Belfast: Your Gateway to Lagan Valley

The bustling capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast is a modern and vibrant city with a fascinating past. Whether you’re more likely to be found gawping at the beautiful architecture on display at City Hall and Belfast Castle, examining the artefacts on show at the Ulster Museum and Titanic Belfast, or catching a show at the Grand Opera House and Black Box – there really is something for everyone.

Though while the draws of the city could easily keep you entertained for a long weekend or more, it’s what lies just outside Belfast that keeps so many visitors coming back to the Northern Irish capital. Belfast can boast beautiful green countryside in all directions, but it’s Lagan Valley on the city’s southern outskirts that really captures the hearts of tourists looking to mix up their urban exploration with some time in the great outdoors. Covering 4,500 acres of greenery and 11 miles of riverbank, the area is home to nature reserves, waterfront walks and heritage sites.

If that combination sounds like the perfect getaway, here’s just a snapshot of what you can see and experience as you make your way around Lagan Valley.

Belvoir Park Forest

15 minutes’ drive from central Belfast, or 30 minutes by bus

Comprising of more than 180 acres of age-old woodland, Belvoir Park Forest once belonged to the Deramore Estate but has been in public hands since 1961. With winding trails leading off in all directions, it feels a world away from the city even though its only a stone’s throw from major urban areas. While the estate house is sadly no longer standing, there is an excellent forest education centre on site in the surviving farm buildings that should inspire young minds, and there’s no end of history to uncover as you explore the forest – including ‘the Big Wind’ of 1839 that almost put paid to this woodland.

Lester’s Dam

11 minutes’ drive from central Belfast, or 30 minutes by bus

While it may not rank among Belfast’s best known attractions, Lester’s Dam is one of the most pivotal when it comes to the birth and growth of the city we see today. Built more than 200 years ago and named after a local landowner, the dam provided Belfast with its very first piped water, by creating a reservoir behind it capable of storing up to a million gallons. Beside the dam a small pump house would help carry water from the reservoir into the city, and the brick remnants of this structure can still be seen today. Though the city later found its water through other sources, the spring is today being tapped once again and its waters carried into the now bustling city of Belfast.

Belvoir Motte

15 minutes’ drive from central Belfast, or 30 minutes by bus

Though barely any sign of Belvoir Motte remains today, the site of this former keep can be identified by its unusual hill that rises to the highest point along the Lagan riverbank. And while there may not be much to see, the history of what once stood here is both long and fascinating.

All the way back in 1177, John de Courcy led Anglo-Norman knights and soldiers from Dublin to secure lands in modern County Down and Antrim. To help retain the territories he had a series of ‘Motte and Bailey’ castles built, and Belvoir Motte is just one example of these. These consisted of manmade mounds that would have hosted a wooden castle for the knight and his family, along with a connecting keep downslope where ordinary folks and animals would have resided. In the event of an attack, everyone would retreat to the castle for safety. Sadly these fortresses were eventually abandoned and lost, but they remain truly fascinating to learn about.

Minnowburn

12 minutes’ drive from central Belfast, or 35 minutes by bus

A little further along the valley if you’re heading out of Belfast, Minnowburn is a beautiful National Trust estate covering 128 acres of countryside. Often the inspiration for painters and photographers, the area’s combination of meadows, streams and woodlands is often described as having a magical or fairytale quality.

If you’re visiting, there’s two main walking trails to choose from that take in some of the area’s most interesting features. These include Minnowburn Beeches, possibly the most famous collection of trees in all of Belfast, as well as Freddy’s Steps which lead up to the spectacular viewpoint at Terrace Hill Garden.

Giant’s Ring

14 minutes’ drive from central Belfast

Set among open countryside at the furthest reaches of the Lagan Valley, the Giant’s Ring sits in a bend of the river and is of enormous historical importance when it comes to Ireland’s human history. What’s known as a ‘henge monument’, the formation is thought to be the work of the island’s very earliest settlers, who arrived in two waves around 7,000 BC and 2,000 BC. As such, the ring is believed to date back around 4,000 years.

The ring was the centre of a circular arrangement of tombs which would once have been a large ceremonial site. While the stones at the site have since collapsed, these would once have formed an entrance way that was aligned and determined by the position of the sun at the summer solstice. One of the most interesting ancient sites in all of Ireland, this is a must for any and all history lovers.


If a combination of exploring the bright lights of Belfast and the tranquil Lagan Valley sounds just the ticket, you’ll want a comfortable base in the city where you can recharge you batteries by night Our Leonardo Hotel Belfast hotel puts you right at the heart of the city and close to plenty of stores, bars and restaurants, though you may enjoy our very own seasonal restaurant and stylish bar on-site. Each of the 270 rooms is modern and cosy, with all the facilities and home comforts you’d need to make your trip a successful stay. Belfast boasts an array of exciting things to see that unquestionably make it a must-visit place. For a comprehensive list of these captivating attractions, be sure to explore our Belfast City Guide.