Best Areas to Stay in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter takes its name from St Anne’s Cathedral and is located directly north of the city centre. Part of the area, centred on Talbot Street behind the cathedral, was formerly called the Half Bap.

The Cathedral Quarter used to be at the centre of Belfast’s trade and warehousing district, a product of its prosperous linen and shipbuilding industries. As such, this quarter still maintains some of Belfast’s oldest buildings and commercial streets, such as Hill Street or Waring Street.

Nowadays, this lively area is home to over 50 cultural organisations and galleries, as well as luxury restaurants, fine cocktail bars and cosy cafés.

Home to the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (CQAF) (an annual festival of music, comedy, theatre, art and literature), Cathedral Quarter is a place for culture, leisure and entertainment.

Next to Cathedral Quarter lies the Smithfield and Union Quarter, the city’s coolest nightlife hotspot and Belfast’s LGBT area.

All and all, the Cathedral Quarter is a lively, artsy and hipster-friendly area and one of the best locations to stay in Belfast.

Queens Quarter takes its name from Queen’s University and it is located in South Belfast, directly south of the City Centre.

This part of Belfast is known for its leafy streets and, despite being a very central area, its quiet, almost suburban atmosphere.

Because of Queen’s University, North Ireland largest uni, this quarter is home to a youthful and vibrant student population. This fact, mixed with its wealth of cultural venues (the Whitla, Mandela and Elmwood Halls, Lyric Players’ Theatre, the Crescent Arts Centre, the Naughton Gallery at Queen’s and Queen’s Film Theatre, to name a few) makes it the most lively part of town.

The Quarter is centred on the Lanyon Building, QUB’s most instagrammable building. Meanwhile, Botanic Avenue and Stranmillis, University and Malone Roads are the main thoroughfares and public transport spots in the area.

Queens Quarter is also home to Belfast Botanic Gardens, a public park opened in 1828 which houses rare plants and the Ulster Museum, Northern Ireland’s largest.

Its youthful nightlife, wealth of attractions and peaceful atmosphere, along with its proximity to the attractions in the City Centre make Queens Quarter the best area to stay in Belfast.

The City Centre is the business and administrative hub of the capital of Ulster. This regal looking district comprises the area around Donegall Square (home to the City Hall), High Street, Royal Avenue, Castle Junction and its surrounding streets.

As is to be expected from any European capital, the City Centre offers grand avenues, majestic palaces, ornate churches and leafy squares.

This business district is home to the city’s most luxurious hotels, upmarket restaurants and cocktail bars.

Located behind Belfast City Hall, the Linen Quarter used to be the hotspot for Ireland’s global linen industry. Its beautiful red-brick warehouses have been refurbished in recent times to host international businesses, award-winning restaurants and designer boutiques. This area’s main attractions include the Crown Bar, Grand Opera House, Ulster Hall, and St Malachi’s Church.

Over the past few years, the Centre has seen extensive redevelopment and gentrification. Some of the landmarks of the city include Waterfront Hall, BT Tower, Hilton Hotel, Odyssey Complex and several riverside residential complexes.

The City Centre is the best area to stay in Belfast for business travellers, as well as for those who want to discover the industrial past of this amazing city.

Belfast is a world-known city in big part thanks to being the birthplace of the RMS Titanic. If you haven’t watched the movie, the Titanic was a transatlantic passenger ship that (spoiler alert!) hit an iceberg and sunk in 1912.

The Titanic Quarter sits in an area known until 1995 as Queen’s Island, and it’s one of the world’s largest urban-waterfront regeneration projects. It is situated 2 km north of the city centre area.

This renovated district around Belfast’s old harbour and shipbuilding facilities comprise historic maritime landmarks, film studios, education facilities, apartments, a riverside entertainment district, and the world’s largest Titanic-themed attraction.

Perhaps the biggest sight in this area is Titanic Belfast, an aluminium-clad museum and tourist attraction in the shape of a ship’s hull.

This improved waterfront district is in constant development and is also the place to be for local and international hotel chains. Accommodation options have mushroomed in recent years, and, being a new area, hotel rates are (for now) much cheaper here than in other Belfast quarters.

The Titanic Quarter is the best district to stay in Belfast for nautical aficionados and those looking for a modern luxurious hotel experience on a budget.

Situated roughly 3 km west of the city centre lies Gaeltacht Quarter.

This quiet area is considered a hub for the Irish language and culture in the Northern Irish capital. It is also notorious for its street art and political murals.

Gaeltacht Quarter is the place to go for local music, traditional pubs and homely food. It is also a place you should visit if you’re interested in Ireland’s turbulent recent history.

One of its key landmarks is its Peace Wall. During The Troubles, “peace walls” were used to separate Catholic and Protestant districts in the city. After the Good Friday Agreement and the return of peace, they have become popular tourist sites.

Gaeltacht Quarter is also home to the Irish Republican History Museum.

Gaeltacht Quarter is best explored with one of the many tours focusing on the Irish conflict and The Troubles.

Gaeltacht Quarter is a good area to stay in Belfast for visitors who want to learn more about Irish culture and contemporary history buffs.