Belfast City Hall

Belfast's Classical Renaissance Town Hall was built of smooth, white Portland stone in 1906. Highlights of the free 45-minute guided tour include Italian marble, a wedding cake. the lavishness of the Rotunda; an opportunity to sit on the mayor's throne in the council chamber; and idyllic portraits of past mayors. On the ground floor and accessible outside tour times are a series of commemorative stained-glass windows and a visitor's exhibition with displays on Belfast's history spread across 16 rooms.

The Industrial Revolution transformed the city of Belfast in the 19th century. The city's rapid growth is reflected in the lavishness of the building. The hall is placed in front of a statue of a rather 'we don't like' Queen Victoria. The bronze figures on her sides represent the textile and shipbuilding industries. The child in the back represents education.

In the northeast corner of the grounds is a statue of Sir Edward Harland, the Yorkshire-born marine engineer who founded the Harland & Wolff shipyard and served as mayor of Belfast from 1885 to 1886. To the south he is a memorial to the victims of the Titanic.

Address: Donegall Pl, Belfast BT1, Northern Ireland