A few hours north of Dublin, Belfast straddles the Lagan River. Nicknamed "Old Smoke," Belfast was only a village in the 17th Century, but with the influx of Scottish and English settlers, particularly during the Industrial Revolution, the city boomed. The inviting public park at Queens University, named after Queen Victoria who granted Belfast with city status in 1888, hosts Ulster Museum, the city's one major museum. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.
