Cardiff travel guide

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Cardiff is situated on the wide estuary of the Severn and is traversed by two much smaller rivers, the Taff and the Rhymmey. It is an important port and makes an excellent base to explore many interesting places in South Wales. Cardiff has always made it presence felt strongly in the cultural area and has several museums, art galleries etc. The Romans were responsible for opening the chapter of Cardiff's history. There are still many beautiful palaces and forts preserved that convey the message of its rich past.

Cardiff offers a wide range of entertainments and sports facilities of all kinds like a golf course and a riding center etc. It is the host in almost all the Welsh sporting events and attracts a large number of tourists for having a perfect holiday.

Fast Facts

The favorite tourists attractions in Cardiff are :

• Cardiff Castle : - is a large castle whose foundations are based upon a Roman fort. It was once the home of the Marquis of Bute.
• The Millennium Stadium : - stadium opened for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, and now hosts most of the Welsh sporting events.
• The Wales Millennium Centre : - is magnificent piece of modern architecture, opened in 2004 by the Queen. It is a host to the opera, dance and musicals throughout the year.
• The National Assembly for Wales or the Senedd : - is the seat of Wales ' national government.
• The Norwegian Church : - was the first established in Cardiff Bay for the large number of Norwegian sailors working in the docks.
• Llandaff Cathedral : - is situated in the ancient 'city of Llandaff ' and is one of the oldest religious sites in Europe.
• Castell Coch : - means the ' Red Castle ' in Welsh is a fairytale castle situated on a hill in the outskirts of the city.
• City Hall : - is the domed roof and one of the landmarks of Cardiff city centre.

Cardiff has an endless list of to-do for its visitors. Below is an example of the things that you will surely love to do :

• Relax in Bute Park or in the grounds of the castle.
• You can have a great time at Cardiff Bay which houses many good restaurants, cafes etc. You can also enjoy boating there with your family.
• Visit the luxury Celtic Manor Resort.
• Take pleasure in Taff Trail that has some of the attractive sights to tranquilize your senses.
• Go to the Brecon Beacons which is the Welsh National Park famous for scenic retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city.

√ Cardiff has some of the best theatre and cinema in UK with large seating capacities.

√ St. David's Hall- is an up class venue for orchestral concerts, recitals and other live music shows etc.

√ Wales Millennium Centre hosts opera and ballet shows and other musical events.

A great location coupled with great food adds up to the perfect dining experience and Cardiff is the perfect place for this. There is wide choice in restaurants and eating outlets in Cardiff that offers all kinds of Thai, Turkish, Japanese, Portuguese, Mexican, Indian, Chinese dishes.

Some of the places worth exploring are :

• Mango House
• Bayside Brasserie
• Bistro 10
• Chiquito
• Crispy Duck

Queen Street is the major pedestrians shopping street and has ample to offer to make your shopping experience a memorable one. It has shops and stores having big brands like Marks and Spencer, Boots, Virgin etc.

Even there are many tourist oriented shops in front of the Castle and inside the Arcades offering you superb Welsh souvenirs and gifts.

Various activities that Cardiff offers you are :

• Climbing
• Paragliding
• Sailing
• Football
• Rugby

• To move around inside Cardiff, you have various options:
• You can take bus which is a convenient and cheap mode of transport.
• Cycles are locally used by almost all the people living in Cardiff.
• Trains and taxis are also good options to travel around.

The Cardiff airport is situated at the southwest side of the city. You can reach Cardiff by air which is expensive but the most comfortable option. There are also well- developed rail connections from the Central Station to London and Birmingham via Bristol to reach Cardiff.