Cardiff City Centre - Things To Do!

Cardiff Castle, Wales

Today Cardiff Castle is distinct for its 19th century Gothic Revival architecture, the work of renowned architect and designer William Burges (1827-1881) who was commissioned by the Third marquis of Bute in 1865. What influenced Burges - Medieval art and architecture, a touch of the William Morris (he was influenced by Morris, but in personality Burges as decidedly apolitical compared to Morris), gothic revivalism, obsessive attention to detail and fond of a joke or two (eclectic and eccentric are the two key words often used to describe Burges' style. Note the Animal Wall too in Bute Park!) - is all here at Cardiff Castle, both inside and out. The site though had a Roman fort on it around 2000 years ago and part of this remains, followed by a Norman castle between 1091 and 1216 A.D, and a list of Lordly owners before it came into the hands of the Butes from 1766 to 1947.

What a feast of mish-mashes awaits the visitor, including an Arab Room, the eccentric indeed Great Hall and the roof garden. A guided tour of the grounds and apartments of Cardiff Castles lasts around 50 minutes, or alternatively view the Grounds only. If you're interested in the history of decorative arts however, viewing the interior is a must to really appeciate Burges' eccentric style and attention to detail. Also within the Cardiff Castle site is the Welsh Regimental Museum. Another treat also for all you Regimentalist fanatics, visit the Regimental Museum of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards.

Open daily and all year round, Cardiff Castle is one of Cardiff's top attractions, thanks to Burges' eccentric gothic revival design. Check your visit doesn't clash with an event which may mean an adjustment to the opening times. On how to get to Cardiff Castle, and further details on history and design check this spectacular Welsh Castle's website link to the right. Visit also Castell Coch just outside of Cardiff, also embellished by the hand of Burges!

Cardiff Castle, Castle Street, Cardiff, CF10 3RB, Wales. Tel: ( 44) 029 2087 8100.

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Bute Park, Cardiff Gardens & the Taff Trail

The city of Cardiff and surrounds certainly isn't short on green space! Cardiff boasts more parks than any other city across the UK. Some of the most popular of Cardiff's public parks are centrally situated, including Bute Park adjacent to Cardiff Castle and Cathays Park spread around a choice of important buildings including the National Museum and Cardiff's central university. Bute Park is framed by the River Taff with Sophia Gardens across the water. Once owned by the Butes but given to the city of Cardiff in 1947, (they also owned land that is now Pontcanna Fields, Sophia Gardens, and Llandaff Fields), Bute Park was landscaped by Scottish landscaper Andrew Pettigrew in the 1870s. A pleasure to stroll around, and hard to believe your in the centre of Cardiff here, Bute Park is crammed with delightful features including the Animal Wall designed by William Burges.

The River Taff cuts through the park, and the combination of River and green space means there's plenty of wildlife about including herons and mallards. Bute Park incorporates the green space areas of Coopers Field and Blackweir. Essentially it's all mature parkland easily accessed within Cardiff city centre. As well as the Animal Wall, note Blackfriars Priort foundation remains near Cooper's Field - these date back to the 13th century. In Cooper's Field itself, just behind the castle, you'll also notice the stone circle, not one of the ancient types, this one was put up in 1899 in conjuction with the Royal National Eisteddfod (an Eisteddfod is a festival and large gathering celebrated all over Wales).

The Taff Trail begins at Cardiff Bay waterfront and follows the route of the River Taff past Sophia Gardens and onwards, for 55 miles in fact all the way to market town Brecon. The Taff Trail is a traffic free cycle trail. Well worth undertaking a chunk of the Taff Trail to appreciate some of South Wales most important industrial location - the trail weaves up past Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil. If you're in Cardiff with you bike it's and excellent way to view the city's stretch of the River Taff and adjacent parklands. (see Taff Trail weblink right for more details).

If you're in Bute Park or other Cardiff Parks (usually on Sunday afternoons from 3 to 5pm) watch out for musical concerts during the summer season. For forthcoming Cardiff Park concerts and events check Cardiff Council's Leisure section on their weblink right.

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Millennium Stadium Cardiff & Wales Rugby

Love it or hate it, Cardiff's Millennium Stadium looms large over the city centre just a hop and skip across from Cardiff Castle. Impressive for it's size (it's a 72,500 seater stadium), this state of the art stadium is host not only to International Rugby League, but the FA cup final since 2001 (this has ceased now Wembly has reopened).

Take one of the guided tours of the stadium which run regularly during season opening times. There's a shop on-site, plus 7 restaurants, 22 bars and seating for 72,500 spectators! Booking well in advance is recommended for the tours.

Cardiff's contemporary Millennium Stadium sits on the site of the old National Stadium standing on the Cardiff Arms Park. Today it plays host to the renowned Six Nations Championship and is the official home of Wales rugby. They have the odd conference or concert here too - along the lines of the Rod Stewart concert in July 2007! Check the Millennium Stadium Cardiff's website to the right to events details, corporate dos and sports/rugby fixtures.

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium Tours, Gate 3 Shop, Westgate Street, Cardiff. Tel: 029 2082 2228

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National Museum & Gallery of Wales, Cardiff

There just happens to be one of Britains best art galleries and museums in Cardiff - The National Museum and Gallery of Wales. Starting with the art gallery there's some choice collections here both on the ceramics and painting size. Expect a choice of prestigious artistic works by Joshua Reynolds (courtesy of the Williams-Wynn collection), and, from the Davies Sisters collection works by Vincent Van Gogh, Cezanne, Millet, Pissarro and Monet. The Davies Sisters, daughters of shipping and coal giant David Davies, were avid collectors of impressionist and post impressionist paintings, many of which they bequeathed to the museum (see the National Museum & Gallery of Wales' website right for full details on the collection). Particular works of note include a good choice of Cezanne (a favourite of the Davies), Matisse, Rain Auvers by Van Gogh, Renoir's 'Blue Lady', and 'The Kiss' plus more works by Manet and Pissarro.

Expect too an excellent selection of paintings by British artists - plenty of Turners here including 5 oil paintings by him, plus treat of treats look to Gallery 15 for LS Lowry's scene of Six Bells Colliery, Abertillery in Ebbw Fach Valley. Lucien Freud, Stanley Spencer, and contemporary Welsh art by artists such as Rachel Whiteread are all here. Other exquisite collections include the De Winton collection of European porcelain. De Winton donated 2000 pieces of 18th and early 19th century continental porcelain to the National Museum of Wales.

Interested in Welsh Pottery and Porcelain? Here at the National Museum of Wales discover the Morton Nance Collection of Welsh Pottery and Porcelain, bequeathed to the museum in 1952. It literally doubled the collection of the museum's Welsh pottery. Swansea porcelain features heavily, as does early 19th century from the Cambrian factory plus other wares from the Glamorgan factory and South Wales Pottery from Llanelli. Discover the full story of of Welsh pottery, you won't find a finer collection anywhere, in the Joseph Gallery at the Museum of Wales.

Superb art isn't all that's in store in this excellent museum for both adults and children. The Archaeology and Numismatics collection here is immense, including everything from shipwreck relics, mammoth's teeth and Celtic coins. Interesting artefacts tell the story of life on Wales thousands of years ago, to as recent as the industrial revolution. There's Roman finds from all over Wales here, alongside Medieval jewellery, coins and medals. Changing exhibitions pull on themes and there's plenty of interactive displays to interest children! A gem of a museum and art gallery not to be missed - allow a full morning or afternoon to enjoy it to the full. Free admission for all! Shop, restaurant and car park, plus baby changing facilities on-site. Wheelchair access is throughout, with lifts to each floor. National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NP. (029) 2039 7951.

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Shops in Cardiff and Cardiff Shopping Arcades

Cardiff is fast building its reputation as one of the best shopping cities in the UK. Cardiff's centrally placed choice of shops is a huge bonus, as you've a variety of modern indoor shopping centres, designer and well known brand named shops along Queens street and the real edge - the Victorian and Edwardian Arcades specialist shops which offer everything from unique specialist clothing, to Welsh cheeses and chic cafes. Cardiff is a Fair Trade city, so expect plenty of fair trade specialist shops too!

Look to Queen Street for all your main chain stores, designer clothes brands and a scattering of independent boutiques. With Cardiff University also in the centre, shops lean towards the chic bohemian side, especially around the Victorian and Edwardian arcades, thankfully preserved here in Cardiff primarily because Cardiff struggled after the coal slump and couldn't afford to demolish them as many other cities who possessed such arcades in the UK did! Today these exquisite and stylish shopping arcades in central Cardiff are a real tourist attraction.

Adjacent to Queens Street and the Queens Arcade is the popular indoor St David's Shopping Centre - indoor shopping at it's best with around 200 stores and ample food and drink outlets. If St David's Shopping Centre wasn't enough, get ready for St David's 2, other known as the new Hayes Shopping centre (home of the renowned Howell's Department Store). The Hayes captures much of the spirit of the Victorian and Edwardian Arcades and should be on the Dr Who Trail list - Howell's departments store has often been used as a film location in the recent Doctor Who series! The new Hayes shopping centre also includes a new Borders Books store, a large deli section with plenty of specialist Welsh wines and food.

Cardiff central shopping blends fair trade, designer names, specialist chic arcade shopping, plus it has an excellent Victorian Central Market! (see weblink for Cardiff Central Market to the right). Cardiff Central Market is indeed a food lovers paradise, crammed with seasonal vegetable stalls, quality meats and poultry and various gifts and card stalls. For a full list of stalls and information on opening times checkout Cardiff Markets website to the right. Don't miss too the Riverside Real Food Market situated across the river from the Millennium Stadium Cardiff on the Fitzhamon Embankment. This superb food market come farmer's market runs every Sunday from 10am to 2pm (see Riverside Market's weblink right for more details). Riverside's weekly Food Market is Cardiff's top location for fresh local produce and Welsh and organic produce and it's a centre for Fair Trade! There's no doubt, Cardiff is one of the best cities for shopping in the UK!

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