Cardiff is the capital and largest city of Wales — a dynamic, fast-growing European capital that has been comprehensively transformed since the 1990s from a post-industrial port city into one of the most vibrant and ambitious capitals on the continent. With a population of 366,903, it is the 11th largest city in the UK and growing faster than almost any other British city outside London.
Cardiff's most dramatic feature is its extraordinary concentration of civic and cultural landmarks within the city centre. Cardiff Castle, built on the site of a Roman fort in the heart of the city, combines a Norman keep with one of the most extravagant Victorian Gothic interiors in Britain — the apartments created for the third Marquess of Bute by architect William Burges between 1868 and 1881 are a riot of gilded colour and medieval fantasy. Castell Coch, a further Burges creation in the woodlands north of the city, is even more theatrical — a working drawbridge, conical towers and fairytale interiors make it one of the most photogenic buildings in Wales.
The Cardiff Bay regeneration — completed around the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), the Wales Millennium Centre (home of Welsh National Opera), the Norwegian Church Arts Centre and the Roald Dahl Plass waterfront — has created one of the finest waterfront developments in Europe. The bay was once the world's largest coal-exporting docklands; today it is a destination for culture, restaurants and waterside living.
Cardiff is the home of Welsh rugby — the Principality Stadium (capacity 74,500) is one of the great sporting arenas of the world, closing its retractable roof for major occasions. Direct trains reach London Paddington in 2 hours. House prices average £265,000 — exceptional value for a European capital city.
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Who is Cardiff Good For?
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VisitBritain- Cardiff Castle & Bute ParkA Roman fort, Norman keep and extraordinary Victorian Gothic apartments in the heart of the city. The lavish interiors created by William Burges for the Marquess of Bute are unlike anything else in Wales.
- Principality StadiumOne of the great sporting arenas of the world — capacity 74,500 with a retractable roof. Home of Welsh rugby and major concerts. Stadium tours available year-round.
- Wales Millennium CentreCardiff Bay's magnificent cultural landmark — home of Welsh National Opera, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Hijinx Theatre. The building's inscription in Welsh and English is iconic.
- National Museum CardiffOne of the finest museums in Britain — outstanding Impressionist art (the best collection outside London), natural history, archaeology and the story of Wales. Free entry.
- Castell CochA Victorian Gothic fantasy castle in the woods north of Cardiff — working drawbridge, conical towers and extraordinary painted interiors by William Burges. One of the most photogenic buildings in Wales.
- Cardiff's Victorian ArcadesCardiff has the finest collection of Victorian and Edwardian shopping arcades in the world — the Royal Arcade (1858), Morgan Arcade, Castle Arcade and Wyndham Arcade form a unique pedestrian network.
- Cardiff BayThe regenerated waterfront centred on the Senedd, Wales Millennium Centre and Roald Dahl Plass — restaurants, bars, boat trips and the extraordinary Barrage that created a freshwater lake from the Bristol Channel tidal mudflats.
- Doctor Who Experience & Roald DahlCardiff is the production home of Doctor Who and Roald Dahl's birthplace. The Roald Dahl Museum and the Doctor Who filming locations around the bay attract devoted fans from worldwide.
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