| CARDIFF |
PUBLISHING DATE: 2009-03-09 | COUNTRY CODE: GB
Contents: The City, Do & See, Eating, Cafés, Bars & Nightlife, Shopping,
Sleeping, Essential Information, Maps |
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| CARDIFF |
| Cardiff, Europe’s youngest capital city, is famous for its castle, art, dragons, river, Victorian arcades, parks, rugby, music, university, bay and Brain’s beer. A more diverse list you could not imagine, so whether you are an art lover or rugby fan enjoy historical castles or modern architecture like listening to philharmonic orchestras or new bands in pubs, Cardiff really does offer something for everyone. |
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| THE CITY |
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| The Welsh capital magically combines the old with the new. Its stunning castle with 2000 years of history stands a short distance away from the spaceship-like Millennium Stadium. |
| Nowhere is this combination of old and new more obvious than the newly developed Cardiff Bay area where red bricked buildings and old wharfs sit next to new piers and glass fronted restaurants. Old industrial cranes and the remnants of collapsed piers are now modern sculptures and the new boardwalks are lit by old fashioned street lights. The immaculate Pierhead Building built in 1896 sits alongside the Millennium Centre, Cardiff’s equivalent to Sydney Opera House, with its protruding engraved frontage resembling the bow of an enormous container ship. |
| If you prefer old to new then north of the castle sit three dramatic white Portland stone buildings - The Law Courts, City Hall and the National Museum and Gallery. This area is known as the Civic Centre and it’s worth taking a stroll up the wide boulevard to admire the architecture. |
| Cardiff is a compact city and easy to explore on foot and is so well signposted it is impossible to get lost, although you will notice that signs are in both English and Welsh. The street names are also in both languages and don’t be surprised when the person next to you at the bar orders a pint of Brain’s beer in their native tongue. |
For a small city, Cardiff gives the visitor an endless choice of attractions and distractions both old and new. If that’s not enough there are even more fascinating museums and incredible castles on its doorstep as well as stunning areas of natural beauty such as the Brecon Beacons
and the Glamorganshire Heritage Coastline. |
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| WHAT TO DO |
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| Cardiff Castle |
| This first century AD walled fortress has 2000 years of history. In the 17th century it became the home of the Bute family and you can take a guided tour around the grand apartments with their gilt ceilings and murals. |
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| The Big Pit, National Coal Museum |
| Located an hour from Cardiff |
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| The Big Pit, National Coal Museum |
| A UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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| ESSENTIAL INFORMATION |
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| Airport |
Cardiff is served by its own international airport with regular direct flights from the UK and Cardiff International Airport:
The Airbus Xpress (X91) to Cardiff Central Station runs every half hour Monday to Friday from 05.20 – 23.35 and hourly on Saturdays and Sundays. £4 adult single fare/£7 return and £3 for child/£5 return. Trains run every hour from Cardiff International to Cardiff Central Station. Taxis cost around £15-£20.Europe. |
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| Public Transport |
| Cardiff is right on the national motorway system. The M4 runs through the north of the city, making London a comfortable drive away. From the Midlands, the North of England and Scotland it is a straightforward drive via the M6, the M5 and the M50/M4. From the South and South West of England the approach is by the M5 and the M4. Access from West Wales is by the M4. |
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| By Rail |
| High-speed InterCity trains link most cities with Cardiff. The journey time from London Paddington to Cardiff is under two hours and trains leave every 30 minutes. Regional railways operate modern air-conditioned trains direct to Cardiff from Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bristol, Southampton, Exeter, Torbay and Portsmouth. |
