Travel Book for May 2008
Cardiff
The roar that went up from Cardiff's Millennium Stadium when Wales clinched victory in the 2005 Six Nations rugby championship – their first grand slam since 1978 – seems to still echo around the city today. The Welsh team's return to form gave a massive boost to national confidence, a feeling reflected in the optimistic buzz that makes Cardiff such an appealing place to visit.
Cardiff was shaped in the 19th century by the world's richest man – John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, third marquess of Bute – whose architectural legacy ranges from the colourful kitsch of Cardiff Castle to the neoclassical elegance of the Civic Centre. But the 21st century is making its presence felt as the sprawling docks that generated the Bute fortune continue their transformation into the glitzy waterfront development of Cardiff Bay, centred on the futuristic flourishes of the Wales Millennium Centre and the Welsh Assembly Building.
There's plenty to explore in the city itself, but one of Cardiff's great attractions is the ease with which you can escape the urban clamour: vast acres of parkland stretch north from the castle's doorstep to the bucolic setting of Llandaff Cathedral, and the Taff Trail cycle route follows a leafy river bank to the fairy-tale setting of Castell Coch.
A short day trip by bus or train will take you to the old-fashioned seaside suburb of
Penarth, the gritty industrial heritage of a rapidly regenerating Newport, or the magnificent medieval fortress and cheese capital of Caerphilly.
Book Highlights
- Gawping open-mouthed at the high-camp Victorian kitsch of Cardiff Castle ( p85 )
- Taking a tour or, better still, seeing a rugby match at the Millennium Stadium ( p88 )
- Enjoying great art at the National Museum Wales ( p86 )
- Watching the yacht-racing, cold beer in hand, at a table overlooking Cardiff Bay ( p88 )
- Strolling through 500 years of history at the open-air St Fagans National History Museum ( p104 )
TELEPHONE CODE: 029
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Reproduced with permission from Wales 3, Lonely Planet, 2007 Lonely Planet Publications
Lonely Planet Wales by David Atkinson and Neil Wilson is published by Lonely Planet (paperback; £11.99). It is also available through lonelyplanet.com and all good booksellers.
