Running through parts of Belfast, the peace walls are barriers built to separate communities during the years of conflict in Northern Ireland. Now covered in murals and messages, they have become a place of reflection and a stop for many visitors. The walls were first put up in the late 1960s, at the start of the long period of strife, to keep apart neighbourhoods of different traditions. They were meant as a temporary measure. Over the decades the barriers grew taller and more numerous, made of brick, steel and wire, snaking between streets across the city. Some run for a considerable distance. One of the best-known stretches divides two famous roads, each the heart of a different community, and is a frequent stop on tours of the city. Its surface is thick with painting. Murals and messages cover the walls, some marking the divisions of the past, others calling for peace and unity. Visitors from around the world have added their own words. Gates in the walls were once closed each night to seal off the communities, and some are still shut after dark. They are a stark reminder of recent troubles. Tours led by local guides, often in black taxis, take visitors along the walls and through the divided districts, telling the story of the conflict. They offer a frank and personal account. The guides share memories of the hard years and hopes for the future, giving visitors a human view of the history. Their stories bring the place to life. Though peace has come, many of the walls still stand, a sign of divisions that have not wholly healed. Their future is a matter of ongoing debate. Nearby streets are lined with murals marking the events and figures of the conflict, forming an open-air record of recent history. They are studied and photographed by many. For all their grim purpose, the walls have become a place where visitors reflect on conflict and reconciliation, and add their own hopes for peace. They are a sobering sight. The walls run through several parts of Belfast, in Northern Ireland, chiefly in the districts west of the centre. Tours set out from across the city. For visitors they offer a powerful and thought-provoking glimpse of recent history.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Belfast, United Kingdom, Belfast, United Kingdom, BT13 2AB