Northern Ireland

From prolific travel-guide author Tim Burford comes Bradt's Northern Ireland—the longest and widest-ranging standalone guide to the country.

A UK-governed part of the island of Ireland comprising six of the original nine counties of Ulster, Northern Ireland offers visitors immense variety in a compact package. There is nowhere quite like it in Europe. The warmth of the people and the welcome extended to visitors make any visit here memorable. Belfast has developed an enticing reputation as a city-break destination, with fine pubs, restaurants, music and museums—and Derry/Londonderry isn't far behind. The Atlantic Ocean coast of Antrim is renowned for its dramatic land- and seascapes, culminating in the amazing Giants Causeway, where forty thousand interlocking basalt columns thrust upwards from the sea. Strangford Lough is delightful, whilst the country's centre and southwest offer a verdant farming landscape of the kind that no longer exists in most of the United Kingdom.

Whether you're seeking outdoor adventures, cultural experiences, or culinary delights, Northern Ireland delivers in abundance. Hikers head for the Mourne Mountains, cyclists follow the Kingfisher Trail, and Games of Thrones fans can visit filming locations and the studio complex in Banbridge. The region is justly famous for its edible produce and exceptional whiskey. History lovers will discover prehistoric relics, grand country houses such as Mountstewart and Castle Ward, striking churches including the tiny St Gobban's, Downpatrick Cathedral (where St Patrick is buried), world-renowned golf courses, and monuments of the industrial age—most famously the shipyard where RMS Titanic was built. Even the legacy of the Troubles is being reassessed through experiences like black-taxi tours of Belfast's Republican and Loyalist murals. Best of all, this fabulous diversity is packed into a country where you can travel from one side to the other within a couple of hours.