Cardiff/Caerdydd

Cardiff, capital of the Principality of Wales, is a maritime city, but is also a city of green parks and gardens. It's a friendly, fun city, a city of arts, sports and entertainment. It's a city of personality, where Victorian arcades rub shoulders with award-winning new shopping centres.

It's a city of young and old influences, whose centrepiece is a huge castle spanning 2,000 years of history.

Cardiff's superb city centre offers a striking selection of modern and celebrated sights, and a rich variety of attractions.

Cardiff Castle/Castell Caerdydd
Tel: 029 2082 2083
Open 10:00 am. Closes May-Sep 6:00 pm; Mar-Apr, Oct 5:00 pm: Nov-Feb 4:30 pm

In the centre of the city, it's Roman walls, Norman keep, mediaeval halls, towers and exquisite Victorian restoration never fail to delight and intrigue visitors.

The 3rd Marquess of Bute transformed the Castle during the 19th century into a delightful and colourful palace.

City Hall/Neuadd y Ddinas
Cathays Park, Cardiff
Tel: 029 2082 2000
Open Mon-Fri 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

City Hall stands in one of the finest civic centres in Europe where buildings of white Portland stone, much ornately carved, stand amongst broad tree-lined avenues and parks. It is dominated by the 194 feet high clock tower and a dome complete with a fierce Welsh Dragon. The magnificence of the exterior is matched only by the interior. Monolithic columns of rose coloured Sienna marble contract with the white Serravesa marble statues of the heroes of Wales in its Marble Hall.

Castle Coch/Castell Coch
Tongwynlais, Nr Cardiff
Tel: 029 2081 0101
Open Summer 9:30 am - 6:30 pm; Winter Mon-Sat 9:30 am - 4:00 pm; Sun 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Castell Coch may appear familiar to many visitors as the setting for many television productions. This enchanting castle peeps through the trees on hills to the north of Cardiff, and was the creation of two men hopelessly in love with the Middle Ages, the fabulously wealthy third Marquess of Bute and his architect, William Burges.

National Museum and Gallery/Amgueddfa ac Oriel Genedlaethol
Cathays Park, Cardiff
Tel: 029 2039 7951
Open Tue-Sat 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sun 2:30 - 5:00 pm; Closed Mon except Bank Holidays

This Treasurehouse of Wales in the heart of Cardiff's civic centre displays with pride its superb collections of paintings, silver and ceramics, coins and medals, fossils, minerals, shells, archaeological finds and even dinosaur skeletons.

The courtyard galleries provide a splendid setting for the Museum's impressive art collections. Its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings including Renoir's 'La Parisienne' Blue Lady are renowned world-wide. The Museum is one of Wales' foremost tourist attractions.

Museum of Welsh Life/Amgueddfa Werin Cymru
St Fagans, Cardiff
Tel: 029 2056 9411
Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

One of Europe's foremost open-air museums, it reflects the life and culture of Wales. Within its 100 acres of parkland, the way people lived and worked are reflected in a variety of authentic re-erected buildings including an elegant mansion house, humble cottages and a Victorian shop complex. Inside the working buildings, craftsmen demonstrate their skills using traditional tools and equipment. Major annual festivals mark May Fair, Midsummer, Harvest and Christmas.

Techniquest
Stuart Street, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff
Tel: 029 2047 5475
Open Mon-Fri 9:30 am - 4:30 pm; Sat-Sun and Bank Holidays 10:30 am - 5:00 pm

The UK's largest Science Discovery Centre, TECHNIQUEST gives you a chance to try your hand at everything. This wonderland of science and technology offers hours of enjoyment for all members of the family. In its exciting new building at Cardiff Bay TECHNIQUEST is open every day, except for a short Christmas break.

Cathays Cemetery Heritage Trail
Fairoak Road, Cathays, Cardiff

Cathays Cemetery is one of Britain's largest and most impressive cemeteries. Covering over a hundred acres and containing many thousands of memorials, Cathays provides a valuable insight into the history of Cardiff and its residents. Further, the mature landscaping of the cemetery provides an urban haven for wildlife, and many species of flora, fauna and fungi thrive there.

Dyffryn House & Gardens
St Nicholas, Nr Cardiff, CF5 6SU
Tel: 029 2059 3328 Fax: 029 2059 1966
Open Daily 10:00 am - Dusk - Charges: Adults £2.00 Children/Over 60's £1.50

'A Garden for all seasons', is the best way to describe Dyffryn, one of Wales finest landscaped gardens.
Dyffryn offers beautifully laid out grounds with an endless variety of colour and form which contains many specimen trees including the mature tree magnolias.

Seasonal bedding displays add colour and interest throughout spring and summer.

During the winter the senses are stirred by sweetly scented winter flowering plants such as the viburnums and mahonias.

Whatever the season, Dyffryn Gardens offer a different visual treat at every turn and with easy access, plentiful free parking and special events during July and August.

The noble Dyffryn House is surrounded by extensive lawns a lilly canal and ancient trees, there's an enclosed feature garden and a kitchen garden, an arboretum and display greenhouses.

Guided tours are available, together with a gift shop, a garden shop and tea rooms.

Roath Park & Lake
Between - Lake Road East & Lake Road West, Roath Park, Cardiff

Nestling just outside the centre of Cardiff lie 130 acres of prime park land offering a range of attractions - including a spectacular 29 acre boating lake, rose beds, wild gardens, a botanic garden, a conservatory and a large childrens play area.

Comments & Suggestions Welcome

Produced By MetroPlex Limited