This knocks the socks off Botanic Gardens any day. It's massive, wilder, nowhere near as crowded…read moreand just lovely. I used to take my spaniel Tiko here every day and he loved it - OK, dogs love anywhere they can run about, but he really did share my love of this park, as there's loads of undergrowth he could and did snuffle into and lots of space to run around. (And if the poor girl whose lunchtime Subway sandwich he scarfed is reading this, I can only apologise yet again.) I haven't been back to Ormeau Park since he died, because, well, I just don't want to at the mo, but some of my happiest memories of him are at this park and it''s probably my favourite outdoor spot in all of Belfast. I love walking past the house in the middle of it and dreaming someday of living there. I'd even give up my Melbourne yearning for that... This is a stellar spot for walking, cycling or skating, and I even saw a mini orchestra happily playing near the bandstand once as well. There are bowling greens, a basketball/netball court and tennis courts, at which I would marvel at healthy types playing vigorously there at 10am on a Sunday, as Tiko and I lurched past. (And if the poor guy whose tennis ball he neatly nipped in and stole is reading this, I can only apologise yet again.) A beautiful park that's a bit bittersweet for me at the moment, but hopefully will become a regular chilling out place for me again. Perfect.

Ormeau Park, the underrated green space of Belfast. I love this place its a little emerald in the…read moregrey concrete of the city. Well cultivated and kept with its grandiose gates and lots of little walks and trails, great for a little peace of mind walk or a wee day out for kids at the pretty awesome play park. My only negative is that I think there could be more done here events wise. It always seems botanic has the monopoly on those. Maybe a winter wonderland like they do at Hyde Park in London and a few Summer events to make use of the bandstand and nice open spaces.

This gym is small, lacking equipment, and in need of a refurb (as already mentioned in these…read morereviews). My experience of it is that it's a badly run gym - so much so that they haven't even bothered to go on here and inform people that it's actually now called Club Vitae, One to avoid.

This gym is simple and a little run down. They don't have much but basic equipment. If you're…read moreserious into you fitness this isn't the gym for you. However if normal gyms intimidate you, this may be your starting place. It's small and quite and no judgments over your work out. They provide some great classes with positive and helpful teachers. Yoga here is especially excellent. I have been to a few yoga classes in my time and I've learnt more here than anywhere else. Good practical tips and they don't push you belong your limits. The pool is small with no deep end. But its perfect the for a morning swim. Again it's a bit run down, which can be a tad frustrating considering this isn't a cheap gym. The hallway to the pool constantly smells bad. The showers and changing rooms are clean, but old. Most keys have lost the scrappy bit for your arm so bring a pin as well as your pound to pay for them. Personally I am willing to put up with all the negatives as this gym as what's most important to me, a pool I can do lengths in with no interruption and no que for machines!

As a keen cyclist I have been familiar with lifecycles for many years, primarily due to its…read morereputation as an excellent place to have your bicycle repaired. I recently had a problem with my bike gears and so brought it down to the lifecycles workshop to have it looked at professionally. Now on first name terms with the guys working there, I always receive fantastic service from the friendly and knowledgeable workers and have to say I'm usually very happy with the work they do. My most recent problem I had with my bike was fixed within 2 days and this for me was very pleasing. They replaced a part on the bike but explained why they had to, what was causing the problem in the first place and how to prevent it in the future. Money well spent!

This place is tucked in the alleyway in Lawrence street, so you may need help with directions on…read moreyour first visit. However, when you get there you can be confident your bike is in good hands. Austin is the guy who runs the shop and I don't think there is anything he doesn't know about bike maintenance. In addition to this, he's pretty cheap compared to other similar bike repair services in Belfast. I'd advise leaving enough time for any work though- since it's a small business it can probably get busy so rush jobs may not be possible. Still, very happy I have this place so close!

I've only used the pool. I win master the front crawl. A few classes is be interested in trying…read moreso will have to fit them in. Then joy of joy Clements. Coffee after exercise. Life just doesn't get better than this. That and the fun of pretending to be a student. Overall the facilities are great. Loads of classes to choose from and good sized pool.

I've been a member of PEC now since just before Xmas, so just under a month. I'm impressed so far…read more Though I've only used the gym its absolutely great. Lots of machines and rarely a wait for anything. Its also extremely good price wise with no long contracts. I'd highly recommend the place if your looking for a well stocked, convenient gym or leisure centre with long opening times. Spot on!

I am so lucky to live beside this part of the National Cycle Network and use it frequently…read more Running from the city centre to Comber along an old disused railway line the Greenway is always a hive of activity with commuting and leisure cyclists, dog walkers and just those wanting to 'take the air'. This traffic-free route also has some stunning views of the famous cranes of Harland and Wolff and also of the fields towards Comber. My favourite stretch has to be when the hedges open up near the Comber end, with rolling hills and Scrabo Tower in the distance, which is the quieter end of the route. Be careful cycling up here though, as at certain times of the year there are loads of rabbits playing about in this area, my biggest count was 23 on one morning!

This is right next to where I work and I've been meaning to check it out properly for the last year…read moreor so and just never really got around to it. As of this week I've started doing alternate days of power walking at lunchtime as I've not been exercising for far too long, and I'm so lucky to have Comber Greenway on my doorstep! This is a 7 mile section through East Belfast on what used to be a railway line. It is absolutely stunning, so peaceful, you forget you are still in Belfast!

This leisure center is quite dated looking form the outside and could do with a revamp inside. The…read moregym is quite depressing, as if its not hard enough to motivate yourself to go and work out it doesn't help when you feel like your in a white wash concrete prison. This gym has a good indoor football court and squash courts. It is also the home of the famous wave maker and has some adequate water slides for the kids. However don't expect to be able to swim lengths or anything because the pools isn't designed for that. All in all it is clean and cheap and the staff are lovely too.

This leisure centre could be doing with a lick of paint in some places, but i love coming here as…read morethe swimming pool is fantastic. The pool is massive and the wave machine is great fun, and you'll see as many adults as you will kids enjoying it lol. This place can be hectic at weekends and school holidays so if you have an aversion to annoying screaming kids you might want to go at a quieter time. My girlfriend goes along to an aqua aerobics class here as well, and she thinks its one of the best classes she's been to. So might be worth enquiring about that if you're interested in seeing this pool but getting fit at the same time.

The present site of the Harbour Office has been in use since 1847 as the headquarters of the…read moreBelfast Harbour Commissioners. The building was constructed between 1847 - 1854, firstly designed by George Smith in 1854 and later by the Belfast architect William Henry Lynn. The building was done in style of an Italian palazzo. It features some gorgeous marble mosaic floors and stunning stained glass windows the most impressive of which shows the Seal of Belfast Harbour Commissioners, others depict commerce, ship building and enterprise as well as featuring a number of the coat of arms of cities with which Belfast has done business. The site is also home to a fascinating art galley. The collection here has been built up over the years by Harbour Commissioners. The gallery is located in ornate and opulent rooms decorated in Victorian fashion, the art works nestle themselves happily on these walls. The rooms boast work from prominent Irish artists such as; William Conor and Joseph Carey. There are also a number of sculptures from France and Italy. Mainly though the collection is impressive in its historical importance. There are a number of old landscapes, historical events and relevant scenes from Belfast's past. For example there is an 1851 painting of Belfast Harbour's Ferry Steps. Other pieces include the portrait of Sir Robert Baird, Proprietor of the Belfast Telegraph and Harbour Commissioner from 1932 to 1934. As part of European Heritage Weekend on 11th & 12th of September the Belfast Harbour Office will be open to the public for a chance to view the fascinating history within its walls and sneak a peek at the famous art collection.

As part of the European Heritage Open Day two friends and I visited this impressive building. The…read moreguide was very interesting and knowledgeable and gave us a thorough account of the Commission, its role, its inception and its future. I really was impressed with everything the commission is responsible for!!

To start off my review, I feel I should really praise the location, which just a few minutes from…read moreForestside and only 8 minutes from the city centre, which is a good start! We went here as part of a party recently and was a really good experience! I have been karting a few times and the track here is really good, with long, high speed corners and hairpins and tunnels to challenge any driver! This place can be enjoyed by all ages, as when we were there were people ranging from under ten to over 50 getting stuck into some karting fun! It is also equipped with a large function room so it may be suitable for corporate outings or team building nights out. £15 for 15mins There are a wide range of options o race including arrive and drive, "Adrenaline Rush" which is around £30 for a qualifier then a race, Grand Prix which has a more professional structure and Team endurance! The staff were friendly and all too willing to help, and were well organised in getting us out on track swiftly, which was appreciated greatly!

Enjoyable experience no doubt - physically demanding on a very intricate course -whether you…read morechoose a Grand Prix style race or a team race. There is even medals and a rostrum for the top 3 - highly recommended

From downtown Belfast you can't really tell what awaits you. The mountain is bigger than you might…read morethink from a distance. There's at least one cave on the northern route that you can scramble up to (need to be comfortable with exposure and basic climbing). Great views of the city and surrounding countryside, even Scotland if it's not raining. There are also lots of (steep) mountain biking trails.

If you are coming from Belfast city centre, you can take most pink metro buses for Antrim Road…read more (1d, 1e, 1c etc) and get off at Strathmore. There is a huge brown sign for Belfast Castle . Take Innisfayle Park and you cant miss the CaveHill park gates. I think there are three trails. Castle (1.3km), Estate (3.9km), CaveHill (4.5km). I have been around the different trails many times. From sunny strolls with a picnic on the Estate route to running the Cavehill trail in the lashing rain, its a park that offers much to its visitors. Cavehill trail starts at Castle with a gentle hill and dips into a forest lined with flora pathways and wooded areas covered with bluebells, streams and wildlife. You can stay on main trail or wander around to explore the many trees and vegetation. Just be on the look out for mountain bikers as they take many winding, smaller routes and appear out of nowhere. The trail had a few look out points with resting stones. McArt's Fort and Napoleons nose are some of the more well known features. There are a few ways to get to top. If you dont fancy the longer track to right after cave you can go left and run up either two small paths. Much harder on the quads but quicker and a lot more rewarding. Once at the top there are wonderful panoramic views over Belfast & beyond. Some additional points: Free parking and free access to trails O2 network has coverage at top (for selfie glory) Watch out at wooden steps as many visitors have worn down the ground revealing metal stakes that were put in to secure the land. When you are on a quick sprint down its easy to catch your toe and fall (as my friend did) Bring water! Family friendly but expect to carry smaller kids on steeper parts.

What a difference from the old Windsor Park! For anyone who didn't know Windsor Park has undergone…read morea major makeover. It's taken nearly five years to complete from when they bulldozed the old railway stand but the improvement is amazing! The National Football Stadium (as it is to be known going forward) now has a seating capacity of 18,500 but you'd swear there were more fans in the new enclosed stadium. For the new South and West stands you enter the stadium through Boucher Road, which still remains somewhat of a building site as they apply the finishing touches (OCT '16). For the North Stand and improved Kop you enter through Tates Avenue as before. The concourse of the stadium is still not completely finished so the only food and drinks options are located outside of the stand, on opening night they had burger/snack vans parked up but hopefully when the concourse is complete they have bar and food facilities indoors. This really is a modern entertainments arena, not just fit for football but for concerts and other sporting occasions!

Rain or shine this ground will be rocking... GREENAWHIARRRRMYY…read moreGreat new stadium for the national team to play in, long needed an upgrade... Toilets not yet installed and access a bit bad at the minute but will all be sorted out soon... Do not listen to event staff who try to give "directions".