Belfast's green place for everyone

By Mark Simpson BBC Ireland correspondent

Paris has a famous tower, Rome has a colosseum, Berlin has a wall and Belfast has a mountain.

In the list of Europe's top tourist attractions, it's not hard to decide which of the above is the least attractive.

How many Europeans would consider flying to Belfast to see Divis and Black Mountain?

The mountain offers stunning views of Belfast and beyond

A better question might be - how many people in Belfast ever visit those mountains?

Most people ignore them, even though they're only 15 minutes from the city centre.

They may glance at them when they're covered in snow in the winter, but the rest of the time, they're regarded by many urban dwellers as a rural irrelevance.

But that may be about to change, now that the 1,500 acres of land is no longer out of bounds.

The Ministry of Defence has sold the land to the National Trust, and the mountains are now back in the hands of the people.

And it's not just hairy hikers and rugged ramblers who will have the chance to enjoy the land.

Stroll for miles

There'll be room for walkers, nature-lovers and sightseers - young and old.

"The view over Belfast really is quite stunning," says Mike Dobson from the National Trust.

"You can see the whole city laid out at your feet below you. On a clear day, you can see England, Scotland and Wales.

"And going to the back of Divis you can see right across to Donegal and the Inishowen peninsula."

The aim is to attract 20,000 to 30,000 visitors a year.

A new car park will be built near the summit.

This means that walkers will be able to stroll for miles without having to climb too far.

The fact that it's in the hands of the National Trust means there'll be no danger of illegal quarrying and dumping, and the Army have removed their military trappings.

The hills will be opened up to walkers and sightseers

Black Mountain, including Divis, was first leased by the Ministry of Defence in 1953, during the Cold War.

It was used as a training area, with a small arms range.

When the lease expired in 1986, the MoD purchased the site, and it was used as a communications site throughout the worst of Northern Ireland's Troubles.

It was deemed surplus to requirements in 1999 and then sold to the National Trust for £3m.

In many ways, it's now part of the peace dividend.

One of its big advantages is that it's neutral territory.

Unlike the city below, these mountains do not have any political flags, sectarian graffiti or painted kerbstones.

When it comes to the environment, the greening of Belfast is something that both sides of the community can support.