Belfast, Northern Ireland - where the Titanic was built

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland; famous people from Belfast include Sir Kenneth Branagh, Rory McIlroy, George Best, C.S. Lewis, Chaim Herzog, Van Morrison, William Thomson 1st Baron Kelvin, Gerry Adams and Rosemary Church

The Hotel Europa is known as the most bombed hotel in the world after suffering 36 bomb attacks during The Troubles; Bill and Hillary Clinton stayed here in 1995 with their suite subsequently renamed the Clinton Suite (they've visited several times since)

Titanic Belfast opened in 2012, a monument to Belfast's maritime heritage on the site of the former Harland + Wolff shipyard where the RMS Titanic was built; the cheapest admission was $30 and I found the layout crowded and heavy on information to read

The first class cabins on the TItanic were considered better than any hotel of the time; it had an oak wardrobe with bevelled mirrors, carved oak panelling, a lounge area, heater, an electric fan and a push button to summon the steward

The Titanic was built here in the area now paved over; weighing 46,328 tons, the Titanic was the largest manmade moveable object the world had ever seen and longer than the world's tallest building when it launched in 1912

One of the most interesting parts of Titanic Belfast was a video showing the mission in 1985 when Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic more than 2 1/2 miles deep, sitting on the floor of the North Atlantic Ocean

This is the last known photograph of the RMS Titanic taken at 1:55pm on April 10, 1912 from the stern of the tender America; more than 100,000 people watched the Titanic leave Belfast for its inaugural voyage

The magnificent Customs House (one of my favorite buildings here) was finished in 1857 and overlooks the River Lagan; Belfast played a major role in the Industrial Revolution, at one point it was the largest linen producer in the world

This Titanic Memorial at City Hall is dedicated to the 1500+ people who died when the Titanic struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City; it remains the deadliest peacetime sinking of an ocean liner or cruise ship

St. Mary's Church opened here in 1784 when there were only 365 Catholics living in Belfast; the city's Catholic population grew during the potato famine with the church expanding in 1868 with help from local Protestant congregations

Opened in 1862, Ulster Hall is a multi-purpose venue that has remained popular because it is perceived as having better atmosphere than the more generic, modern venues; it is where Led Zeppelin famously debuted Stairway to Heaven in March 1971

The Crown Bar is a great example of a Victorian gin palace and is one of Northern Ireland's best-known pubs; the Crown owes its elaborate tiling, stained glass and woodwork to Italian craftsmen who had been brought to Belfast to work on church construction