The Top Ten Cardiff Attractions
Best Things to See and Do in Wales's First City Include its Castle
Jan 22, 2009
There's plenty to see and do in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, but if time is tight then choose from this list of the Top Ten Cardiff Attractions.
Bute Park
Right by Cardiff Castle stands leafy Bute Park, the city's green oasis. The River Taff runs through the park and there are a few small standing stones too. Also here are the Glamorgan Country Cricket Club, the Welsh Institute of Sport, a riding school, and a music and drama college.
Cardiff Bay
The bay area of Cardiff has several attractions within it, but a simple walk around the bay is a delight on a sunny day. The bay is just a few minutes from the city centre using the frequent bus and train connections, and it would make a god base for a city break vacation as there are some good hotels and numerous bars and restaurants.
Cardiff Castle
Click on the link to read all about Cardiff Castle.
Millennium Centre
Click on the link to read about a back-stage tour of the stunning Cardiff Millennium Centre.
Millennium Stadium
Click on the link to discover what it's like to do a tour of Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, the city's major venue for sporting and music events.
National Museum and Gallery of Wales
The Welsh National Museum and Gallery has a really impressive art collection among its highlights. Here are works by Rodin, Renoir, Monet, Manet, Matisse, LS Lowry, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and naturally many fine Welsh artists too.
Norwegian Church
The delightful Norwegian Church on the Cardiff Bay waterfront was built in 1869 as a mission for the Norwegian sailors based in Cardiff, which has always been a cosmopolitan city thanks to its docks and the coal industry. In 1987 the Church was moved to its present location, and it houses an art gallery and an excellent café/restaurant.
Sculpture Trail
Spread out along the waterfront are several statues, forming a lovely Sculpture Trail. With titles like A Wife on the Ocean Wave, these range from the amusing to the moving. Pick up a leaflet about the trail at the tourist office to be sure to see them all.
Techniquest
The science discovery centre of Techniquest is aimed squarely at children but parents shouldn't get bored either with over 160 interactive exhibits, plus a Science Theatre and a Planetarium. The purpose is to make science fun and educational at the same time, so learn what makes a hot air balloon rise, how the human body is made up, how to play a harp with no strings and, for young children, how to jump up and down on a giant piano keyboard and make a lot of noise. Older children might prefer to use the twin-turntable mixing desk to produce some cool sounds.
Victorian Shopping Arcades
Some of the best shopping in Cardiff is in its beautiful old shopping arcades, where specialist stores of the kind that have died out in most city centres can still be found. There are six of these glass-roofed arcades in the centre of the city
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