Tour Cardiff's Millennium Stadium
The 2007 Rugby World Cup venue is also a Cardiff tourist attraction
Mar 2, 2007
When visiting cities the tourist attractions are usually obvious: museums, cathedrals, churches, markets, restaurants, nightlife. In Cardiff, with the Welsh passion for rugby, the Millennium Stadium is like a cathedral. Here the fans go to worship the Welsh national team, rugby or football. For visitors too it has become an essential sight to see in the capital of Wales.
HISTORY
The Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel diverted Cardiff's River Taff to make it easier for him to bring the railway to the city. The drained area was used for sports and is where the original Cardiff Arms Park stadium was built. The Arms Park got its name from the nearby hotel where the players used to change before matches. The Arms Park stadium was the soul of Welsh rugby, and the thought of replacing it horrified many fans. But when the new Millennium Stadium opened for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, it was a worthy successor, a stadium to be proud of.
It took three years to build the Millennium Stadium, at a cost of £150 million, and is now the home of both the rugby and football national sides, as well as staging other international matches and cup finals, with rock concerts as well out of season. The stadium's soaring shiplike structure can be seen from all over the city, and inside on match days the atmosphere just cannot be beat.
STADIUM TOURS
A tour behind the scenes at the Millennium Stadium is a must, whether you are a sports fan or not. You get to visit the dressing rooms and walk out onto the pitch, then see the royal box and get the view from the top of the stands. The stadium has the biggest closing roof in the world, and a removable pitch to accommodate rock concerts: Madonna, The Eagles and The Rolling Stones were recent performers. Booking is essential. Pay on arrival. Phone: 029 2082 2228. Or visit the website by clicking here.
Read about visiting Cardiff Castle by clicking here.
Click here to read about backstage tours of the Wales Millennium Centre.
Read about Cardiff's Doctor Who tours here.
