Parliament House

The dazzling white neoclassical façade of Parliament House at Stormont is one of Belfast's most iconic buildings; in the North, 'Stormont' carries the same connotation as 'Westminster' does in Britain and 'Washington' in the USA - the seat of power. For 40 years, from its completion in 1932 until the introduction of direct rule in 1972, it was the seat of the parliament of Northern Ireland.

More recently, on 8 May 2007, it returned to the forefront of Irish politics when Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness - who had been the best of enemies for decades - laughed and smiled as they were sworn in as first minister and deputy first minister respectively.

The building occupies a dramatic position at the end of a gently rising, 1.5km-long avenue and is fronted by a defiant statue of the arch unionist Sir Edward Carson. Parliament House is not open to the public, but you are free to walk around the extensive grounds, and you can take a virtual tour at www.niassembly.gov.uk.