Belfast ( Béal Feirste ) is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. Historically most of it lay in County Antrim west of the River Lagan, with about a third on the east bank in County Down, but it’s always been governed as a separate metropolis, with a population in 2020 of about 630,000. It’s had a troubled history but is nowadays safe to visit and has the best- developed visitor facilities in Northern Ireland. And its situation means that Belfast can confidently claim to be the most fascinating city in both the United Kingdom and in Ireland.