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Home - City Guide - Cardiff - Key Attractions | ||
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Key Attractions Cardiff Castle Founded in Roman times and developed into a stronghold by the Normans, the ruins of the Norman keep remain. However, the present castle owes its appeal to the Victorian eccentricities of the third Marquis of Bute (1848-1900). Under his direction, architect William Burges (1827-1881) added neo-Gothic towers and ornate interiors with murals, stained glass windows and decorative carving. The castle also houses two military museums and has extensive grounds, incorporated into Bute Park. Castle Street Tel: (029) 2087 8102. Fax: (029) 2023 1417. E-mail: cardiffcastle@cardiff.gov.uk Transport: Bus 19, 21, 23, 24 or 25. Opening hours: Mar-Oct daily 0930-1800; Nov-Feb daily 0930-1630. The last tour departs an hour prior to closing time. Admission: £5 (guided tour); £2.50 grounds only (concessions available). Millennium Stadium Located on the hallowed turf of the former Cardiff Arms Park, the Millennium Stadium is the most modern sports venue in Europe. Plans for the complex include a Rugby Hall of Fame, a Welsh Rugby Union Museum and a riverside walkway accessible by boat. Guided tours are available. Cardiff Arms Park Tel: (029) 2023 2661 (general information) or (0870) 558 2582 (guided tours). Fax: (029) 2023 2678. Website: www.millenniumstadium-plc.co.uk Transport: Five minutes walk from Cardiff Central Station Opening hours for tours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700; Sun 1000-1630; except match days. Admission: £5 (concessions available). Llandaff Cathedral Located three kilometres (two miles) from the city centre in a quiet conservation area, Llandaff Cathedral was founded by St Teilo in the sixth century, although work began on the present building in 1107. In 1734, the first of several restorations got underway, the last of which was just after World War II, as a result of a German landmine badly damaging the nave. The cathedral nowadays is a mix of styles from all these periods. In the sanctuary is St Teilo's Tomb, which, before the Reformation, made the church one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Wales. Cardiff Road, Llandaff Tel: (029) 2056 4554. Website: www.llandaffcath.free-online.co.uk Transport: Bus 33 or 133; free car park. Opening hours: Sat-Thurs 0730-1845, Fri 0700-1845. Admission: Free. Cathays Park This impressive tree-lined area of monumental white Portland stone buildings reflects the wealth coal and steel industries brought to the city in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Highlights include Cardiff University, the Law Courts, City Hall, Alexandra Gardens and the National Museum and Gallery. Transport: Bus 8, 9, 34, 35 or 47; train to Cathays station; car park. National Museum and Gallery This has an extensive collection of art and archaeology, including Impressionist paintings, Bronze Age treasures and Celtic artefacts. The Evolution of Wales exhibition traces the natural history of Wales over 4600 million years. Tel: (029) 2039 7951. Fax: (029) 2057 3321. Website: www.nmgw.ac.uk Transport: Bus 8, 9, 34, 35 or 47; train to Cathays station; car park. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700. Admission: £4.50 (concessions available). Cardiff Bay The bay juxtaposes outstanding modern architecture, nineteenth-century dockland heritage and the natural assets of the waterfront to create a striking environment. The completion of the Cardiff Bay Barrage in autumn 1999 created a new freshwater lake and 12km (7.5 miles) of waterfront with parks, entertainment complexes, shops and restaurants. Some of the completed schemes include the St David's Hotel & Spa, Mermaid Quay shopping and leisure centre, and the Atlantic Wharf leisure complex. A 2000-seat Wales Millennium Arts Centre is planned, and the area will also house the new Welsh National Assembly. Watching over the changes are some interesting buildings from Cardiff's heyday in the last century, including the redbrick Pierhead Building and the striking Norwegian Church Arts Centre. Nearby, at Stuart Street, is Techniquest, the UK's largest interactive science discovery centre (tel: (029) 2047 5475; fax: (029) 2048 2517). One main attraction is the Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre - locals call it the 'Tube' as it resembles a giant futuristic telescope. It was designed by William Alsop and combines a steel frame with plywood panels beneath a waterproof skin. The glass end of the tube offers a panoramic view across the bay. It is a popular meeting, conference and presentation venue, and provides information on Cardiff Bay. Tel: (029) 2046 3833. Fax: (029) 2048 6650. Transport: Bus 7b, 8 or 8b; train to Cardiff Bay station via Queen Street station. Opening hours: May-Sep Mon-Fri 0930-1900, Sat and Sun 1030-1830; Oct-Apr Mon-Fri 0930-1700, Sat and Sun 1030-1700. Admission: Free. Museum of Welsh Life This museum is set in 40 hectares (100 acres) of parkland in the village of St Fagans, west of the city centre. The Elizabethan mansion, St Fagans Castle, has been refurbished in the style of a late-Victorian Welsh mansion. Welsh buildings, including a Celtic village, a nineteenth-century farmyard and a Victorian schoolroom, have been faithfully recreated in the extensive grounds. St Fagans Tel: (029) 2057 3500. Fax: (029) 2057 3490. Transport: Bus 32, 32A, 32B or 56; free parking. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700. Admission: Easter-Oct £5.50; Nov-Easter £4.50 (concessions available). |