Belfast makes list of top tourist spots

Formerly strife-torn Belfast is now one of the world’s top 12 tourist destinations in 2009, according to leading travel guide publisher Frommer’s.

In little more than a decade, Belfast has been “transformed from a fractured city into a hot city-break destination, moving fast towards its 19th-century accolade of the Paris of the north”, said Frommer’s.

Praising Belfast’s landmarks, Frommer’s added: “The army check points that encircled the city centre during The Troubles are a thing of the past; today you can amble along the Golden Mile for relaxed drinks or enjoy Irish music in Cathedral Quarter bars.”

These were the other top destinations for 2009:

:: Istanbul

:: Berlin

:: Cape Town

:: Saqqara, Egypt

:: Washington DC

:: Cambodia

:: Waiheke Island, New Zealand

:: Cartagena, Colombia

:: Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada

:: Civil Rights Trail from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, US

:: Lassen Volcano National Park, California