Cardiff Castle, Castle Street. tel: +44 (0)29 2087 8100. fax: +44 (0)29 2023 1417. Cardiff Castle is a large castle whose foundations are based upon a Roman fort. In the nineteenth century, it was the one of the homes of the Marquis of Bute. The Norman fort in the centre, the Welsh regimental museum and and excavated Roman ruins are open, and tours of the Bute household are available. The Bute part of the castle is quite amazing. The interior was all done in the early 1900's in a very idiosyncratic and interesting style. There is barely an inch that is not adorned with some sort of artistic work. Yet, it is not overwhelming. The craftsmanship is well worth a look. Admission is £8.95 for adults, £6.35 for children and £7.50 for students and seniors. Admission with a tour is £11.95 for adults, £8.50 for children, and £9.95 for students and seniors. There are family group discounts.
The Millennium Stadium - 74,200 seater stadium opened for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, and now host to the Wales national rugby and football teams. It hosted the FA Cup Final for some years during the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium in London and is still the largest stadium in Europe with a completely retractable roof (good for those rainy days). A must see for any sport lover, tours are available online or at the ticket desk. Tours cost £6.50 for adults.
The Wales Millennium Centre, an outstanding piece of modern architecture, opened in 2004 by the Queen, the futuristic Wales Millennium Centre is host to opera, dance and West End musicals throughout the year, making it a must see for those who like theatre. Entry is free throughout the year. While entrance to the theatre is charged, free live performances take place in the foyer every lunchtime at 13:00 and before shows in the evening. It currently hosts the exhibition about Cardiff Bays development that used to be house in 'The Tube'
The National Assembly for Wales or the Senedd (Cardiff Bay) is the seat of Wales' national government and was opened on St David's Day (1st March) 2006 by the Queen. Visitors have a chance to see public debates from the viewing gallery or a free tour around the building, which is made out of purely Welsh materials, and was designed by star architect Richard Rogers to be eco-friendly and as open as possible. Entry is free though expect security checks on entrance.
Senedd, Welsh parliament
The Norwegian Church (Cardiff Bay, next to the Assembly) was first established in Cardiff Bay to serve the large community of Norwegian sailors working in the docks. Origonally elswhere in the bay its main claim to fame is as the place where the author Roald Dahl was christened, but today it is a cafe and art gallery.
Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre also known as the Tube is home to displays and exhibitions on the development of Cardiff Bay as the world's largest port. Entry is free. Closed for work on the BBC drama studios, exhibition in the Millennium Centre.
Llandaff Cathedral is situated in the ancient 'city of Llandaff', now incorporated into the north west of the city, and is one of the oldest religious sites in Europe. The cathedral dates from 1107 and features some spectacular architecture. The surrounding town is an interesting place to explore with a local coal magnates house (Insol Court) donated to the people of Cardiff and open for visitors. The Ghost tour has really become the thing to do in the area, making it into the Guardian's top 10 list of things to do in the UK.
Castell Coch meaning the 'Red Castle' in Welsh is a fairytale castle nestled on a hill overlooking the main gateway into the valleys from Cardiff in the outskirts of the city. Imaginatively reconstruted from ruins for the 3rd Marquis of Bute, its interiors follow the same elaborate designs as Cardiff castle except on a more intimate scale and would not look out of place in Germany. Entry costs £3.60 for adults.
City Hall the domed roof of City Hall topped by a Dragon is one of the landmarks of Cardiff city centre. Dating from the start of the 20th century, it is built of beautiful white Portland stone and surmounted by many statues. Inside, the marble hall is dominated by statues of Welsh heroes, the main hall has large bronze chandiliers and the main debating chamber sits under the dome. Open to visitors, events may prevent you from seeing all the rooms but a must see.
Civic centre is arguably the worlds most beautiful civic centre, comprising expensive white Portland stone buildings in a range of classical styles, all surrounding the formal gardens of Alexandra park whose center contains the beautiful national war memorial of Wales. Most people stop at the first 3 buildings facing the city center (City Hall, National Museum and Law courts) and fail to experiance the architectural beauty and tranquility, of the park and surrounding buildings. Most beautiful with the spring blossom.
Bute Park more a collection of different parks that stretch continuously to the city's edge from the rear of the castle. Bute park proper is an arboretum and former private grounds of the Bute family who owned the castle.
Pierhead building Former headquarters of the railway and port authority, it sits between the ultra modern Millennium center and Senedd as a strong contrast and link to Cardiff's glorious past. A beautiful building covered in dragons and heraldry used for permanent and temporary exhibitions about Cardiff's development, and that of the docks.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Cardiff
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Cardiff - updated Apr 2024
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Cardiff Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
