place would be on my list and we weren’t disappointed! If you find yourself in the vicinity or anywhere near it I highly recommend a stop!
The boys and I decided to walk to the museum from our hotel, which took about 30 minutes. Along the way we stopped to take photos by the river, saw a parade and walked by The Albert Memorial Clock.
Titanic Belfast is quite a large museum, so allow at least two hours for your visit, though we spent about four! If you’re traveling with younger children ask for the scavenger hunt when purchasing your entrance tickets. My little Elliot really enjoyed looking out for the clues and at the end he received a prize!
The museum exhibits are laid out along an easy to follow path which moves along from floor to floor. You’ll start by learning about Belfast’s linen and ship building industries and as you move forward you’ll learn about how the ship was built and launched, the loading of the passengers, the voyage itself and of course the sinking. There are also exhibits touching upon the aftermath, her discovery on the ocean floor and her history in film, books and television.
The many interactive exhibits, first hand accounts, and films are all really well done and kept us occupied for hours. The White Star Line dishes and other interesting artifacts on display throughout the museum really helped to bring the past to life. I took only a few photos during our visit and instead spent most of my time just enjoying the museum. We did see a wedding taking place which was fun. Interesting choice of venue!
Although it looked inviting the ground floor cafe wasn’t great, though the service was friendly enough. Of course no visit to a museum would be complete without a visit to the gift shop where we bought some holiday ornaments and a magnet.
The Nomadic – The Last White Star Vessel
Along with our admission to the museum our tickets also granted us access to the SS Nomadic, the Titanic’s tender and the last White Star Line vessel in existence. The Nomadic has a long history of her own, but her initial purpose as a tender was to ferry Titanic’s passengers back and forth from port. The Nomadic’s interior was intentionally styled to match Titanic. This would give the passengers a taste of what was to come on the larger vessel and ensure a seamless experience. I particularly enjoyed getting a feel for what it must really have been like aboard Titanic!
We spent a good amount of time exploring the ship and the many interactive displays on board. The boys enjoyed walking around on deck and of course posed for my many photos!
Game of Thrones Bonus!
A huge Game of Thrones fan I was excited to see that Titanic Studios, where some of GoT is filmed is located just behind the museum! Maybe next time I’ll work out how to get in there for a look around…
Accommodations & Such…
We stayed at The Ten Square hotel located in Donegal Square directly across the street from Belfast’s City Hall. The rooms, service and overall experience were great! We enjoyed the hotel breakfast each morning and the staff were incredibly friendly. I would definitely stay here again.
However, I will mention that although the shower and bathroom were lovely the shampoo and conditioner were all in one which isn’t a favorite of mine. The hairdryer was powerful, but the power button had to be held down continuously, which can become tiresome after a while. The only plug was in the main room, which is never a positive for me.
My hilarystyle rating for The Ten Square Hotel is: 
I have to mention that we loved our food at Nu Dehli a fabulous Indian Restaurant walking distance from the Ten Square. The Chicken Korma was fantastic!
To better understand Belfast it’s important to understand at least a little bit about The Troubles. Fueled by earlier events in history The Troubles took place in the mid to later part of the 20th century. Though there are many factors, one key issue was whether or not Northern Ireland, which had become separated from the Republic of Ireland, would continue to be a part of the United Kingdom, or would/should it once again become part of the Republic. I don’t mean to oversimplify, but in a nutshell, many Protestants consider themselves British and have no wish to leave the UK, while many Catholics consider themselves Irish and wish to once again become part of what is now the Republic of Ireland.
As a child I remember hearing about the troubles in Northern Ireland and Belfast. The nightly news painting a picture of a city plagued by terrorism, unsafe and divided. This was a place I was sure I would never visit. It never even crossed my mind. Yet here we were! Just the very idea that things have progressed enough for our visit to safely take place was so meaningful! The people we met and spent time with were some of the kindest and most pleasant of our entire trip.
The Troubles officially ended in 1998, but during our visit it became immediately clear to us that the peace, which exists today, is a tenuous one at best. Belfast is still very much a city divided, and when I say divided I mean quite literally. Walls or “peace lines” as they are known, some as high as 25 feet, separate the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods. A number of these walls were built AFTER the 1998 peace agreement.
Many of the peace walls have gates which are at times staffed by police. They are open for passage during the day, but are closed at nights and in some locations on the weekends as well.
While I am a big proponent of stepping off the beaten path I’ve also learned that at times hiring a guide is best and this is definitely the case in a city like Belfast. After doing a bit of research I discovered the very highly rated 
Tom, born and raised in Belfast, was a wealth of information. He drove us through the city explaining the history of Belfast, the Troubles, and the peace walls. We drove through both catholic and protestant neighborhoods easily identified by the different flags flying high outside their homes. Catholics, fly Irish flags, while the Protestants fly British flags…We got out at the wall and signed our names and wrote messages of peace.
It’s hard not to form opinions when you see homes with cages covering them for protection from the debris thrown over the top of the walls. 
