Treasures of Northern Ireland

The Giant's Causeway

 By J. Herbert Silverman

Base Yourself in Belfast
Stay in Belfast and you will not only have easy access to all that the city has to offer, but also to all of Northern Ireland. There are plenty of hotels in Belfast to serve you, but two of the best are the 60-room McCausland Hotel and the 195-room Hilton Belfast .

Attractions in the City
Local attractions include the Belfast Castle and the restored Custom House, and, of course, the city's pubs. Among the most distinguished is the Crown Liquor Saloon, a National Trust Treasure with its ornate Victorian exterior where one can have a pint and a dozen Strangford oysters in one of its cozy snugs. The tiled lavatories are a quite different historical memento of a Victorian past. Great fun is a visit to St. Georges Market opposite the Hilton open Tuesdays and Fridays with everything from fresh produce to discount clothing.

Outside the City
Another attraction not to miss is the majestic Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. The museum is located on 136 acres in Cultra where tourists can stroll through an Ulster farm town circa 1910 and relive the lifestyles of the early 20th century.

The Old Bushmill Distillery

Bushmills Whiskey Centre   
For a true taste of the North and just a short distance away visit the Old Bushmills Whiskey Centre which explains the workings of the world's oldest distillery dating to 1619. Here water from St. Columb's Rill, a tributary of the River Bush has been used for 800 years to give the world uisce beatha (water of life) known more commonly as whisky. The optimum of all the whiskies produced here is triple distilled Black Bush.Bushmills offers a guided tour and a taste of the unique distillate. Located in the village of Bushmills, weekday tours depart 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Sunday, however, starting time is noon.

JAX FAX Travel Marketing Magazine ©