Capital of the ancient land of Wales, Cardiff’s metamorphosis from industrial
powerhouse of the British Empire and then into its gradual decline to an
obscure and decayed former port city, and through to its current incarnation as
one of the most vibrant and visited cities in the UK. Cardiff is a chameleon
that has shifted its colours through almost 2000 years of history. The city’s
prominence first grew due to the fact it was at one time the busiest docks on
earth. Coal that was pulled from the deep inside the mountains and valleys to
the north of the city was then shipped to the four corners of the globe out
through the mouth of the rushing River Severn, a vast stretch of bickering tidal
currents that separates Wales for England. Cardiff became a wealthy city and
testament to this if the fact that the world’s first million pound cheque was
signed in the offices of the world governing Coal Exchange, that still stands
on the key-side of the once notorious Tiger bay, now known more malignly to the
city’s population as simply ‘the Bay’.
Cardiff, Wales
Visitors will at first be struck by the scale of the city. For a capital it retains none
of the sprawling urban growth that has always plagued London or to a lesser
degree Manchester, and its half a million residents reside tightly packed into
the inner and outer suburbs that surround the Cardiff’s historical centre. This
can give the impression that you are in a city that is perhaps three times its
actual size as the dense few square miles that surround its exquisite castle
and the Edwardian Baroque elegance of its Civic Center contain a host of
stylish shopping centres, restaurants of every variety, museums, galleries and beautifully scenic parks. Visitors to Europe’s youngest capital city will find that getting around its many sights is easy and can be done for the most part on foot.
The city centre itself is a made up of a few square kilometers of streets that are
a delight to walk around. One of the most charming aspects of the city is its
Victorian arcades. These covered streets are remnants of Cardiff past and
criss-cross the city center connecting its different areas of business and are
kept in beautifully antiquated style. The city also has a myriad of different
bars serving food, authentic and more modern minded pubs and for the evenings, a host of chic night spots and clubs all focusing in and around the now largely pedestrianized St Mary’s street, the city’s central artery.
The nightlife itself can sometimes leave its visitors a little shocked as Cardiff,
in some ways more than most other UK cities, has an underlying drinking culture born of the fact that its satellite towns flood the city’s streets on a weekend in search of the kind of revelry lacking in their own towns that are somewhat more disparate and removed from Cardiff’s bright lights. The main thoroughfares are jam packed with people ready to party of a weekend and travellers looking to sample the city’s more delicate cultural offerings may be advised to avoid the drinking hot spots on a Friday and Saturday night. Another feature of the city, and a somewhat more endearing one, is its reverence of the sport of Rugby. Wales is considered by many to be the spiritual home of the game and its fans are without doubt the most passionate in the world.
International Rugby games at the city’s 75-000 capacity Millennium Stadium will effectively cause the city to shut down, ensuring that buses, cars and taxis will have to give way to the mass of colours that descend upon the capital to cheer on the respective teams. Cardiff on a ‘match day’ as it is known, is as impressive a sight as can be seen anywhere in the world of international sport, as the tribal nature of British football is nowhere to be seen and supporters of both
teams freely mix in the many pubs that have welcomed foreign fans to the city
for generations.
Cardiff is also home to an internationally renowned and highly established arts and high culture scene that is of a world class standard. The impressive Wales
Millennium Centre in is home to the Welsh National Opera and plays host to some of the finest classical singers and musicians in the world throughout the year. Those travelling to the city will also be spoiled for choice when looking for
accommodation as Cardiff retains an excellent selection of bed and breakfast
and apartments that can be privately rented for travellers wishing to stay in
the historical heart of Cardiff or the modern cityscape of Cardiff Bay.
