Royal Avenue Belfast

Royal Avenue Belfast

Royal Avenue in Belfast has long been known as one of Belfast's primary shopping districts, with an array of other streets such as High Street branching off leading to some popular Belfast Beer Gardens and hidden shopping gems.

Royal Avenue holds historical significance. The lower half of Royal Avenue showcases stunning Victorian architectural styled buildings that, when compared to a photo from 130+ years ago, still look nearly identical.

Late 1800s Below

2023

Interesting Facts

At the bottom of Royal Avenue, the old Bank of Ireland building stands with a design inspired by the Empire State Building in New York, using the same art deco architectural style. The building was recently purchased by the local authority, with plans to turn it into a tourist attraction.

The avenue was once home to Belfast's grandest hotel, the original Grand Central Hotel, which operated from 1893 until 1972.

Due to the onslaught of The Troubles and its central location, it was commandeered by the British Army and used as a military base. During that time, it was attacked over 150 times by various Republican groups.

It was eventually demolished and replaced with CastleCourt Shopping Centre in the late 1980s, as the army established new purpose-built bases across Northern Ireland.

TV & Drama

The hit TV series Line of Duty, filmed in Belfast, featured Royal Avenue in several scenes. The show used Belfast Central Library as the main police headquarters.

In Season 3, Episode 6, the famous car chase featuring Kate Fleming and Dot Cotton took place along Royal Avenue.

Places of Interest Nearby

• Castle Court Mall
• Belfast Central Library
• No2 Royal Avenue
• Belfast City Hall
• Donegall Street