Discover Belfast

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park cover more than 128 acres the park is made up of rolling meadows, copses, woodland and gardens and is home to a wide range of plants and animals.The park in south Belfast is one of our most popular parks. It is home to the City of Belfast International Rose Garden, which attracts thousands of visitors to our Rose Week celebrations, which take place in July each year.

The International Rose Garden is located in the Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park which is just a few miles south of the City Centre. If you arrive at the park throughout the summer you will see an extensive display of rose bushes in bloom. The park does not just have a rose garden but over more than 128 acres offers meadows, copses, woodland, riverside fields and formal gardens.

The Belfast Botanic Gardens was established in 1828 by the Belfast Botanic and Horticultural Society and is home to the Palm House and the Tropical Ravine. The Palm House contains a range of tropical plants, hanging baskets, seasonal displays and birds of paradise. This early example of a glasshouse was designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, completed in 1840, although the dome was added in 1852. The Tropical Ravine built in 1889 contains some of the oldest seed plants around today, as well as banana, cinnamon, bromeliad and orchid plants.

Cave Hill Country Park offers some nice panoramic views across Belfast and waymarked walking trails suitable for casual walkers or more serious ramblers. The country park includes Cave Hill Adventurous Playground, archaeological sites, Cave Hill Visitor Centre, an eco-trail, gardens, orienteering routes, and refreshments in Belfast Castle. Its most famous feature, known as ‘Napoleon’s Nose’ is a basaltic outcrop which resembles the profile of the famous emperor Napoleon. The park is named after caves located on the side of the cliffs, and there are three large man-made caves thought to have been originally excavated for iron-mining. Adjacent to the lowest cave is ‘The Devil’s Punchbowl’, also sometimes called ‘The Devil’s Cauldron’, a site where ancient Celtic farmers corralled their cattle. This consists mainly of a steep hill, mainly of rocks and boulders, and is considered dangerous to amateurs. McArt’s Fort on the summit of the hill is an example of an old ráth or ring fort protected on one side by a precipice and on the others by a single ditch, 10 feet (3.0 m) in depth and 25 feet (7.6 m) in width. The enclosed area is nearly level. It is believed that the fort’s inhabitants used the caves to store white foods for the winter and may have served as a refuge during times of attack.