Cave Hill & Napoleon's Nose
Cave Hill & Napoleon's Nose features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Belfast. Give it roughly ~180 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type nature
- Suggested visit ~180 min
- Belfast Belfast guide
About Cave Hill & Napoleon's Nose
A dramatic 368-metre basalt escarpment above north Belfast whose profile resembles Napoleon Bonaparte lying on his back, where Wolfe Tone planned the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
Cave Hill is the great natural landmark that defines north Belfast's skyline, a craggy basalt escarpment rising 368 metres above the city, formed by the same volcanic eruptions 60 million years ago that created the Giant's Causeway on the Antrim coast. From south Belfast, the hill's rocky profile uncannily resembles the face of Napoleon Bonaparte lying on his back, a likeness so striking that Belfasters have called it Napoleon's Nose since the Napoleonic era. At the summit sits McArt's Fort, an ancient promontory fort where in 1795 Theobald Wolfe Tone and Henry Joy McCracken looked down at Belfast below and swore to pursue Irish independence, a meeting that directly inspired the United Irishmen's rebellion of 1798. Five artificial caves carved into the cliff face give the hill its name; these probable Iron Age souterrains have attracted legend and speculation for centuries. Belfast Zoo occupies the lower slopes, and a network of waymarked walking trails leads from the cave park to the summit, rewarding walkers with extraordinary views across Belfast Lough toward Scotland.
Did you know? The profile of Cave Hill's basalt cliffs, when viewed from south Belfast, closely resembles Napoleon Bonaparte lying on his back, a likeness Belfasters have noted since the Napoleonic Wars.
How long is a visit to Cave Hill & Napoleon's Nose?
Set aside roughly ~180 min for Cave Hill & Napoleon's Nose. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Cave Hill & Napoleon's Nose worth your time?
Cave Hill & Napoleon's Nose is among the 22 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Belfast, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Belfast
Hear the story of Cave Hill & Napoleon's Nose
Preview the Belfast tour free in the Gingerguide app.