Cardiff - Capital of Wales
SOUTH WALES TRAVEL GUIDE

Cardiff, Wales' capital city, was not always the capital city of Wales. Cardiff is Europe's youngest capital city, only becoming the Welsh capital in 1955. Cardiff tourism information is on Wood Street near Cardiff Central Train Station.

For most visitors to Wales, Cardiff tourism often means a tour of Cardiff Castle, a glimpse of the mighty Millennium Stadium and a trip to Cardiff Bay - but why not try something different? You can now travel between the city and the Cardiff Bay by water taxi - and view the Millennium Stadium from the River Taff. Then take a jet power-boat trip to Cardiff Barrage, which encloses the freshwater lake of Cardiff Bay, or go as far as Flatholme and Steepholme islands and do a bit of bird-spotting. Whilst you’re in the Bay visit Techniquest - the interactive science museum and planetarium, and you won’t be able to miss the huge Wales Millennium Centre theatre dominating the skyline. This silver-domed building is home to the Welsh National Opera and a poem built into its face, climb the stairs and see which letter you can sit in.

Slap, bang in the middle of the main shopping area of the city you will find Cardiff Castle. It started life as a Roman fort, upgraded by the Normans, finally updated by a Victorian – the then richest man in the world, the Marquess of Bute. Walk alongside the walls and eyeball the ominous animal statues who guard the castle grounds and wonder why one is an oversize Australian wombat.

Ahead of you is St Mary's Street and its network of Victorian shopping arcades which pop out into their modern counterparts - modern, covered mini-malls like the Queen's Arcade. Queen Street, headed up by a statue of Aneurin Bevan, the Welsh founder of the NHS, is full of the usual high street chains. Cardiff is home to the Spillers, the world's oldest record shop and this tiny shop with racks of photocopied album covers somehow still survives.

If you're in the Welsh capital on a Sunday lunchtime, check out the Riverside farmer's market on the Taff Embankment opposite the Millennium Stadium. You’ll find organic leeks, potatoes and all the ingredients to make Welsh cawl (broth), Welsh rarebit or even just cheese on toast.

Just outside the city is the romantic fairy tale castle, Castell Coch, its turrets peeking out of a wooded hillside. A pleasant cycle ride from the city up the river on the Taff Trail, with bikes hired from Taff Trail Cycle Hire in Cardiff Caravan Park, Pontcanna Fields.

Visit Wales' own version of Washington DC's Capitol building in Cathays Park. Unlike their American counterpart the domed, white stone buildings on the edge of the city centre are not the Government buildings, but instead house the National Museum Cardiff and National Gallery Cardiff and Cardiff City Hall. Look at the dome to see a suitably defiant coiled dragon and step inside to sneak a look at one of the world's finest collections of Impressionist paintings.

St Fagans National History Museum is a huge open-air museum of Welsh life and is where Welsh buildings go when they die. Walk back in time as you stroll past old miner’s cottages, farmsteads and cock-fighting pits, or browse through the goods in the hardware shop and stop at the bakers for a cake. All the historic buildings in this museum have been painstakingly labelled, moved and reassembled here in St Fagans.