Ten Amazing Places to Visit in Northern Ireland | Let's Walk!

10 fantastic places to visit in northern ireland the smallest of the uk's four nations what northern ireland may not have in size it more than makes up for in history stunning natural landscapes and truly fantastic places to visit whether it's major cosmopolitan cities brimming with heritage or windswept world famous national landmarks you're looking for there's something for everyone in the northeastern corner of the emerald isle so join me as we count down 10 amazing places to visit in northern ireland number 10. newcastle not the home of the geordies but rather the place where county down and the caribbean seem to come together it's fair to say that newcastle might just be the most beautiful place in northern ireland a modestly sized seaside resort on the southeastern edge of county down newcastle is a marvellous place to explore with a huge expanse of sandy beach and a gorgeous new promenade alongside which the town is built on the town's doorstep meanwhile you'll find acres of lush forests filled with adventure walking trails and the immense mourne mountains with northern ireland's highest peak sleeve donate looming large over newcastle at the edge of the town centre with fairgrounds and a number of hugely impressive historical buildings peppered alongside the beach there's an amazing array of places to visit and things to do in newcastle making it an absolute must on any trip to northern ireland number nine royal hillsborough located just a stone's throw away from the cities of belfast and lisbon hillsborough or as it was recently christened in 2021 royal hillsborough is a charming little village with a wealth of heritage as the name suggests royal hillsborough is closely associated with the monarchy as the village is home to hillsborough castle the official residence of the queen and the rest of the british royal family in northern ireland a spacious ornate palace built in the 18th century hillsborough castle is the village's main attraction its rooms and gardens open to the public on numerous days throughout the year royal hillsborough is one of the best places to visit on a short day trip from the big city of belfast as beyond the spectacle of hillsborough castle there's even more to see with a colorful steep main street an imposing market hall the spectacular grounds of its centuries-old parish church and acres of dense forests to explore on the outskirts of the village's second grand residence the mighty hillsborough fort number eight any skillen the largest town in county furmana northern ireland's smallest county by population any skillen is an often overlooked gem of ulster that's well worth the trip into one of the province's most sparsely populated regions the domain of the historic maguire family enesgillon is situated on the southern tip of the mighty loch ir and is most famous for its spectacularly preserved riverside castle a cradle of local history today home to two different museums you could spend an entire day in any skill and castle alone but a walk along the town's main street we'll also see you pass by a range of imposing churches colorful buildings and intriguing alleyways most notably the oddly named pega the bull lane and the little market street which leads towards the town's fetching butter market shopping complex at the other end of venice gillen's town centre from the castle meanwhile you'll find the gorgeous fort hill park which towers above central eniskillen and hides a number of majestic victorian monuments within its leafy grounds number seven whitehead easily reached by direct train from belfast or the nearby ferry port of lan whitehead is about as pretty as northern ireland gets once upon a time known by the name chichester this small but affluent seaside village on the northern edge of the broad belfast loch was a historic tourist destination in the victorian and edwardian eras and is today recognized for some of the most exquisitely preserved heritage from the late 19th and early 20th centuries its railway station of 1877 which has brought visitors into the village for 145 years is renowned for its distinctive victorian character and it's surrounded by leafy and hilly residential streets on one side and a beautiful seafront on the other with the colorful buildings that line the coast at whitehead a must-see for anybody in the area other notable spots in and around the village include the blackhead lighthouse found at the end of a spectacular walk along the coast as well as the whitehead railway museum a tiny boathouse built to ward off smugglers and the remains of castle chichester a small fortress built during the plantation of ulster that today rather interestingly finds itself located in somebody's back garden number six hollywood on the other side of the belfast loft from beautiful whitehead you'll find another delightful coastal spot in the form of hollywood once upon a time this town was a haven for sea bathing but over time owing to its proximity to belfast hollywood became a major residential settlement for some of the big city's wealthiest industrialists nowadays hollywood remains a popular place to live for people working in belfast and the town was in fact named as the best place to live in northern ireland in 2021 home to a bustling high street with an array of boutique shops and cafes hollywood is the perfect place to spend a day perusing but it's also home to a range of riveting historical landmarks hollywood is home to two soaring churches a stone's throw from the heart of town while at the northern end of the high street you'll also find the ruins of hollywood priory a bewitching complex that includes the former parish church and graveyard built on the site of a monastery established around 1400 years ago however hollywood's jewel in the crown is without a doubt its magnificent maypole which stands proudly in the middle of the town's high street famously noted as the only surviving maypole in all of ireland having been built by dutch traders all the way back in the 17th century sadly however that original maypole was destroyed by high winds very recently in 2021 but it was replaced with a brand new poll that showcases a much celebrated part of the illustrious history of this enthralling town number five port rush one of the most popular seaside destinations in northern ireland attracting day trippers from the big cities of belfast and derry port rush is the place to go for a classic day out by the sea recently refurbished with the pristine town centre development after hosting the open golf tournament in 2019 port rush is a great place to be whatever the weather families flock to the town's popular amusement park best known for its big dipper roller coaster and a variety of other fun-filled attractions along the coast while many others will be enamored by the town's sprawling beach wide open harbour impressive architecture and views across its windswept headland which spurts out into the often violent seas of the north atlantic ocean as a popular visitor spot port rush is filled with hotels restaurants pubs and nightclubs to spend the night in while it's also a great place to base yourself to explore more of northern ireland's iconic causeway coast with easy links not only to the famous giants causeway but to more gorgeous seaside spots like nearby port stewart and port ballanty and to regionally popular landmarks like the ruins of the medieval dunloos castle and the famous distillery town of bushmills where traditional irish whiskey has been made for centuries number four carrick fergus northern ireland is a nation filled with heritage but history buffs should look no further than the coastal county antrim town of carrick fergus for a deep dive into the legacy of this riveting part of the world one of the oldest towns in ireland carrick fergus has been a significant settlement for over 800 years based around its imposing medieval castle one of the best preserved norman era fortresses in all of ireland before the rise of belfast carrick fergus was the most important town around the belfast loch which was actually originally known as carrick fergus bay and most significantly it was the only english controlled outpost in the province of ulster in the 400 years before the plantation of ulster couple that with the fact that carrick fergus was the landing site of william of orange in 1690 on his way to the battle of the boeing and that the town was for a short time captured by french armies in the late 18th century as well as intriguing historical anomalies relating to its impressive medieval walls the site of the last witchcraft trial in ireland and a restored world war ii era churchill tank that overlooks the seafront in memory of local tank production during the war a trip to carrick fergus is an amazing way to take a voyage through the history of northern ireland number three the giants causeway stay with me on this one when thinking of northern ireland the image of the iconic windswept coastal rock formation known as the giants causeway is what first comes to mind for many but others say this famed landmark is actually a bit of an underwhelming tourist trap so which is it well as far as natural wonders in the uk go the giants causeway is right up there with the very best the enigmatic complex of some 40 000 basalt columns created in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption around 60 million years ago is a visual marvel but there's more to this iconic site than that the giants causeway is also famously associated with the legendary irish hero finn mccool who is said to have built the causeway as a pathway across the sea towards scotland with thousands of large stepping stones to be used by a giant there's even more to learn about the geology and mythology behind the causeway if you pay to visit the brand new visitor center at the top of the cliffs but otherwise visiting the giants causeway is entirely free and as well as getting the chance to climb the columns and gaze out across the crashing waves the walk down from the coastal road to the causeway is a spectacular experience in and of itself as you skirt around majestic craggy bays and wind underneath the imposing rock faces of northern ireland's stunning causeway coast number 2. belfast the capital of northern ireland is often the first port of call for those visiting from overseas and while there are so many fantastic places to explore beyond the big city belfast must never be overlooked either a huge cosmopolitan city that exploded into life during the industrial revolution for a brief period even overtaking dublin as the largest city in ireland belfast is home to many of northern ireland's most famous landmarks and street after street of imposing architecture with the likes of the famous leaning albert memorial clock the mighty city hall the parliament buildings at stormont the botanic gardens queen's university and the city's two spectacular cathedrals just a handful of the sites that can't be missed but as well as its largest landmarks the more that you explore belfast the more that you'll see the layers of its history unfold before your eyes as you stroll from wide open boulevards to narrow cobbled streets belfast bustling city centre showcases its spectacular industrial and commercial legacy while the city's outskirts are home to yet more equally enthralling districts skirting along the belfast loch is the titanic quarter site of the shipyard in which the mighty aramis titanic was built and also the home of the iconic yellow behemoths the harland and wolf cranes as well as some of the most modern developments in the entire city the inner suburbs of west belfast meanwhile are where you'll find the legacy of the troubles and still pronounce segregation in the city there's the predominantly republican falls road home to an array of powerful and riveting political murals and memorials along with the fantastic irish republican history museum and just a few streets away separated by towering peace walls and landmark gateways is the predominantly loyalist shankill road which too is home to impressive and enthralling murals on every other street in between masses of union flags and yet more memorials and landmarks that commemorate the dark legacy of the troubles and the violence that for many years defined northern ireland on the world stage all of this and more is what makes belfast one of the best cities to visit in the uk and it's a place that can be explored to the full either on a simple stroll along its streets on a tour by a local guide or by popping into each of its countless museums detailing its incredible history number one derry belfast is by far northern ireland's largest city but the oldest by some way is the legendary walled city derry also known as londonderry the city by the river foil is another amazing cradle of history with so so much to explore in a fairly small and compact area the city's most famous site is without doubt its spectacular complex of defensive walls which complete an entire mile long loop around the city center and having been built back in the early 17th century are some of the best preserved city walls in all of europe a walk along derry's walls is an adventure in itself offering spectacular views across the city and its outskirts and putting you in the shoes of the defenders of the city as they withstood the legendary siege of derry for 105 days throughout 1689 in an act of rebellion against king james ii at the outset of william of orange's ascendancy in ireland inside the walls meanwhile you'll find a busy little city center with shops pubs restaurants museums and galleries galore set up high on a hill overlooking the river foil to the east the river crossed by the famous peace bridge that winds its way across the water towards the city's iconic guild hall beyond the walls there's even more history to uncover the city's western suburbs most notable for their role in the troubles there's the iconic free derry corner the symbolic welcome sign to the staunchly nationalist area known as the bog side where you'll find an array of murals infused with thought-provoking and fiery political messages that showcase the still passionate feelings related to events that unfolded on the city streets during the troubles from the significant battle of the bog side in 1969 to the horrifying bloody sunday massacre of 1972 the museum of free derry on rossville street and the spectacular st eugene's cathedral are major landmarks in the city's predominantly catholic district while across the city in the shadow of the walls and the mighty saint columns cathedral you'll find the fountain home to the city's protestant minority and a number of murals that demonstrate a different perspective to what you'll find just a few streets away of course not all of derry's murals have a political legacy with one of the city's newest tourist attractions coming in the form of the much-loved derry girls mural on orchard street depicting the characters from one of the best tv shows in recent years and which has put the city on the map once again for all the right reasons there's nowhere as jam-packed with history in northern ireland as derry and while there are so many amazing places that you should absolutely go out and visit from luxurious seaside resorts to riveting market towns and spectacular coastal scenery the walled city is probably the very best of the lot and just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to showing why northern ireland is a place well worth coming to explore thank you so much for watching this video i really hope you enjoyed it i'll be posting full walks from all of these places in northern ireland and many more over the coming months so stay tuned for that but if you get the chance in the near future i'd thoroughly recommend visiting there really is so much more to northern ireland than meets the eye

Channel: Let's Walk!

Views: 11,601

Keywords: northern ireland, places to visit in northern ireland, history of northern ireland, where to visit northern ireland, northern ireland best places to visit, best towns in northern ireland, visit northern ireland summer 2022, how to visit the giants causeway, best things to see in northern ireland, best things to see in belfast, best things to see in derry, belfast, derry, portrush, carrickfergus, giant's causeway, enniskillen, royal hillsborough, newcastle, holywood, whitehead, let's walk

Id: 7AJ-K2wTM2Y

Length: 17min 22sec (1042 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 12 2022