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TOURS

The CS Lewis Tour

Since the publication in the 1950s of his internationally recognised and much loved Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis is now one of the most widely known authors who was born in Belfast. Even among his avid readers there are still many who are not aware of his roots in 19th and early 20th century Belfast. The CS Lewis Tour of central and east Belfast presents an opportunity to enjoy of a day out following in the footsteps of one of our most celebrated authors.

The tour takes in the main locations associated with CS Lewis and his family. It provides an ideal opportunity to understand the background to his life and his writing and the influences of his upbringing on his work. The tour can be adapted to suit the needs of specific groups in terms of time and other requirements such as lunch or a coffee stop which add a leisurely dimension to the appreciation of Lewis and his writing

The weekly Sunday afternoon tour of the Belfast locations can be completed in 2.5 to 3 hours but can be expanded, for specific groups to take in County Down locations and a leisurely lunch.

A regular coach tour is provided in conjunction with Belfast City Council on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer months of June to September. Tours for specific groups can be arranged at other times to suit the group.

Booking: Call the Belfast Welcome Centre on 028 9024 6609 for Sunday afternoon tours or contact Sandy Smith on sandysm1th@hotmail.co.uk, 07816926186, 028 9076 0320 for group bookings.

TOURS

Nearly True Tales Tour

Walk this way to join us on a 'nearly true' trip around Belfast’s city streets, meeting characters from fantastic children’s books. Stories spring to life as your 'nearly true' tour guides blendworlds of fact and children’s fiction with hilarious results.

We are joined on this tour by the renowned world expert on Giantology, Professor Marjory B Lagrande, who is flying into Belfast specially to guide us.

Learn about the worlds of Little Literature, Mini Literature and much more. Discover Belfast’s influence on the world of children’s books from within the stories themselves. And find yourself taking an active role at the centre of these famous stories.

This is an outdoor tour, lasting one hour, so wear strong shoes and be ready for inclement weather.

Where: The tour leaves from Belfast Central Library, 126 Royal Avenue, Belfast.
Booking: Call the Belfast Welcome Centre on 028 9024 6609.

TOURS

Belfast Literary Walking Tour

There are few better ways to get to know a city than through its writers, whether they are locals who appreciate every nuance of the complex city, or visiting scribes, writing of how Belfast assaults the senses of those who meet it for the first time. The Belfast Literary Tour will assist you as you journey through the literary city and the many shades of our history, taking you from the splendour of City Hall or the lives commemorated in Writer’s Square to back alleys and quiet suburban streets across the city where the finest of our writers lived, walked and worked.

Literary Belfast is very much alive, and this tour will take you to places old and new, through history and the changing modern city alike.

Two enthusiasts for the literature of and about Belfast, Hugh Odling-Smee and Robbie Meredith have over the years hosted thousands of interested walkers. The tour lasts for just under an hour and a half.

Many writers are featured during the tour including John Hewitt, Seamus Heaney, Glenn Patterson, Michael MacLaverty, Sinead Morrissey, Frank Ormsby, Kate O'Brien, Leontia Flynn, Brian Moore, Tom Paulin, EM Forster, Paul Theroux and Derek Mahon.

Where: The tour starts at the Crown Bar and ends at the John Hewitt on Donegall Street.
Booking: Call the Belfast Welcome Centre on 028 9024 6609, or contact Hugh Odling-Smee on 07850 813368 or smeeho@gmail.com.