Big Belfast usually takes a back seat to Dublin, but it is a capital city in its own right with some interesting sites and experiences, like the Titanic Belfast.
The RMS Titanic, along with her sister ship the Olympic, were constructed in specially built dry docks by Harland and Wolff Shipbuilders on Queen’s Island, which is now known as the Titanic Quarter, in Belfast Harbor. On the site where the great ships were built sits Titanic Belfast. Titanic Belfast opened in 2012 as a tourist attraction to tell the story of the ill-fated ship.
The RMS Titanic has become legendary and its tragic fate is known all over the world. Titanic Belfast draws over a half million international visitors a year to see where she was built. It truly is an impressive exhibition. It takes you on a historic journey from the heydays of Belfast and the building of the Titanic to its sinking and aftermath. There are even relics brought up from the wreck on the sea floor on display.
Like most people, I learned the story when I was a kid, but really never understood all of the details. I was very interested in going to the museum. I was awed to stand in the exact spot where Titanic was built and launched. You get a genuine sense of the size and scope of the construction.
We walked and walked and walked all around the place. You can easily spend several hours there. We got a late lunch at the museum restaurant and called it a day. We probably missed a few things, but came away much more of an expert on Titanic lore. Titanic Belfast is well worth the visit.
To be honest, we didn’t find anything else in Belfast worthwhile. We decided to head out of town to Dublin back in the Republic of Ireland.
