Essential Information

  • Sovereign state:  United Kingdom
  • Constituent country:  Wales
  • Location:  South East Wales (Cymru)
  • Key Dates: Made a city in 1905 by King Edward VII. Made capital of Wales in 1955.
  • Welsh name: Caerdydd
  • Currency: British Pound Sterling
  • Population: 315,000 (2004 approx) 10% students
  • Phone Code: Country code: 44, area code: 029
  • Time zone: GMT British Summer Time (=GMT + 1) from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
  • Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; square three-pin plugs are standard.
  • Average January temp: 4.5°C (40°F).
  • Average July temp: 16°C (61°F).
  • Language: English and Welsh (for more information on the Welsh language click here)
  • Tipping: A tip of around 10% is customary in restaurants. Round up for taxis. Tipping in bars is rare.

Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, Europe’s youngest capital and one of the fastest-growing cities in Britain. Extensive re-development has given Cardiff world-class sporting and entertainment complexes. Add to this excellent shopping, diverse restaurants and plenty of art, history and culture, and Cardiff is an ideal destination.

The city is located on the south coast of the south Wales plain, with a shoreline on the Bristol Channel. Cardiff is a significant tourist centre in the United Kingdom and the most popular visitor destination in Wales.

Landmarks

  • 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. A must see for anyone, tours are available online or at the ticket desk.
  • The Wales Millennium Centre, a great piece of modern architecture, opened in 2004 by the Queen, the futuristic Wales Millennium Centre is host to a opera, dance and musicals throughout the year, making it a must see for those who like Welsh theatre. Entry is free throughout the year. While entrance to the theatre is charged free live performances take place in the foyer every lunchtime.
  • 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 how it is designed eco-friendly. Entry is free.
  • 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. 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.
  • The Doctor Who Exhibition[16] (Cardiff Bay), is operated out of the Red Dragon centre. This exhibition boasts various props and displays of the series, as well as a guide to the various locations in the Cardiff and Wales areas that were used as filming locations for the BBC’s series Torchwood.
  • Llandaff Cathedral is situated in the ancient ‘city of Llandaff’ and is one of the oldest religious sites in Europe. The cathedral dates from 1107 and features some spectacular architecture.
  • Castell Coch meaning the ‘Red Castle’ in Welsh is a fairytale castle nestled on a hill in the outskirts of the city. Built for the 3rd Marquis of Bute, who was at one time the richest man in the world.
  • City Hall the domed roof of City Hall is one of the landmarks of Cardiff city centre. Dating from the turn of the century, it is built of beautiful white Portland stone. Inside, the marble hall is dominated by statues of Welsh heroes.
  • Bute Park A very large and beautiful park in the centre of the city, adjoining the city centre at Cardiff castle.

Museums and Galleries

  • The Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagans, free admission. Tel: +44 (0)29 2057 3500. Great for kids. Also features one of the most beautiful gardens in Wales.
  • National Museum & Gallery of Wales, free admission. Cathays Park, Tel: +44 (0)29 2039 7951. An excellent collection of paintings from all periods (strong on Impressionists), plus archaeological and geological exhibits, cafes and shops. Buy parking vouchers here if needed.
  • The Cardiff Museum shows how Cardiff has developed from a small town into the capital of Wales. The museum will occupy the old library site in the city centre, which currently hosts large exhibitions focusing on themes of the city’s history such as sports, industry, immigration or the arts.
  • Techniquest (Cardiff Bay, near the Millennium Centre) has over 160 science and technology exhibits to entertain the whole family. There is also a Science Theatre and tours of the Universe in the Planetarium. Entry: £7.00 Adults, £5.00 children with concessions available for groups. Tel.: +44 (0)29 2047-5475.

Cardiff Entertainment and Festivities

Cardiff’s festivals are increasingly contributing to its development as a major tourist attraction. As most of them are concentrated in the summer months, it is ideal to visit then to make sure that you experience all the attractions and the festivals as an added bonus. Unlike Edinburgh, Cardiff is still pretty cost effective during the summer months so its ideal for those who don’t want to go all out!

  • Cardiff Children’s Festival is held in the grounds of Cardiff Castle each year, and hosts a number of events, exhibitions and play areas for children. Entry is usually free.
  • Cardiff Mela inaugural mela was held last year at city hall, but not really anything spectacular but in coming years is expected to develop.
  • St David’s Day Parade an unofficial parade held on St David’s Day the patron saint of Wales (March 1st), every year. Something different so its worth a look.
  • The Big Weekend is probably the most participated of Cardiff’s festivals as hundreds of thousands of people dawn the city hall area to witness the carnival theme events and fun fair atmosphere. Usually on last weekend of July.
  • Cardiff Mardi Gras is one of the UK’s biggest gay and lesbian festivals, held every year in the grounds of Cardiff Castle.
  • Metro Weekender 2007 will be the second year this new festival has visited Cardiff. Held in Coopers field beside the castle grounds on the August bank holiday, it was a 20,000 sell out in 2006
  • Winter Wonderland in December/January sees an outdoor ice-rink and funfair set up in front of City Hall, open early ’til late to the public.

Nightlife

Cardiff has a strong nightlife and is home to many bars, pubs and clubs. An extensive venue and events list can be found at What’s on in Cardiff guide. Most clubs and bars are situated in the city centre, especially St. Mary’s Street, and more recently Cardiff Bay has built up a strong night scene, with many modern bars & restaurants. The Brewery Quarter on St. Mary’s Street is a recently developed venue for bars and restaurant with a central courtyard. Charles Street is also a popular part of the city.

Cardiff Transports

By bus

Cardiff Bus [10] offer a comprehensive network of services across the city, to the nearby City of Newport and to destinations in the Vale of Glamorgan. Fares could be seen as a little exorbitant given the unreliability of some of their services, however effective from the 5th April 2009, Cardiff Bus have introduced a far simpler flat rate of £1.50 for all single adult journeys within the Cardiff City boundary, which goes someway to clear up the confusion of their previous fare zonal system. That said, On the plus side you won’t have to wait any more than around 10 minutes for a bus to turn up. Some of their services run even more frequently usually around every 7/8mins (Monday-Saturday) on services to the east of the city. The central bus station is located in Central Square, in the forecourt of Central railway station, and maps are readily available that will help you plan your journey. A ‘Day to Go’ ticket costs just £3 and offers unlimited travel in the Cardiff area (including Penarth, Dinas Powys, Llandough, Sully and Wenvoe) all day. Cardiff Bus also operate a frequent ‘Baycar’ service between the city centre and Cardiff Bay, which makes it easy to get between the main attractions, and is good value if you don’t want to walk. Stagecoach in South Wales, Veolia Transport Cymru and First Cymru also offer regular routes in and around Cardiff and South East Wales. Open top sightseeing buses operate regularly during the summer season at a price of approximately £8/person.

There are also park and ride sites based at County Hall and Crown Way, see National Park and Ride Directory.

On foot

Cardiff, especially the central area, is pretty compact with the main attractions being quite close to each other making getting around on foot quite easy. Most sights are signposted to help you guide your way around the city centre and the bay.

By train

It can be quite cost-effective, quick, and easy to visit areas with a local train station, such as Llandaff Cathedral or Penarth Pier as services leave from both Cardiff Central or Queen St stations so check on maps for train services, if you’d rather this than the bus. The wider Cardiff metropolitan area (including Penarth, Taffs Well, Pontypridd and Dinas Powys) contains 26 stations, making train travel a viable alternative in many cases.

By taxi

Cardiff is not short of taxis. They can be flagged down on the street or booked in advance:

* Capital Tel: +44 (0)29 2077 7777

* Delta Tel: +44 (0)29 2020 2020

* Celtic Tel: +44 (0)29 2045 2045

* Dragon Metro Tel: +44 (0)29 2033 3333

Although a lot of taxis in the city centre are black, they have no set colour. Licensed taxis have a yellow plate on the rear bumper of the vehicle.

By waterbus

For a different experience, the River Taff Waterbus runs regularly during the summer season between the Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Bay. Tickets cost around £4 and are available to buy online.