Overview to Cardiff: Travel Guide and Tourist Information

  Cardiff's Millennium Stadium

Wales’ capital, Cardiff, has a real buzz to it. Like many cities in the UK, though, (with the exception of Cardiff Castle and the impressive National Museum and Gallery) it’s not necessarily a place to go for sightseeing.

The seat of the Welsh Assembly at the Millennium Centre, however, is well worth a look. A striking piece of modern architecture set back off a large, fountain-bedecked square, it’s very much a symbol, and a passionate assertion, of the city’s newfound confidence.

Then there’s the rugby, of course. ‘Welshness’ is not a hard thing to come across in such a fiercely patriotic city as Cardiff. But it reaches absolute fever pitch on a rugby match day when the awesome Millennium Stadium erupts into full voice.

Cardiff is a large university town and its nightlife is suitably energetic. Chic clubs and bouncing bars line the area around St. Mary Street. After a recent facelift the Old Brewery Quarter is a full of modish restaurants while down in the regenerated Cardiff Bay, Mermaid Quay has equally good dining.

Cardiff Bay is also home to the wonderful Jacob’s Antique Centre, a wonderful collection of antique stalls and shops. For more retail therapy, Queens St Arcade is a large arcade spilling over with high street shops; St. Mary Street has a more eclectic independent vibe.

And you don’t have to get out to the stunning Welsh countryside for open spaces: the city also has a number of attractive parks perfect for the (relatively rare!) days when the sun manages to burst through.

Generally speaking, Cardiff is a town of experiences rather than memorable monuments. It’s hard not to be swept along by the warmth of its people and the genuine sense of anticipation that the city holds for the future.

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