Northern Ireland and Newry Sightseeing

I've never been to Northern IrelandSingAnd that's why we set off for the land of trolls and goblins. Exploring the south of Northern Ireland and Newry sightseeing without a car – that's our motto here. Newry, a city that doesn't seem to offer much beauty at first glance. But let's take a look behind the scenes 🙂

Right in February, we're writing the year 2020, many great travel destinations are available in Southeast Asia, the Canary Islands, and perhaps even Africa. Warmth, sun, and sea sound tempting, but not adventurous. Newry is by the sea and the climate in Ireland at this time of year is correspondingly harsh, cold, and wet. So, it's perfect for spending some time with the family.

It started for us in the middle of the night. Our bus to the train station departed around 4:50 AM, with us on board. yawn. We flew from Zurich to Dublin and booked a return ticket to fly back from Dublin as well. The Brexit takes place in 2 days, so we thought it too risky to leave from Belfast. Of course, we haven't noticed anything about Brexit here, as primarily the media outside the UK reports on it.

Having arrived in Newry, our first impression had to wait a little. We were simply locked in the bus and forgotten there. g which ended in a waiting time of several infinitely long minutes.
Since we weren't out of the bus within 30 seconds with the kids, the doors closed and we couldn't open them from the inside anymore. So we waited until we were spotted from the outside and released back into freedom. Thank you so much!

Newry Sightseeing – Old Town with a Fresh Breeze

The city of Newry currently has 30,000 inhabitants and is one of the oldest cities in Ireland. Our first stop was the Tourist Office at Bagenal's Castle. We were irked by the Lidl, as the way in leads across its parking lot. We spent a good hour inside and got the impression that there's absolutely nothing going on here at this time of year. The person at the Tourist Office gave us 1,000 different documents – about Newry, the surrounding area, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, our Earth, the lunar landscape during half and full moons, and The Universe! In the end, he asked us what on earth we were doing in Newry =)

But it's in Newry, just like anywhere else in the world. There are absolutely beautiful places here and also places for families where kids can let loose. I absolutely love the fact that everything is within walking distance. Nothing is really far away. We live in Wood Hill, which is a 10-minute walk from the center.
If you are planning a stay in Newry for a few days, I can recommend the Canal Court Hotel recommend. I went there for a meal with a few work colleagues. It's a great wellness and spa hotel and it's right in the city.
The people here in Newry are super friendly and accommodating. Not that American, superficial friendliness, but very authentic. That makes life here very pleasant.

Sticky Fingers – Family Offer

We immediately found a connection at Sticky Fingers, an art-inspired children's cafe right in the city.
Editor's note: I always mention „in the city“ because there are an infinite number of things for which you need a car. Anyway, at Sticky Fingers, kids can paint, play, romp, and craft. There's a large workshop where you can craft as much as you want for 5 GBP (approx. 6 EUR), and parents get a coffee too 🙂 There's also a large fairy tale world with trolls, their houses, and a beach with a boat and lots of sand toys. Perfect for the (daily) rainy season.

Warrenpoint

The nearest beach is in Warrenpoint, a small harbor town or maybe better a harbor village 🙂
Just 15 bus minutes from Newry, you'll find a great promenade here. Admittedly, without shops and restaurants, but with a great beach and a beautiful view over to Ireland. It's surely great here in the summer, but we also spent a fantastic morning here now. The kids could collect shells and stones, and we had lunch at a really delicious restaurant, Deli Lites. From Warrenpoint, by the way, you can take a ferry to Ireland from May to September. Funny Story: We have vouchers in the office for all sorts of shops in Newry. Including for the ferry: Our company is paying for the return trip LOL, I wonder if people are running away to Ireland?? Who knows, who knows...

Belfast

Our northernmost car-free excursion took us to Belfast. The capital of Northern Ireland is just one hour away from Newry. We focused on the hotspots here: the Titanic Museum, the Victorian market hall „St. George's Market,“ and of course the chic Victoria Square. The ideal place for shopping =) besides the great old town. The market hall was really good and there was delicious food there, however, the market hall is no comparison to other market halls, such as Valencia's „Central Market“.

There are many more things to do here, like the Black Cab Tour, where you'll be driven past many great places in a taxi, which is definitely a good bad-weather activity for Belfast 🙂 We also skipped the „W5“ Science Museum. Maybe there will still be time for that soon. But what you absolutely shouldn't miss is the

Titanic Museum

Here in Titanic Museum Belfast It shows and explains how the Titanic was built across four floors, especially under what brutal conditions. Many of the workers went deaf within a short period of time due to the noise. It's presented in a very exciting way because the stories are told by the workers themselves and by survivors, in their original voices. This effectively conveys the emotions, not only the primarily negative ones but also the anticipation for the voyage itself. Outside, you can still see the original tugboat of the Titanic. There were indeed several, but only one of them has been preserved.

Conclusion

All in all, we're having a great time in Northern Ireland. Newry is a pleasant place to live because everything feels very familiar here. We'll naturally be starting more tours from here, and later on with a car. But for now, here are a few snapshots and impressions.

Have fun…