Tourist’s guide to Cardiff City Centre – Part One
When you’ve lived in a place as long as I’ve lived in Cardiff, you stop thinking the city has anything exciting to offer. Everything becomes humdrum. That’s why I love it when I have foreigners (ie – the not-Welsh) come to visit, so I have an excuse to revisit all the good parts of the city centre, which I secretly love. There are a lot of awesome things to do, and even if you’re a local, it’s nice to see your city through the eyes of a tourist occasionally.
U2 at the Millenium Stadium
There are millions of things to do in the city, so I’ve labelled this as post number one. I’ll be posting more guides of fun touristy things to do in Cardiff soon!
Come on a match day
In case you didn’t know, we’ve got one of the biggest stadiums in the UK right here in our city centre. Nestled along the banks of the River Taff, the Millenium Stadium is the place to be for sport. There’s a brilliant atmosphere in the city on rugby international days – the international and home fans are always around the city centre all day, cheering and whooping, though being well behaved. There’s also a good atmosphere when there’s football in the stadium – though it’s a little less family friendly than the rugby is. See the list of upcoming fixtures here.
See a gig
As well as sport, the Millennium Stadium plays host to some serious names in music: we’ve had James Brown, Oasis, Robbie Williams, Tina Turner, and the Rolling Stones! If you want underground sounds, check Clwb Ifor Bach (or the Welsh Club as we call it) for local and touring indie and rock, and the best weekly indie disco. Other great central venues are Buffalo http://www.buffalocardiff.com/, Millennium Music Hall, Cardiff Arts Institute, Cardiff Student Union or Ten Feet Tall. If you need advice on what to go see, pop into Spillers Records (for rock, indie and alternative) or Catapult (for dance, beats and hip hop events).
Cardiff Castle
Explore the castle
Cardiff castle sits in the middle of the city centre at the top of St Mary Street and the bottom of Bute Park. The location was a Roman fort nearly 2000 years ago, and you can still see some of the original three-foot thick Roman walls. The Normans built a castle on that old site, which was restored in the 19th century to the bright, quirky structure that watches over the city today. The castle is also the location of events, like the Great British Cheese festival, taking place at the castle on Sat 25 & Sun 26 September from 10am – 5pm. The castle is open daily and you can book tours, but make sure you check in advance for availability. Make sure you take a walk around the city walls as well, and take in all the exotic animal statues that sit on the wall, guarding the city!
Have Brains!
If you see signs around saying things like “It’s Brains you want” then fear not – we aren’t a country of zombies. Rather, Brains is the national beer of Wales – they do a lovely selection of ales. You’ll see Brains pubs dotted around the city everywhere – some of the best ones are a little out of the way, but if you’re just touring the city on a short stay try the Goat Major (small and full of character) on the High Street near the castle, or The Yard (big with a nice atmosphere in the daytime) on St Mary Street.
Visit the bay
I’ve done a previous post about Cardiff Bay. Read that and make sure you check into some of the city’s landmark buildings. And get a tasty ice-cream from Cadwalladr. My favourite is the strawberry, but they do great sorbets too. Mmmm.
Always bring an umbrella!
Get on a bus
Rather than negotiating all the roads and sights on foot, it’s definitely worth investing in a bus sightseeing tour. You’ll take in all the city’s main sights – and if you’re a local, you’ll definitely learn something about the city’s history! A word of warning though – however sunny it looks, make sure you bring waterproof clothing. Spontaneous showers happen often, and on an open-top bus, you’ll get soaked! Check this site for bus details.
After you’ve spent a hard day doing all that sightseeing, you’re bound to need some pampering to recover – so how about a lovely back, neck and shoulder massage? Add to that glamorous mini manicure and pedicure with light refreshments at Pebbles Hair and Beauty – and you’ve got yourself an awesome deal!
Today’s Deal for Cardiff | (Running till the end of Thursday the 2nd September, 2010) |
Photography: Stuck in Customs and Max-Design
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