Belfast

For the last few decades of the 20th century, while the sectarian Troubles ravaged Northern Ireland, tourists rightly stayed away from its capital city. But the peace process — along with investments from the south — have injected new life into Belfast. Today's city center is bright, busy with rebuilding, and bustling with tourists. Visit the excellent Titanic Belfast Museum (on the site where the ship was built), take a guided tour through Unionist as well as Nationalist neighborhoods, and share a pint with an opinionated local. Pubs with security gates are reminders that the island is still split — but around them, unsinkable Belfast continues to rise.