It has taken only a decade for Belfast to transform itself. The battered target of terrorists has become a lively, fast-moving metropolis with character and charm lacking in other big British cities.

Since the 1997 ceasefire and Good Friday Agreement, massive investment has generated a booming economy. The inner city and riverside areas have attracted new shops areas, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and hotels.

On top of that, a recent UN report acclaimed Belfast as “the second-safest city in the world, behind Tokyo”.

Leaving George Best Belfast City Airport, you sense a feeling of change and optimism. Stunning new buildings and pretty gardens blend with classic Baroque and Victorian buildings.

One new building dominating the skyline is our base, the award-winning Fitzwilliam Hotel, right in the heart of the city.

I could have quite happily stayed in the stylish hotel all day, but there was a city out there waiting to be discovered.

First up, I joined the Titanic Walking Tour at the former Harland and Wolff shipyard, where the doomed liner was built from 1909.

Next to the dock is the equally awe-inspiring Thompson Pump House, which could pump 23 million gallons of water into the dock when a ship set sail, or drain water out in 100 minutes if a ship came in for repair.

Later, we headed for the new Victoria Square Shopping Centre, beneath an impressive glass dome which is a prominent feature in the city skyline.

Nearby is St George’s Market. Opened in 1896, and restyled with a £3 million Lottery Fund grant, it’s a vibrant place, full of local produce, antiques, clothes and crafts, mainly run by family businesses.

Next day, it was time to look more closely into recent history. The Black Cab Political Tour takes in the murals and peace walls of west Belfast, particularly Falls Road and the Shankill estate.

For many years, huge murals on the sides of houses and walls helped to define Protestant and Catholic districts. But in the spirit of reconciliation, new murals have themes of peace and tolerance.

South Belfast (the Queens Quarter) is a leafy area which houses Queens University and the Botanic Gardens with its beautiful Palm House, completed in 1852.

Next to the Palm House is the unique Tropical Ravine. A huge red-brick greenhouse, built in 1889 and designed by the garden’s curator Charles McKimm. Inside the humid atmosphere, a raised walkway overlooks a vibrant jungle, compete with tropical ferns, plants, fish, orchids, lilies and huge banana plants.

Until recently, Sunday mornings were quiet with only churches open. It doesn’t satisfy many tourists, so some galleries began to open at 11am.

Those I saw, within walking distance of each other in the Cathedral Quarter, were varied and diverse.

Belfast Exposed includes 20 years of contemporary photography, while the Belfast Print Workshop and Gallery had beautiful screen and lithographic prints and etchings. Try the Golden Thread Gallery for quirky sculptures, artwork and multi-media installations.

We also saw the Northern Ireland War Memorial and Home Front Exhibition (open Sundays, May to September), with a Second World War veteran as our guide to explain the grim life in wartime Northern Ireland.

No visit to Belfast is complete without a ride on the Wheel of Belfast, alongside City Hall.

At its peak, on a bright afternoon, we had a bird’s eye view of the city from the hills in North Belfast to Samson and Goliath, the iconic Harland and Wolff yellow cranes in East Belfast and the River Lagan winding through.

Far below, people sat on the grass and outside cafes, watching the day go by. Peace seems to have returned to this city.

Travel Facts: * Laura Wurzal stayed at The Fitzwilliam Hotel, where an overnight stay with three-course dinner at Menu by Kevin Thornton and full Fitzwilliam breakfast starts at £148 per room (two sharing).

* Reservations: 028 90222080 and fitzwilliamhotelbelfast.com.

* You can fly to Belfast from Leeds Bradford Airport with jet2.com.

* Info: Northern Ireland Tourist Board at 0808 2342009 and discovernorthernireland.com.