Cardiff. Atlantic Rim Bowls Championships 2019 Visitor Attractions #FindYourEpic Croeso! On a whistle-stop visit to Wales’ capital city? Cardiff or Caerdydd as we say in Welsh. 01 The capital city of Wales, a truly modern and cosmopolitan city of around 350,000 lovely people. In the Cardiff Bay area, you’ll find some stunning showpiece buildings; the Millennium Centre, a fantastic arts and cultural venue, the slate and glass Senedd (Welsh Parliament Building) and in the city centre, the Principality Stadium with its ‘Thunderbirds are go’ sliding roof. But despite all that forward thinking and huge recent developments in the city centre, it’s a city that has not forgotten its past. The magnificent Civic Centre and National Museum are some of the finest in Europe and Cardiff Castle, a spectacularly unexpected city centre surprise. 02 Here are a few ideas to get you going. Cardiff is a very compact city so nearly everything we mention can be visited on foot. Cardiff Castle Cardiff Civic Centre/ We recommend that you start your Cathays Park tour of Cardiff at Cardiff Castle. Cardiff’s Civic Centre is the finest Its the best place to get your in the British Isles, even if we do bearings. You can’t miss it. Cardiff say so ourselves! There are some revolves around it. It’s like a big seriously impressive buildings calm cube right in the city centre. here. The centrepiece is the Originally a Roman fort, it’s now a magnificently domed, snarling mixture of buildings from all eras. dragon topped City Hall; the Ultimately, it was the 3rd Marquis dragon looks as if it’s guarding of Bute, one of the richest men an egg, presumably Wales. on the globe, who transformed Cardiff Castle into the mock Gothic Nearby buildings which make up extravaganza we have now. the Civic Centre include; Cardiff University, the Temple of Peace We highly recommend that you and the Welsh National War take the guided tour. (and if you Memorial which is a beautiful and have a little more time, book surprisingly quiet place to sit and yourself onto a specialist tour relax right in the city centre. such as the ghost tour or the film locations tour) The interior of the castle is absolutely stunning. Then climb up to the top of the 12th century Norman Keep (the little castle in the middle of the grounds) for great views over the city and out to Cardiff Bay and the sea beyond. www.cardiffcastle.com 03 Cardiff Castle 04 National Museum of Wales National Museum of Wales The Principality Stadium 05 National Museum of Wales The Principality Stadium You’re likely to spend a lot of your The Principality Stadium is quite time in the next building; the simply magnificent. The stadium National Gallery and Museum of dominates the city and has Wales. It’s the big domed one next become an iconic symbol of to City Hall. The museum is one not only Cardiff, but of Wales as of the finest in the UK. If you had a whole. the time you could quite happily The capacity is 74,500, (78,000 spend a few days wandering the for boxing) and all seating has galleries, but because you don’t, an excellent, unimpeded view of highlights include: the Evolution the action on the pitch. Its four of Wales gallery; packed with high masts hold up a massive sliding tech paraphernalia; scary moving roof, the second largest of its type dinosaurs, earthquakes, volcanoes in the world. It opens and shuts that sort of thing. in no time. Each of the stadium’s The main draw for most people is fifteen bars are equipped with the the Davies Collection. The largest so-called “joy machines” which collection of Impressionist and Post can pour 12 pints in less than Impressionist paintings outside 20 seconds. Paris. Cezanne sits next to Renoir Take the tour of the stadium which and Rodin, opposite Monet, near includes running down the players’ Pissarro, over by Manet. Look out tunnel. Imagine yourself being for Van Gogh’s stunning Rain at greeted by 74,500 people eagerly Anvers – angry slashes of rain run awaiting the pain and the glory of right across what is otherwise a rugby at its best; they even play beautiful landscape, it was painted the crowd cheering and the Welsh just weeks before his suicide. National Anthem. Quite stirring is On a lighter note you will be an understatement! pleased to know that that the www.principalitystadium.wales/ museum is completely free! Like tours most museums its closed on Mondays, so don’t get caught out by that one! www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/ cardiff 06 Bute Park Few capital cities have such a spacious green area in the heart of their city. Bute Park contains several sites of historic interest dating back to Roman and medieval times. Cardiff Castle, the famous Animal Wall and Gorsedd Stones are a few things to see. The park itself was landscaped in the late eighteenth century by Capability Brown and had alterations in the late nineteenth century by the 3rd Marquess of Bute. In 1947, the Marquess of Bute gave the park to the people of Cardiff. Go and take a look at the Animal Wall, it‘s a Grade One Listed Building in its own right! 07 Bute Park 08 Retail therapy. Queen Street and the Hayes are Cardiff’s shopping hubs with high street chains and cafés dotted along the pedestrianised areas. Cardiff has all the major stores Cardiff Market you’d expect to find in a capital It’s well worth making your way city. But two things make shopping through the crowds of shoppers here a special pleasure – the to find out what Cardiff Central compact city centre and the Market has to offer. The market authentic Victorian and Edwardian has been trading in one form or arcades with their individual and another since the 1700s. It has specialist shops. There are six occupied the same site for over arcades in total, stuffed full of 100 years and although you’ll the quirky and the unusual. Snug longer find livestock tethered and coffee shops sit next to esoteric penned outside its doors, some of club clothing boutiques and chic the old features remain to this day. high end fashion stores. There’s a shop that sells nothing but Within this food-lovers paradise Harry Potter next to one that sells you’ll be sure to find something nothing but violins. And they’re delicious to take your fancy, next to a stylish gin bar and a whether you have a passion for Welsh cheese shop. Welsh Cakes made in front of you or a penchant for Lava Bread Its worth seeking out Spillers (a Welsh delicacy made from Records in the Morgan Arcade. seaweed), there’s also pets, nuts Its the oldest record shop in the and bolts and rock and roll. world! Its served lovers of Vinyl for nearly 120 years! www.spillersrecords.co.uk 09 Cardiff Shopping Spillers Records Cardiff Market St Johns Parish Church 11 Victorian Arcades The Cardiff Story St Johns Parish Church Learn about Cardiff’s history at The This is the oldest church in the city Cardiff Story Museum in the ‘Old centre and apart from sections of Library’, The Hayes. the castle is said to be the oldest building in Cardiff still in constant It’s free entry and has art galleries, use. a learning suite, interactive exhibitions and other objects and The church is next to city centre’s stories that bring to life the history Victorian market. St John’s of the Welsh capital. welcomes about a thousand city visitors a week and hosts After you’ve walked around many different celebrations for the interactive exhibits, head to city institutions, charities, and Bodlon, it’s gift shop stuffed full of individuals. It’s also rather a nice Welsh goodies. Some of the best place to stop for a cup of tea and buys include bars of Nom Nom a homemade cake. chocolate made in West Wales and Melin Tregwynt Welsh wool blankets. www.cardiffstory.com 12 13 Coffee Stops. Or tea if that floats your boat. A firm favourite is Coffee Nearby is Petigrew’s Tea Eat at Gareth Bale’s Barker in the Castle Rooms, located in the Elevens Arcade. The shop has a former Gatehouse of As if being a world famous cool warehouse aesthetic Bute Park. footballer for Real Madrid – exposed brickwork, high David Le Masurier ‘s and Wales wasn’t enough, ceilings and steel girders inspirational story is an international star Gareth characterising the coffee example of someone who Bale has his own premium shop’s contemporary has pursued their dream. sports bar and restaurant interior – Coffee Barker In 2010 he packed in a in his home town. offers something distinctly successful career in the different from the other He partnered with Cardiff’s hotel industry with the coffee shops in the city. biggest brewery, Brains, to intent of establishing a bring local food and beer to A warm and friendly feel traditional British tea room. the venue, which is directly is achieved with a great Two years later Pettigrew opposite the Castle’s Clock mix of cool and comfy tea rooms opened in the Tower. Stop at Elevens for leather seats. Doorstep gate house of Bute Park. a pint of Brains and you sandwiches, appealing Pettigrew tea rooms is may even catch a match paninis and excellent a slice of old fashioned featuring Gareth on one of toasties come in a variety British charm.