Beautiful landscapes, fine local produce and even an intimate evening with a rock star are all highlights of a weekend break in Northern Ireland, says Karen Bowerman.

My guide, David Lyttle, heads into a residential street in west Belfast and stops at the end terrace.

The front of the house looks like any other: small porch, neat net curtains and a white door. But the back is enclosed in a giant metal cage.

The home is just metres from one of Northern Ireland's peace walls, erected during the Troubles to try to defuse tension in areas where loyalist and nationalist communities lived close together.

I find the 8m high wall – and the house with its bars – disturbing. But David makes a telling remark: “Most of us don't see them any more.”

It's a sign of how Belfast has moved on since the peace process of the Nineties. Today, gable ends on the loyalist Shankill and nationalist Falls roads still flaunt propaganda-style murals, but the streets, which were once the centre of sectarian violence, are now popular tourist attractions. David is one of the guides who drives visitors around to see points of interest.

The Europa Hotel, where I'm staying, is another example of how the city's refused to be defined by the past. During the Troubles, the hotel was bombed 28 times. But in 1993, local hotelier Sir William Hastings bought the wrecked building and turned it into a city landmark.

Today, his hotel group continues to support local businesses and regional producers; I enjoy Leggygowan goat's cheese parfait followed by Glenarm salmon for dinner, while breakfast is accompanied by a booklet about the provenance of the food served.

I spend the rest of the morning at the Titanic Museum on the city’s waterfront, not far from the Harland and Wolff shipyard where the liner was built.

The museum's shaped like four hulls, each a staggering 27m (90ft) high – exactly the same height as the Titanic.

Inside, is a high-tech, multimedia experience, with a theme-park-style ride through the shipyard and a 3D film taking visitors on a journey from the engine room, through the lavish decks, to the bridge where everything's calm. Later, the voices of actual survivors recount what happened during the 1912 tragedy.

That afternoon, I head to the Culloden Estate and Spa for tea – with a splash of Hendricks gin. Apparently, its subtle flavour, infused with cucumber and rose petals, makes it the perfect accompaniment to scones and cakes.

The Culloden is a five-star country house hotel in Holywood, County Down, about six miles east of Belfast.

The Belfast singer-songwriter, Van Morrison, has an office in the hotel grounds.

He has recently joined forces with Hastings hotels to offer one-off shows for just a few hundred people.

The events, accompanied by a gourmet dinner, are a chance for people to get to know the performer better.

From Holywood, I explore the Ards Peninsula, following the eastern shore of Strangford Lough, the largest sea inlet in the British Isles, to Newtownards.

Nearby, is Mount Stewart, an 18th-century house owned by the National Trust. It has just reopened after a three-year, £7million facelift.

The property is best known for its 35 hectares of woodland, formal gardens and lakes. With the lough on one side and the Irish Sea on the other.

A short ferry ride across The Narrows takes me from Portaferry to Strangford, where I continue to Newcastle – a seaside town at the foot of the Mourne Mountains.

My room at the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa, which takes its name from the range's highest peak, has views of the crags and Newcastle's sandy beach.

Next door is the Royal County Down Golf Course.

The hotel was originally built by the Belfast and County Down Railway as an end-of-the-line, luxury destination.

It had a bakery, vegetable garden, pigs and a power plant, and offered sea water baths to guests.

Today, its spa is a little more sophisticated; built in conjunction with ESPA, it's spread over two floors, with pools, Jacuzzis and 16 treatment rooms.

That evening, I pay it a visit. I relax in the softly-lit sauna and watch darkness creep over the sea.

The facts

- Karen Bowerman was a guest of Hastings Hotels (028 9047 1066; www.hastingshotels.com) who offer B&B doubles at the Europa, Belfast, from £100, the Culloden Estate and Spa, Holywood, from £185 and the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Newcastle from £110.

- Van Morrison is performing at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle in July and August. Tickets, including gourmet dinner, from £200. Visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk /Slieve-Donard-Hotel-tickets-Newcastle/venue/458789.