I am so lucky to live beside this part of the National Cycle Network and use it frequently…read more Running from the city centre to Comber along an old disused railway line the Greenway is always a hive of activity with commuting and leisure cyclists, dog walkers and just those wanting to 'take the air'. This traffic-free route also has some stunning views of the famous cranes of Harland and Wolff and also of the fields towards Comber. My favourite stretch has to be when the hedges open up near the Comber end, with rolling hills and Scrabo Tower in the distance, which is the quieter end of the route. Be careful cycling up here though, as at certain times of the year there are loads of rabbits playing about in this area, my biggest count was 23 on one morning!

This is right next to where I work and I've been meaning to check it out properly for the last year…read moreor so and just never really got around to it. As of this week I've started doing alternate days of power walking at lunchtime as I've not been exercising for far too long, and I'm so lucky to have Comber Greenway on my doorstep! This is a 7 mile section through East Belfast on what used to be a railway line. It is absolutely stunning, so peaceful, you forget you are still in Belfast!

As you drive along Crawfordsburn Road there is a little parking area and a fence - beyond this…read morefence is a beautiful, peaceful sweeping forest. This walkway is very popular with local dog walkers, ramblers and cyclists. The track is well established and the terrain is mostly flat, making it suitable for even the most unfit person. I often take my dog here and my only gripe is the lack of dog waste bins - this leads many people to lift the poo but leave it in the colorful little bag along the path - why bother lifting it if you're not going to bin it? This walkway runs along the side of Blackwood Golf Center so you can often hear and see the men and women out playing golf - I find this quite reassuring as the forest can be quite dark, looming and a little scary. The walk is part of The Ulster Way and if you fancy a really big walk you can walk from Blackwood forest all the way to Helen's bay - a beach a few miles away. That walk will take a few hours but it is picturesque, beautiful and well worth it if you have the stamina and time. A lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Gorgeous weekend destination with lots to do and see in the downtown area and the outskirts. Plan a…read moresummer getaway here and include taking in the lough, beaches, castle and monastery ruins, downtown area, restaurants featuring oysters, and overall natural beauty!

It's hard to believe that a few hundred years ago pre diesel, petrol vehicles that these towpaths…read morewere the main hub of commerce, when a whole range of goods from flax, coal, grain were barged around the country on man - made fairly shallow canals. Bargees used horses to tow long, flat bottomed wooden boats filled with goods. They encountered bridges, tunnels and hand operated wooden lock gates with lock - keepers who lived beside the locks and who kept their areas in good order. As the industrial revolution gripped and progressed toward steam/diesel and Rudolph Diesel and Henry Ford revolutionised four wheel transport, horses & flat boats became redundant and so these main arteries of trade died. Two hundred years later they are really a great benefit to the public as open spaces to walk, jog, cycle and dog walk. They are maintained by skill less local councils that fail to maximise their potential. They provide spaces for wildlife, wild plants including weeds (let's face it weeds are just plants that humans determine are in the 'wrong place' just like insects become pests as humans determine they have the 'wrong' appetite). I go early mornings or late nights when it's quiet sometimes with a demented Bichon Frise as a companion - it has that little sense it could be the chief executive of our local council. This towpath, which is living history of a gentler commercial time and with no man made lighting, goes for over 20 miles through beautiful gently undulating countryside. It's a joy to have these peaceful places largely untouched and mostly un spoiled so let's keep it that way.

Beautiful location and tranquil park, lovely to have a stroll on a sunny day, even on a rainy day ,…read morejust a gorgeous park .

This is one of Belfast's lesser known spots for a walk. Lady Dixon as its fondly known is awash…read morewith trees and flower gardens, it's especially scenic in autumn when the trees begin to change colour. The park itself is located on the Upper Malone Road and is well sign posted from the city's main highways. There's great parking and our four legged friends are more than welcome in the park. You could see the whole park in about 30 minutes but likewise you could spend all day navigating the different gardens. Gardening enthusiasts will find the perfectly pruned flower gardens particularly interesting. There's a coffee house at the far side of the garden but unfortunately we didn't make it that far. It really is s lovely spot for an afternoon walk. Who needs to pay in to a National Trust park when you've got Lady Dixon on your doorstep!

Lady Dixon Park is the perfect place for Saturday afternoon picnics, Sunday strolls and great place…read moreto walk the dog. The park itself is very well kept with cut grass and perfectly maintained rose gardens. There is lots of different sections to this park and many picnic tables so you will have no problem finding the perfect spot for your picnic. If you have come unprepared there is a coffee shop on the grounds somewhere (I'm not sure where though) so you should be able to grab a coffee for your walk. Great park especially on the rare occasion when the sun is shinning!

This is probably one of the nicest children's play parks in Carrickfergus, and strangely, a lot of…read morepeople don't know about it, as it is quite secluded! There are two entrances to Legg Park, one along the main Belfast Road, just up from the Model Primary School, and another entrance facing the Windrose. The park is fully fenced off and really well equipped with soft flooring, swings, slides and climbing frames. The park is also really nicely landscaped with lots of benches making it pleasant to sit around on a sunny day.