BELFAST city was recently named as one of the top creative hubs in Britain, boasting an impressive arts and culture scene on a backdrop of beautiful landscapes.
Here we look at six of the many great things to come out of Belfast...
1. Titanic
An obvious choice, but necessary as we can't mention Belfast without mentioning Titanic. While most of us are familiar with the 1997 film, not many realise the sheer size of the ship. At 92ft wide, 882ft long and 104ft tall, the ship was a feat of engineering of its time. To put the specifications into perspective, let's compare the Titanic with Ireland's own giant: Paul O'Connell, at 6ft 6in tall. The Titanic was 13 Paul O'Connells wide, 134 Paul O'Connells long, and 15 Paul O'Connells tall. Impressive!
2. Game of Thrones
Who knew Westeros was really in Belfast? OK, everyone did. The hit HBO series is filmed at Titanic studios in Belfast, whilst the outdoor scenes are filmed across various castle locations in Northern Ireland and the Mourne Mountains. Although GoT fans have flocked to the northern city in their droves, the star of the series Kit Harrington isn't Belfast's biggest fan. Speaking on a talk show in the US, Harrington said Belfast is nice for "two or three days", going on to emphasise he's been filming there for 5 years.
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Graeme McDowell3. Great golf courses (and players)
Make like Rory McIllroy and get into the swing of things out on the green. One of Belfast's primary attributes is its 14 golf courses, two of which are rated world class. With golfing giants such as Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell hailing from the city, it's no wonder the golf courses are one of the greatest tourist attractions.
Sir Van Morrison with his daughter Shana Morrison at Buckingham Palace. Picture: Getty Images4. Van Morrison
'Van the Man' to his fans, the legendary soul singer hails from the Bloomfield area of the city. Whilst the singer is notoriously private, he has steadily released music for the last 49 years, and revealed in a rare interview that he experienced stage fright for the first time in the late 1970s and finds it difficult to make eye contact with the audience. In 2006, he said he "rarely tours anymore" and hasn't done so since the 1970s, preferring to do "one or two gigs a week".
Irish boxer Paddy Barnes. (Picture: Getty Images)5. Paddy Barnes' Left Hook
The Belfast-born boxer is an Olympic hopeful as he makes a bid for gold on the 2016 Irish Team. This will be the third trip to the games for the light-flyweight who won bronze in 2008 and 2012 at the Beijing and London Olympics, respectively. However, this trip will be a bit more special for Barnes, as he was announced as the flag bearer for Ireland at the opening of the 2016 Rio games.
6. Liam Neeson
Whilst many know him for his "very particular set of skills" in Taken, Liam Neeson, first tread the boards in the Lyric Theatre, Belfast in 1976. His career steadily grew until his role in Schindler's List in 1990 earned him an Academy Award nomination. Speaking at the premiere of his 2009 film, Five Minutes of Heaven, which focused on the conflict in Northern Ireland, Neeson said he "never stops thinking [about the conflict]" and it is "part of [his] DNA."
