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Sightseeing Overview
Having been in the throes of redevelopment for a good few years now, especially around the Cardiff Bay area, the city has several new attractions. The old favorites (Cardiff Castle, Llandaff Cathedral and the museums) are still popular and as worthy of a visit as ever, but they must now compete with the newcomers, most of which are concentrated on the waterfront. For this reason, visitors could consider Cardiff Bay as one huge tourist attraction and approach individual sights as components within it.

Attractions are dotted all over the city. The Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Castle, for example, are in the city center, the National Museum and Gallery is a short distance away, at Cathays Park, while the Museum of Welsh Life is in St Fagans, on the city’s western outskirts. The cathedral is situated in what is quaintly called ‘the City of Llandaff’, 3km (2 miles) from the city center.

Tourist Information
Cardiff Gateway Visitor Center
The Old Library, The Hayes (city center)
Tel: 0870 1211 258.
Website: www.visitcardiff.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1800 (0930-1900 Jul-Aug); Sun 1000-1600.

Cardiff Bay Visitor Center (The Tube)
Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay
Tel: (029) 2046 3833.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1800 (0930-1700 Nov-Mar); Sat and Sun 1030-1800 (1030-1700 Nov-Mar).

Passes
There are currently no tourist passes available in Cardiff.

Key Attractions:

Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd)
Founded in Roman times and developed into a stronghold by the Normans, the ruins of the Norman keep remain. However, the present castle owes its appeal to the Victorian eccentricities of the third Marquis of Bute (1848-1900). Under his direction, architect William Burges (1827-1881) added neo-Gothic towers and ornate interiors with murals, stained glass windows and decorative carving. The castle also houses two military museums and has extensive grounds, incorporated into Bute Park. As part of a 15-year conservation project started in 2000 an interpretation center opened at the castle in June 2008. Here visitors can learn more about the 2,000 years of history on the site.

Castle Street
Tel: (029) 2087 8100.
Website: www.cardiffcastle.com  
Admission charge.

Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Milleniwm)
Located on the hallowed turf of the former Cardiff Arms Park, the 72,500-capacity Millennium Stadium is one of the most modern sports venues in Europe. It opened in 1999 and has been a great success; big sports events as well as huge arena concerts have taken place here, and the stadium will also play a part in the London 2012 Olympics, hosting several football games. Plans for further development of the complex include a Rugby Hall of Fame, a Welsh Rugby Union Museum and a riverside walkway accessible by boat. Guided tours are available, taking visitors to the pitch, dressing rooms, royal box and other areas.

Westgate Street
Tel: (029) 2082 2228.
Website: www.millenniumstadium.co.uk
Admission charge.

Llandaff Cathedral (Eglwys Gadeiriol Llandaf)
Located 3km (2 miles) from the city center, in a quiet conservation area, Llandaff Cathedral was founded by St Teilo, in the sixth century, although work began on the present building in 1107. The edifice’s full name is The Cathedral and Parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Dyfrig, Teilo and Euddogwy. In 1734, the first of several restorations got underway, the last of which was just after WWII, as a result of German bombing badly damaging the nave. The cathedral nowadays is a mix of styles from all these periods. In the sanctuary is St Teilo’s Tomb, which, before the Reformation, made the church one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Wales.

Cardiff Road, Llandaff
Tel: (029) 2056 4554.
Website: www.llandaffcathedral.org.uk
Free admission.

Cathays Park (Parc Cathays)
This impressive, tree-lined area of monumental, white Portland stone buildings reflects the wealth that the coal and steel industries brought to the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Highlights include the Cardiff University campus buildings, the Law Courts, City Hall, Alexandra Gardens and the National Museum Cardiff. This museum boasts an extensive collection of art and archaeology, including a fine collection of Impressionist paintings, Bronze Age treasures and Celtic artifacts. The Evolution of Wales exhibition traces the natural history of Wales over 4,600 million years.

City Center
Tel: (029) 2068 4000 (Cardiff Council Parks Service).
Free admission.

National Museum Cardiff
Tel: (029) 2039 7951.
Website: www.nmgw.ac.uk
Free admission; charge for some temporary exhibitions. Note: The museum is currently undergoing refurbishment, due for completion by the end of 2008. Some of the galleries may be closed during this time.

Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd)
Cardiff Bay juxtaposes outstanding modern architecture, 19th-century dockland heritage (Cardiff was once the world’s largest coal exporting ports) and the natural assets of the waterfront to create a striking environment. The Cardiff Bay Barrage, opened in 2001, created a new freshwater lake and 12km (7.5 miles) of waterfront with parks, entertainment complexes, shops, bars and restaurants. Boat tours around the Bay and out to the Barrage are available, operated by Cardiff Cats (tel: 07940 142 409; website: www.cardiffcats.com).

The Bay is home to a number of attractions such as Techniquest Science Discovery Center, Craft in the Bay, The Senedd (the Welsh Assembly’s debating chamber at the Pierhead), Butetown History and Arts Center, Goleulong 2000 Lightship, the Norwegian Church Arts Center, where author Roald Dahl was christened, and the Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru (Wales Millennium Center), the stunning new home of the Welsh National Opera and other major Welsh arts organizations, opened in 2004 (see Culture). The Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village provides further options for family entertainment.

Another must is the Cardiff Bay Visitor Center - locals call it the ’Tube’, as it resembles a giant futuristic telescope. Designed by Will Alsop, the center combines a steel frame with plywood panels beneath a waterproof skin. The glass end of the tube offers a panoramic view across the bay.

Cardiff Bay
Tel: (029) 2046 3833.
Website: www.cardiffbay.co.uk
Free admission.

Goleulong 2000 Lightship
Harbour Drive
Tel: (029) 2048 7609.
Website: www.lightship2000.co.uk  
Free admission.

Norwegian Church Arts Center
Harbour Drive
Tel: (029) 2045 4899.
Website: www.cardiff.gov.uk or http://members.lycos.co.uk/NorwegianChurch2/Cardiff.html
Free admission; performance prices vary.

Techniquest
Stuart Street
Tel: (029) 2047 5475.
Website: www.techniquest.org
Admission charge.

St Fagans: National History Museum
This museum is set in 42 hectares (104 acres) of parkland, in the village of St Fagans, west of the city center. It has sufficient scope to keep visitors occupied for a full day and, like the National Museum, there is no charge for admission. It is situated in the grounds of the Elizabethan mansion St Fagans Castle, which was donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth. An extensive collection of historic Welsh buildings, including a 19th-century farmyard, pottery, tannery and a Victorian schoolroom, have been brought from all over Wales and rebuilt in the extensive grounds. There is also a recreated Iron-age Celtic village on the site.

St Fagans Castle
Tel: (029) 2057 3500.
Website: www.museumwales.ac.uk  
Free admission.

Further Distractions:

Castell Coch
Situated in woodland at Tongwynlais, just outside the city on the A470, this landmark is a memorial to the imagination of the third Marquis of Bute, his skilled architect William Burges and the Victorian idealization of all things medieval. Built on the site of a 13th-century fort, Castell Coch (‘Red Castle’) has all the trappings of a fairytale castle, including round towers and red turrets. There is a car park for those with their own car, but the site can also be reached by train from Cardiff.

Tongwynlais
Tel: (029) 2081 0101.
Website: www.cadw.wales.gov.uk
Admission charge.

Green Spaces
Roath Park is one of the city’s most attractive parks, with rose gardens, a boating lake and a memorial to Captain Scott, who set sail from Cardiff on his Antarctic expedition. Bute Park, formerly the grounds of the castle, is also a delightful place to stroll. Few cities can boast such a green route directly into its heart as the Taff Trail, a cycle route that winds its way north to south from Brecon through Cardiff city center to Cardiff Bay.

Tel: (029) 2068 4000 (Cardiff Council Parks Service).

Roath Park
About 2km (1 mile) northeast of the city center
Free admission.

Bute Park
Castle Street
Free admission.

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