Belfast – A walk around the Queen’s Quarter

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Queen's University Belfast
Queen’s University Belfast

Belfast Queen’s Quarter Walk

As with our other ‘Walks with Scotty’ posts, the Belfast Queen’s Quarter walk sets out to show an area of Belfast (around Queen’s University Belfast) that can be enjoyed in a morning walk for the benefit of those planning a visit or those living abroad/away from home. The walks are mostly photos taken on a simple walking route. In this case the walk could be completed in an hour and a half without dallying but is best enjoyed with a few breaks along the way (the Ulster Museum could take a morning by itself never mind the numerous shops and restaurants along the way).

The photos below illustrate the the way we walk regularly but feel free to wander and explore the area. As a university area there is a young and very social feel to this walk – one of my favourites with lots of coffee shops and places to eat.

Belfast Queen's Quarter Walk
Belfast Queen’s Quarter Walk – Map using OpenStreetMaps.org

1. Friar’s Bush Cemetery

Friar’s Bush Cemetery is fabulous place to visit with a fantastic history featuring St Patrick, the famine, secret masses, plague victims and graverobbers. Read our previous post to find out more. Check to see if its open if you plan a visit as opening hours are very limited or may need to be booked.

2. Botanic Gardens

Belfast’s Botanic Gardens has a wealth of history behind the gates and is well worth a visit. Read our previous post for a full history

3. Ulster Museum

The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 90,000 sq. ft. of display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art, archaeology, treasures from the Spanish Armada, local history, botany, zoology and geology. Well worth a visit!

4. Tropical Ravine

The Tropical Ravine, covered ion our previous Botanic Gardens post, is well worth visiting when walking around the gardens.

5. Rose Garden

When in season the Botanic Gardens Rose Garden is spectacular

6. Stranmillis Embankment

A slight detour out of the gardens finds the Stranmillis Embankment just a few streets away. Skip if you want to shorten the walk but theres some nice old streets and great River Lagan views

7. More of the Gardens

Back into Botanic Gardens to continue our walk…

8. Palm House

The Palm House is a lovely sight as you exit the park – again covered in the earlier Botanic Gardens post

9. Leaving Botanic Gardens via Botanic Avenue gate

The Botanic Avenue gate near the Palm House will take us past the University Library and car park to nearby streets

10. College Green & Theological College

Some nice old streets and the Theological College is an impressive historical building recently renovated.

11. Botanic Avenue

Botanic Avenue is a favourite coffee venue for many with small shops and a range of foods on offer. A special call out here to the No Alibis bookshop for having a water bowl for dogs outside.

12. Shaftsbury Square

Little to say about Shaftsbury Square in passing apart from the fact that it could do with more renovation. It never recovered from the loss of Speranza’s. However Bradbury Place heading back up to Queen’s University has a number of popular bars and shows some signs of redevelopment.

13. University Road & Crescent Centre & Church

University Road is a pleasant walk with a number of attractive churches, the Crescent Arts centre and new accommodation.

14. Queens University Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast (informally known as Queen’s or QUB) received its charter in 1845 as “Queen’s College, Belfast” and opened four years later. The impressive main building, the Lanyon Building, was designed by the English-born architect, Sir Charles Lanyon. Housed in the Lanyon building since 2001 is a marble statue by Pio Fedi of the great physicist Galileo, portrayed deep in thought

15. Queen’s University Quadrangle

The quadrangle at the back of the main University building offers gardens and seating in pleasant surroundings away from street noise and traffic.



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