Donegall Square

At the heart of Belfast is Donegall Square, which was named after the Marquess of Donegall, a family of Irish nobility that was most prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries. It contains City Hall, the Linen Hall Library, and the main shopping centre, Donegall Place. Located here is the Northern Ireland Tourist Centre.

At the Ten Square Hotel, which was formerly a 19th century linen warehouse, one can see the faces of George Washington, Isaac Newton, Michelangelo, and William Shakespeare carved into its exterior.

City Hall

Aside from the usual business that takes place at a city hall, the most interesting part of Belfast’s is the grounds surrounding it. There, one will find memorials to numerous wars and to those who died aboard the Titanic. The building itself, which includes a 53m high dome, was designed by Alfred Brumwell Thomas and opened in 1906.

Linen Hall Library

Originally Moore and Weinberg's linen warehouse, the building know known as the Linen Hall Library opened in 1864 and was converted to a library in 1891. Before that, the library itself was located at premises in Ann Street and then the White Linen Hall. It moved into the Moore and Weinberg’s building in 1898 when the White Linen Hall was demolished to make way for the City Hall.

Sinclair Seaman’s Church

This church was built in 1853 to honour the city’s maritime tradition. Unique in architecture, its interior features a pulpit shaped like a ship's bow, the bell from WW2 battleship HMS Hood and lifeboat-shaped collection boxes. It is, appropriately enough, located next to the Belfast Harbour Commissioner’s Office at Corporation Square.

The Grand Opera House

This theatre was designed by renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham and opened in 1895. It was used as a cinema during the 1950s and ‘60s and nearly demolished afterward. In fact, it has been badly damaged by bombs on many occasions and has required extensive renovations. Nonetheless, the theatre remains in use today.