Christmas time is always magical in Ireland. Christmas markets pop up in almost every major city, and this year, I decided to make the trip to Belfast to visit their popular Christmas market. I wasn't disappointed at all!
I took the Enterprise (train) from Dublin Connolly station, which brings you to Belfast Lanyon Place station. No visas are required for anyone. From the station, you can either walk (around 20-30 min) to Belfast city centre, or take the local bus (ticket to which is part of your train ticket's package). The Belfast Christmas market is always held at Belfast City Hall, a prime landmark right at the centre of the city. It wasn't my first time in Belfast, but I was mesmerised by the historic architecture of the city.
I took the Enterprise (train) from Dublin Connolly station, which brings you to Belfast Lanyon Place station. No visas are required for anyone. From the station, you can either walk (around 20-30 min) to Belfast city centre, or take the local bus (ticket to which is part of your train ticket's package). The Belfast Christmas market is always held at Belfast City Hall, a prime landmark right at the centre of the city. It wasn't my first time in Belfast, but I was mesmerised by the historic architecture of the city.
It's hard to miss the market. You'll see the fun rides even from a distance. Once you enter, the aromas, sights and smells from the different stalls will delight you.
I was automatically drawn to this Italian desserts shop, because I was pretty hungry by then. The guys who ran that stall are from Italy and told me that the desserts were made in the traditional way. I couldn't resist. I would recommend the Sicilian cannelloni to anyone in a heartbeat.
I was still ravenous, so I decided to explore the stalls for more food options. I saw all these really lovely stalls selling almost everything under the sun, from dream catchers to chocolate. I finally found this entire row of food stalls, where I got myself a plate of vegan paella.
After I had got my meal fix, I got to exploring all the stalls properly. Now, these stalls are usually run by small businesses, so when we buy from them, we support them. This goes a long way in terms of sustainability!
If you are buying gifts for people, you will be spoilt for choice. There was absolutely every sort of item you could find here - both edible stuff and non-edible stuff.
There was a stall selling every type of cheese that exists, a baklava stall (it was owned by Turkish people) from which I bought a box of baklava for my family who loved it SO much, fresh ground coffee (the smell was heavenly, though I don't even drink coffee - I bought a packet Guatemalan talia coffee for my dad), fudge, candies, and so on.
If you are buying gifts for people, you will be spoilt for choice. There was absolutely every sort of item you could find here - both edible stuff and non-edible stuff.
There was a stall selling every type of cheese that exists, a baklava stall (it was owned by Turkish people) from which I bought a box of baklava for my family who loved it SO much, fresh ground coffee (the smell was heavenly, though I don't even drink coffee - I bought a packet Guatemalan talia coffee for my dad), fudge, candies, and so on.
As far as non-edibles are concerned, the list goes on and on! From vegan cosmetics (I got a heavenly bar of rose soap and two small bags of organic lavender flowers that I keep under my pillow), door hangers, dream-catchers to jewellery, there's just so much to discover. I even saw a stall selling a variety of potted plants.
Apart from the stalls and the paraphernalia they sell, the vibe of the market as a whole was lively and bustling. I guess you could say that you felt the Christmas cheer seeping into your bones. Here are some more scenes from the market!
After I had relished the market to my heart's content, I proceeded to explore the city, starting with Belfast City Hall where the market was anyway. It is a really grand building and is generally used for civic purposes. They had installed a big pretty Christmas tree inside.
Then, I decided to check out Europa Hotel, which holds the record of being the most bombed hotel in the world. It was a prime target of attack during the Troubles, prior to the Good Friday Agreement. Today, the hotel has been rebuilt with glass windows as a symbol of the Northern Irish people's faith in long-lasting peace. Along the road, I also saw the Grand Opera House (see below). Now, Belfast flourished during the Victorian Era of Britain, so we'll see that many aspects of the city are reminiscent of the Victorian days. For example, we'll see Victorian gazebos in and around the city (not shown here, but available on my other write-up about my Northern Ireland day tour). There is also a big statue of King Albert in the middle of the city. Other than these, you'll notice that many of the older buildings are of Victorian architecture:
Now, I had a good amount of time on my hands before my train back, so I decided to do the one thing I've been hoping to do - visit the Belfast Peace Walls. Belfast underwent a political turmoil in the 1960's right up till the end of the 1990's, in a period known as the Troubles. It was a conflict between the Catholics and Protestants who were living in the northern parts of Ireland. The Peace Walls were built in both Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods in order to keep the conflicting parties physically apart. Today, the walls still stands, just as the neighbourhoods do.
The Walls have been a canvas for the residents of the respective neighbourhoods to express their political views, and this is the interesting bit. The Catholics and Protestants have very different things to say as is reflected by the drawings, graffiti and murals on the walls of the different neighbourhoods. I had time only to visit Cupar Way, a region with one of the biggest peace walls in Belfast (which I got to know only now as I am writing this), which separates the Catholic- and Protestant-dominated suburbs of the city. Bombay Street is another important site you can visit if you are keen on checking out the Peace Walls. Instead of walking to these places, you can ideally take a Black Taxi tour - the drivers are really knowledgeable and tell you a lot about the history as they take you to these places. I really advise you to bring a Sharpie (which I forgot despite knowing I had to) so you can write a positive message on the walls and sign off like thousands have done.
The walls I saw seemed to be in close proximity a Catholic-dominated neighbourhood (the houses looked really Irish with their Fáilte signs and other street signs written in Irish), and the messages from the walls were very clear - with their strong slogans and intricate murals, they were all about freedom. There were many references to other troubled and oppressed communities around the world, such as the Palestinians, Catalans and West Papuans as the Catholics of Northern Ireland saw themselves in these communities. I didn't see it for myself, but I have heard that the Protestant neighbourhoods have very pro-British murals, with the Union Jack and drawings of the Queen on their walls. This is Cupar Way for you:
The Walls have been a canvas for the residents of the respective neighbourhoods to express their political views, and this is the interesting bit. The Catholics and Protestants have very different things to say as is reflected by the drawings, graffiti and murals on the walls of the different neighbourhoods. I had time only to visit Cupar Way, a region with one of the biggest peace walls in Belfast (which I got to know only now as I am writing this), which separates the Catholic- and Protestant-dominated suburbs of the city. Bombay Street is another important site you can visit if you are keen on checking out the Peace Walls. Instead of walking to these places, you can ideally take a Black Taxi tour - the drivers are really knowledgeable and tell you a lot about the history as they take you to these places. I really advise you to bring a Sharpie (which I forgot despite knowing I had to) so you can write a positive message on the walls and sign off like thousands have done.
The walls I saw seemed to be in close proximity a Catholic-dominated neighbourhood (the houses looked really Irish with their Fáilte signs and other street signs written in Irish), and the messages from the walls were very clear - with their strong slogans and intricate murals, they were all about freedom. There were many references to other troubled and oppressed communities around the world, such as the Palestinians, Catalans and West Papuans as the Catholics of Northern Ireland saw themselves in these communities. I didn't see it for myself, but I have heard that the Protestant neighbourhoods have very pro-British murals, with the Union Jack and drawings of the Queen on their walls. This is Cupar Way for you:
The Peace Walls of Cupar Way are some of the most poignant things I have ever seen in my life and through all my travelling adventures. The gaiety of the Christmas market is a world apart from the city's darker facets like these. "There's more in common than what divides us." - Belfast Peace Wall mural, Cupar Way. |
And finally, (nope, I wasn't done yet!), I walked to St. George's Market, one of the oldest surviving Victorian markets in Europe (the oldest surviving Victorian market being George's Street Arcade in Dublin). It was closed at that time, but I still got a chance to explore it a little. I can almost imagine Victorian housewives with their long dresses and hats, milling about the stall, haggling over produce with vendors.
The memories from this trip to Belfast will stay with me for a long time. I felt joy, excitement, sorrow, solemnity and curiosity all in a single day. The city has a charm I have not felt anywhere else; I really hope that fate will bring me to Belfast again.
- December 2019