Things to see in Belfast

Rising to 7.6m (25ft) in height, the Peace Wall is a prison-like fence of concrete, corrugated steel and wire that separate nationalist and loyalist neighbourhoods. A psychical reminder of the division caused by The Troubles, tours take in the Falls and Shankill Roads and cover clash points as well as the murals that depict those lost in three decades of fighting. For historical context, visit on a black cab tour or with a guide, most of whom have experienced the Troubles first-hand.

Possibly the greatest museum in the whole of Ireland, the six-storey Titanic Belfast sits near the docks where the ‘unsinkable’ ship was built. The same height as its namesake – and designed suspiciously like an iceberg – this informative, interactive and entertaining museum takes visitors from conception and launch through to the eventual sinking and discovery of Belfast’s most infamous ship. With original documents, immersive rides, virtual tours, recreated cabins, survivors’ stories, a cinema showing the wreckage and even a little Celine Dion, the city finally has a Titanic worth shouting about.

As much a work of art as a place for drinking, the interior of this Victorian gin palace is richly decorated with coloured glass, stylised tiles, arcaded mirrors and polished marble. Inspired by his travels, landlord Patrick Flanagan encouraged Italian artists working on Belfast’s churches to stylise the boozer in 1885. Now owned by the National Trust, it’s one of Ireland’s most infamous imbibing dens.

Expect to lose half a day at Northern Ireland’s national museum and art gallery. A medley of British, Irish and European paintings, local crafts and Irish history, its ground floor exhibition has a good overview of the Troubles. The finest pieces here include the Spanish Armada treasure and Takabuti’s shrivelled mummy from 660BC. Her reconstructed face sits in the cabinet opposite.