Belfast Castle, Belfast, United Kingdom

Belfast Castle is set on the slopes of Cavehill Country Park, providing views over the city of Belfast and Belfast Lough. The original castle, built in the late 12th century by the Normans, was located in the town itself, flanked by the modern day High Street, Castle Place and Donegall Place in what is now Belfast city centre. This was the home of The 1st Baron Chichester (better known as Sir Arthur Chichester), but was burned down in 1708, leaving only street names to mark the site. Rather than rebuild on the original site, the Chichesters decided to build a new residence in the city's suburbs, today's Belfast Castle emerging as a result. The building that stands today was built between 1811 and 1870 by the 3rd Marquess of Donegall. It was designed in the Scottish baronial style by Charles Lanyon and his son, of the architectural firm Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon. After Lord Donegall's death and the family's financial demise, the 8th Earl of Shaftesbury completed the house.

It was his son, the 9th Earl of Shaftesbury, who presented the castle to the City of Belfast in 1934. In 1978, the Belfast City Council began a major refurbishment over a period of ten years at a cost of over two million pounds. The architect was the Hewitt and Haslam Partnership. The building officially re-opened to the public in 1988.

The castle boasts an antiques shop, a restaurant and visitors centre and it is a popular venue for conferences, private dining and wedding receptions.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

User Reviews

phxquilt (2 years ago)
Beautiful! Gardens lovely. Great views. Wedding going on the day we visited so we didnt get to see anything inside. Small public loos. Elevator avail.

PH (2 years ago)
I went for a walk up Cave hill but unfortunately the view wasn't great due to the grey rainy weather. You can see for miles on a clear day. There are a few paths through the woods which will take you to the top. A reasonable level of fitness is required as parts are very steep. You can grab a drink, coffee or lunch in Belfast Castle when you get back down. There are several car parks on the road through the park and public toilets at the castle.

Judit Németh (2 years ago)
A nice castle, free to visit, having long opening hours and a nice cafe /restaurant in the basement, with a lovely garden as well, however that's it really. Nice views, a good hiking trail around, but the castle itself is now, in my impression and understanding is mainly for hosting events and catering. It is nice but originally was hoping for some history when planned our visit there.

richard grant (2 years ago)
Beautiful building in a lovely setting looking over the Belfast harbour . Inside there is a small curio shop and a small bar they seem basic food. On the hill you can take a walk to the top of gave hill. If you can manage it the view is amazing but it's not an easy walk if you are not quite fit and healthy.

Roushalsinav M.R (2 years ago)
This is actually a restaurant and not a museum. Good place.. Nice people. A great view of city from here. I really like the garden in front of it. Behind the castle there is a good place to do the trucking and nice place to layer the land.

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German crusaders known as the Livonian Brothers of the Sword began construction of the Cēsis castle (Wenden) near the hill fort in 1209. When the castle was enlarged and fortified, it served as the residence for the Order's Master from 1237 till 1561, with periodic interruptions. Its ruins are some of the most majestic castle ruins in the Baltic states. Once the most important castle of the Livonian Order, it was the official residence for the masters of the order.

In 1577, during the Livonian War, the garrison destroyed the castle to prevent it from falling into the control of Ivan the Terrible, who was decisively defeated in the Battle of Wenden (1578).

In 1598 it was incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Wenden Voivodship was created here. In 1620 Wenden was conquered by Sweden. It was rebuilt afterwards, but was destroyed again in 1703 during the Great Northern War by the Russian army and left in a ruined state. Already from the end of the 16th century, the premises of the Order's castle were adjusted to the requirements of the Cēsis Castle estate. When in 1777 the Cēsis Castle estate was obtained by Count Carl Sievers, he had his new residence house built on the site of the eastern block of the castle, joining its end wall with the fortification tower.

Since 1949, the Cēsis History Museum has been located in this New Castle of the Cēsis Castle estate. The front yard of the New Castle is enclosed by a granary and a stable-coach house, which now houses the Exhibition Hall of the Museum. Beside the granary there is the oldest brewery in Latvia, Cēsu alus darītava, which was built in 1878 during the later Count Sievers' time, but its origins date back to the period of the Livonian Order. Further on, the Cēsis Castle park is situated, which was laid out in 1812. The park has the romantic characteristic of that time, with its winding footpaths, exotic plants, and the waters of the pond reflecting the castle's ruins. Nowadays also one of the towers is open for tourists.

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