Founded in 1845 during the reign of Queen Victoria to provide nondenominational higher education, this is Northern Ireland’s most prestigious university. The turreted main building, an imposing example of 19th-century Tudor Revival, may remind you of England’s Oxford; its design was based on the Founder’s Tower at Magdalen College. But there’s much more to this university, which sprawls through 250 buildings and where 17,500 students are studying at any given time. The surrounding neighborhood is a quiet, attractive place to wander, and University Square on the north side of campus is simply beautiful. At one end of the square, Union Theological College, dating from 1853, housed Northern Ireland’s Parliament after the partition of Ireland in 1921 until its abolition in 1972. Tours of the campus can be arranged on request; contact the university’s welcome center for details. Access to parts of the campus may be restricted during exam times.