Heading to the Welsh capital some time soon? Here’s our choice of the top 10 things to do in Cardiff.
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle in the heart of the city is a remarkable site with more that 2,000 years of history. Roman soldiers slept here, noble knights held court here, and the Bute family’s extraordinary wealth transformed it into a romantic Victorian fantasy. Within its walls are the Wartime Shelters, an evocative re-creation of a bygone era when its tunnels were used as a place of refuge during the World War II air raids. The Castle also holds traditional Welsh Banquets, an evening of Welsh food, wine and music, in the 15th century Undercroft.
See cardiffcastle.com
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium, with its retractable roof and 74,500 capacity is an icon of modern Wales. Initially built to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup, it has gone on to host many other large-scale events, such as the Tsunami Relief concert, the Super Special Stage of Wales Rally Great Britain, the Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain, and numerous music concerts. It’s also, of course, the home of Welsh rugby and sometime host of the national football teams. There are tours throughout the year.
See millenniumstadium.com
National Museum Cardiff
This museum in the heart of the elegant civic centre houses Wales’ national art, natural history and geology collections. It also hosts major touring and temporary exhibitions, from Impressionist paintings to enormous dinosaurs. Contents include one of the finest and largest collections of Impressionist paintings in Europe outside of Paris.
See museumwales.ac.uk/cardiff
St Fagans National History
Voted one of the UK’s top 10 free attractions by users of TripAdvisor, St Fagans is one of Europe’s foremost open-air museums and Wales’s most-visited heritage attraction. It stands in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle, a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth. During the last 50 years, more than 40 original buildings from different historical periods have been re-erected in the 100-acre parkland. There are also galleries with exhibitions of costume, daily life and farming implements.
See museumwales.ac.uk/stfagans
Doctor Who Experience
Step though a crack in time and help the Doctor, armed with his Sonic Screwdriver to escape from his foes, fly the TARDIS and come face-to-face with Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels. You’ll also find the largest ever collection of original Doctor Who props and artefacts including the entire collection of the Doctors’ iconic costumes from 1963 to the present day. In the summer, the Doctor Who Experience offers official Walking Tours visiting locations used in filming.
See doctorwhoexperience.com
Cardiff International White Water Centre
Winner of ‘Best Visitor Experience’ at the Visit Wales Awards, CIWW is an on-demand white water rafting facility in the International Sports Village, Cardiff Bay. With its variable river flow, adventurers of all levels can enjoy the thrill of white water. The action-packed activities include white water rafting, kayaking, river boarding, hydro speeding and hot dogging as well as the new indoor surfing facility. There are plans to launch a new High Ropes attraction later in 2014. For a more sedate challenge, the flat-water area offers paddle sports from the mild to wild in a fun-filled environment.
See ciww.com
Shopping
Recently named the 6th best shopping destination in the UK, Cardiff is known as the ‘City of Arcades’, with its six charming Edwardian and Victorian arcades and ultra-modern St David’s Shopping Centre. Cardiff has the whole spectrum of shopping with a combination of designer brands, high street names as well as more individual and independent shops. And when you’ve had your fill of retail therapy, there are plenty of cafés, restaurants and bars to stop and relax in.
See cardiffcastlequarter.co.uk, morganquarter.co.uk and stdavidscardiff.com
The great outdoors
Cardiff has plenty to offer those seeking less urban surroundings. The Cardiff Barrage Embankment, set in a unique maritime setting overlooking Cardiff Bay and the Severn Estuary, has a relaxed and tranquil character. You can also experience the unique environment of Flat Holm Island (above), just 50 minutes from the city by boat. The island is rich in wildlife (there are more 4,400 gulls including two pairs of the great black backed gulls) and steeped in history. Learn about the Danish invaders taking refuge on Flat Holm, St Cadoc who visited the island for periods of tranquillity, and the first ever wireless radio transmission across water.
See cardiffharbour.com and flatholmisland.com
St David’s Hall
St David’s Hall is Wales’s largest performing arts venue. It is home to the annual Welsh Proms Cardiff, a world-class Orchestral Concert Series and the biannual BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, as well as jazz and soul, dance, children’s theatre, ballet and musicals.
See stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk
Wales Millennium Centre
The Wales Millennium Centre, home to the Welsh National Opera, has a reputation as one of the country’s top arts and cultural destinations with show’s from West End musicals, such as Wicked to ballet, contemporary dance and much more.
See wmc.org.uk
For more on Cardiff see visitcardiff.com
For more on Wales see visitwales.com
Did we miss out on your favourite? Leave a comment below
