A Fast Trip to Belfast (Part 2): Near Far, Wherever in Belfast!!

- July 3, 2026, Friday.

- Belfast is the smallest city in the United Kingdom, and is also one of the major cities often overlooked by many tourists. People often go to bigger cities in the UK, or go straight to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. Despite these, I believe Belfast is still worth visiting. For one, it is known for the Titanic - not the movie but the real ship - and also Game of Thrones.

- Early that morning, I visited what could be an unusual statue in the center of Belfast. The Big Fish, or the Salmon of Knowledge, was commissioned in 1999 to celebrate the new life of the River Lagan, seeing the return of the salmon in its waters. The ceramic scales also tell the history of Belfast.

With the Salmon of Knowledge.

It's bigger than you think.

And yes, it's just there, in the middle of Belfast.

- Across the bridge from the Big Fish and a few minutes of walking, I found myself at the Titanic Belfast museum. It opened in 2012 in the area where the Titanic itself was built. The structure of the museum looks somewhat like a ship. The museum itself was quite interactive: my favorite part was taking a ride (yes, a ride in a museum!) through the "shipyard" which narrates how the ship was built. The museum also honors all of those who perished in the Atlantic after the ship hit the iceberg. To lighten one's feelings after taking in the tragic story of the Titanic, the museum, of course, has one last gallery that recognizes depictions of the ship in popular culture including the 1997 movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On."

Building a ship.

"Riding" through the shipyard.

Yes, it is a legit ride! (It's slow though, so don't expect a roller coaster.)

You feel the heat and the stuffiness of a shipyard.

Model of the Titanic.

First class cabin.

When it hit the iceberg.

One of the last remaining original life vests from the ship. The names behind are those who perished in the tragedy.

The Titanic was also a case study that informed future standards in ship safety that we currently enjoy.

Floating mid-air.

The actual violin used by Wallace Hartley when he and his band played while the ship was sinking. It was their way of calming down the passengers.

Original deck chair from the Titanic.

I love how the last gallery has this photo spot. "I'm the king of the world!!"

Of course, it's hard to talk about Titanic without the 1997 film.

"But I thought the old lady dropped it in the water?" - Britney Spears.

- Outside the museum, one can see the SS Nomadic, built in 1911 as a tender to the Titanic and the Olympic. It is the last White Star Line ship that survives today (the same company that made the Titanic). The ship now functions as a museum. 

SS Nomadic.

The deck.

Lower-class cabins.

Clothes from the 1910s. The dress in front was inspired from what Kate Winslet wore in the movie.

Hates!

Everyday things turned treasures.

Bar.

These are original wooden panels!

Ship models.

- The shipyard had other things to see, such as the Great Light, the HMS Caroline, and the Titanic Distillery. I just passed by them.

There were Game of Thrones stained glass panels in random spots.

Built in 1887, the Great Light was one of the biggest lighthouse optics ever made. It was put on display in 2018 and is occasionally lit during special occasions.

Another "Glass of Thrones".

HMS Caroline, from 1914. It was used by the Royal Navy. It functions as a floating museum now.

Titanic Distillery and the Thompson Dry Dock.

- I later rode an Uber to the Ulster Museum. It was built in 1929, but with roots as far back as a hundred years prior. "Ulster" was a historic province of Ireland, part of which became Northern Ireland, with three countries now part of the Republic of Ireland. The museum is a mix of natural, cultural, archaeological, scientific, and historical treasures. It can be quite confusing as there seemed to be a lot to take in the museum.

The museum takes no time to wow people.

Plaster replica of the Muiredach's Cross from the 10th century.

Anatosaurus skeleton.

The museums overwhelms me a bit because it has a lot of things from a lot of different fields of knowledge.

It has an Egyptian gallery.

I am always fascinated by giant ancient moose.

Whenever I see a coelacanth specimen, I make it a point to take a photo of it. I'm so fascinated by these fish that didn't change too much from millions of years ago.

Itchtyosaurus.

Dragons. Not real ones of course.

Museum facade.

- I decided to have lunch at St. George's Market, which first opened its doors in the late 1800s. It wasn't as crowded as I had expected the market to be, which was good because it was easier to find a place to buy food and eat. The museum also sold various handicrafts and souvenirs.

St. George's Market.

Inside the market.

The restored Fish Market clock, from the late 1890s.

- To cap off my adventures in Belfast, I visited the Belfast Cathedral, also known as St. Anne's Cathedral. Finished in 1904, this cathedral is the beating heart of Belfast's community and religious life. It was also built in the site of an older church built in the 1700s.

The cathedral's recognizable big Celtic cross.

Main prayer hall.

Baptistery. Pay attention to the ceiling mosaic.

Memorial to Queen Elizabeth II.

Memorial to Rev. Charles Seaver.

Titanic Pall. This was made in 2012 to honor those who died in the Titanic tragedy a century prior.

Regimental Chapel.

Cathedral, front side.

- The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to rest, since I had an early flight the following day. I saw so much in my two days in Belfast and I'm glad I did not skip this city. However, it was time for me to go back to Britain to continue my adventures: in the highlands of Scotland!