Top attractions in Cardiff

Cardiff Bay by Ben Salter

Cardiff’s beautiful architecture overlooks the River Taff, which flows through city on west through a diversion built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and the lips of the Bristol Channel at Cardiff Bay.

Cardiff Bay

The Cardiff Bay regeneration project, that will be commonly regarded as becoming one of the best in britain, includes The Senedd (the Welsh system building); the amazing Millennium Centre; therefore the beautifully restored Pierhead building.

Pedestrianisation

Pedestrianisation is a key feature of Cardiff’s revamped city center: the upshot that is the fact that numerous festivals managed because of the town through the summertime tend to be larger spread and better went to each year. Add to this the profusion of community parks and green spaces that produce Cardiff the greenest destination to live-in Britain, and it’s easy to understand why the city’s relevance towards the tourism business has-been growing steadily considering that the change of century.

The Millennium Stadium

Cardiff has powerful sporting backlinks due to the major national and intercontinental events held in the Millennium Stadium – which hosted the FA Cup last during Wembley Stadium’s extended lack, and that will be home to the Welsh rugby staff and plays host to many associated with the Welsh football team’s games. The Millennium Stadium in addition hosts huge pop concerts and cultural occasions, and contains played a huge part into the recent regeneration associated with the location.

History

Cardiff’s special mix of well-known history and extraordinary innovation can be as obvious with its shopping centres as the general public structures and parks. There are no under 8 impeccably preserved Victorian shopping arcades right here, including the glass-and-iron Morgan Arcade and stunning Castle Arcade. Morgan Arcade is the precise location of the world’s earliest record shop (Spillers) – if you’re trying to find tickets to one of city’s a variety of or underground programs, Spillers is when it is at. During the various other end regarding the spectrum is the epic St David’s, an enormous main plaza featuring the difference to be ninth largest in Britain.

Visit Cardiff

The town features successfully changed herself from dour Welsh commercial port to a thriving town of tradition with an energetic, youthful populace. See Cardiff and discover what 18.3 million tourists a-year know already.

Cardiff Airport by Ben Salter

Cardiff Central Facility by Thomas Duesing

Worldwide flights reach Cardiff International Airport, that will be situated just over 10 kilometers from the town centre.

By train

Nationwide train services come into Cardiff Central railway station, which serves all things in Wales and it has great links to Birmingham and Manchester, from whence contacts are made onto various other significant places in Britain.

Nationwide coach services terminate at Cardiff Central bus place (in the same place as train section).

Some regions of Cardiff have their regional train programs. It’s cheap and simple to visit a suburban train involving the center and Penarth Pier, for example.

By automobile

The M4 links main Cardiff with main London and Swansea. The M5 additionally enters Wales, in which it links up with the M4.

By foot

In the town, base travel may be the strategy to use. Make the most of the pedestrianised elements of the centre, together with helpful visitor signs pointing completely most of the major places and destinations, and explore at your leisure. Biking normally great thanks to the flat elevation associated with the town – you will find period paths extending out beyond the centre into its surrounding boroughs, which will make for excellent jogging and walking aswell.

By coach

There are numerous buses providing the town centre, run by Cardiff Bus. While passes tend to be cheap, you’ll either need to pay making use of the precise quantity required or accept no modification. For a powerful day of sightseeing, get a Network Dayrider pass, that will permit you limitless use of any coach you want in Southeast Wales.

By taxi

Taxis are plentiful, and proceed with the exact same rules as other significant British urban centers. You can find council certified cabs, which in Cardiff are black and white (the bonnet is white); or personal hire cabs. You should only flag a council certified cab down on the street: personal hire automobiles are supposed to just take pre-bookings not end for road individuals.

Cardiff Castle by Phillip Blayney

Cardiff’s record is multi-layered whilst still being very visible: the most obvious memorial into past being Cardiff Castle, which sits proudly in the center of the city. Its existing form may be the outcome of massive Victorian redevelopment.

Industrial Age

Throughout the Industrial Age, whenever Cardiff family the Butes had been pulling money from the floor by means of coal, they substantially modified the look of the town. John Crichton-Smith, second Marquis of Bute, had been in charge of building the Cardiff Docks: and his boy John Crichton-Smith, 3rd Marquis of Bute, redeveloped the Castle.

The second Marquis’ docks had been half of an equation that made the city rich: one other had been the railroad, which reached the docks inside 1830s, firstly through the Taff Vale Railway. Thanks to the Docks, Welsh coal was transported to spots all over the globe, and Cardiff remained Wales’ top exporter of mineral fuels before 1900s.

Cardiff Docks

Contemporary Cardiff owes much into legacy associated with the Docks and also the Bute household: the regenerated Docks area the most impressive elements of the city, and one of the finest examples of urban regenerative planning in the united states. Its initial Pierhead Building sits proudly beside the super-modern Senned, which houses the Welsh parliament and was integrated 2006.

Cardiff's Castles

Cardiff’s five castles are the fairytale beauty of Castell Coch (literally The Red Castle); the Caerau Castle Ringwork (a Norman ring palace); and Penmark Castle, whose ruins are nevertheless noticeable inside a cloak of vegetation.

Public Buildings

Public buildings in Cardiff bear experience into governmental reputation for Wales while the UK: the ornate City Hall, the gorgeous modernist Crown structures (in Cathays Park), are emblematic of Welsh pleasure additionally the march towards devolution.

Cardiff University

Cardiff University in addition has played a key role when you look at the regeneration associated with the town, bringing in 1000s of students towards the Cathays and Pontcanna aspects of city. These areas are also well-liked by young professionals.