Visiting Northern Ireland: Belfast Christmas Market

Oh I love a good Christmas market! A couple of weeks ago, I suggested we head to Belfast for a day and spend time checking out the one there. We were there two years ago and from the good memory we had of it, train tickets were immediately booked so we could go visit it again.

This time, we took our Catalan friends with us for the day. The train trip from Dublin to Belfast is quite nice and relaxing. Shortly after leaving Dublin, we started seeing snow covered landscapes which really put us in the mood for everything Christmas related.

After arriving in Belfast, we took a detour via St George's Market and then headed for the Christmas Market.

It is located in front of City Hall and consists of many many stalls of food, hot drinks, decorations, gifts and greenery (Christmas trees, plants and flowers).

It was so cheerful and you could smell the mulled wine and other delicious things everywhere you walked. My nose guided me to the stall where they sell tartiflette (potatoes, bacon bits and onions covered in melted reblochon cheese). I had missed it the last time we visited and my memory serving me well, I remembered to get some this time.

After walking around in the cold and eating warm sweet things (aka a delicious crepe for me - there is a French stall where the ones they sell are flavoured with orange blossom water, so wonderful!), we went to spend a bit of time visiting City Hall. The Christmas tree in there as soon as you walk in is just beautiful! And of course, the exhibition is quite interesting.

We walked some more in the city, had hot chocolates and flat whites at Established Coffee and then it was time to head back to Belfast Central and get the train home to Dublin.

That day was just what I needed to put myself in complete Christmas mode (it is always gradual for me from the start of December). I love Christmas markets and I would gladly travel out of the city to go and visit a decent one.