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Official capital of Wales since only 1955 (hence the annoyingly ubiquitous "Europe's Youngest Capital" slogan), the buoyant city of CARDIFF (Caerdydd) has swiftly grown into its new status. A number of progressive developments, not least the new, sixty-member Welsh National Assembly, are giving the city the feel of an international capital, if not always a very Welsh one: compared with Swansea, Cardiff is very anglicized - you'll rarely hear Welsh on the city's streets.
The second Marquis of Bute built Cardiff's first dock in 1839, opening others in swift succession. The Butes, who owned massive swathes of the rapidly industrializing South Wales valleys, insisted that all coal and iron exports use the family docks in Cardiff, and it became one of the busiest ports in the world. In the hundred years up to the turn of the twentieth century, Cardiff's population had soared from almost nothing to 170,000, and the spacious and ambitious new civic centre in Cathays Park was well under way. The twentieth century saw varying fortunes: the dock trade slumped in the 1930s and the city suffered heavy bombing in World War II, but with the creation of Cardiff as capital in 1955, optimism and confidence in the city have blossomed. Many large governmental and media institutions have moved here from London, and the development of the dock areas around the new Assembly building to be built in Cardiff Bay has given a largely positive boost to the cityscape
The City
Cardiff's sights are clustered around fairly small, distinct districts. The compact commercial centre is bounded by the River Taff , which flows past the tremendous new Millennium Stadium , inaugurated for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. In this rugby-mad city, the atmosphere in the pubs and streets when Wales have a home match - particularly against the old enemy, England - is charged with good-natured, beery fervour. Just upstream, the Taff is flanked by the wall of Cardiff's extraordinary castle , an amalgam of Roman remains, Norman keep and Victorian fantasy. North of the castle is a series of white Edwardian buildings grouped around Cathays Park : the City Hall, Cardiff University and the superb National Museum . A mile south of the commercial centre, the area around Cardiff Bay is striving to become one of the city's liveliest quarters, home to the new National Assembly of Wales and a welter of new waterfront developments which make it an ideal place for eating, drinking or just ambling about. A couple of miles north of the city centre, Llandaff Cathedral warrants a visit for its strange clash of Norman and modern styles.
Cardiff's long-standing internationalism has paid handsome dividends in the range of restaurants , with the influence of Italian immigrants particularly evident in the number of cafés, bistros and trattorias. There are numerous places right in the city, most notably in the "café quarter" along Mill Lane. Most other places are within easy walking distance of the city centre, although there are also good hunting grounds in the cheaper quarters of Cathays and Roath, particularly the curry houses along Crwys, Albany and City roads, a stone's throw from the centre, beyond the university. Cardiff's pub life has expanded exponentially over recent years, and there are some wonderful Edwardian palaces of etched, smoky glass and deep red wood, where you'll find Cardiff's very own Brains bitter.
Cafés and restaurants Blas ar Gymru 48 Crwys Rd, Cathays tel 029/2038 7185. Meaning "Taste of Wales", this is a comfortable restaurant with a highly imaginative, moderately priced menu made up of delicious traditional recipes from every corner of Wales. Leave... read more >>
Top-flight concert venues such as St David's Hall and the Cardiff International Arena have brought internationally acclaimed orchestras and musical performers to the city, although these sterile environments are no match for the sweatier gigs and traditional rock found in some of Cardiff's earthier pubs and clubs. The burgeoning Welsh rock scene, both English- and Welsh-language, breaks out regularly in the capital. Cardiff also has a modest gay scene : the best sources for current information are Friend (Tues-Sat 8-10pm; tel 029/2034 0101) and Lesbian Line (Tues 8-10pm; tel 029/2037 4051).
Bars, pubs and clubs Caio Arms Cathedral Road. Great new pub, airy and comfortable. Popular with Welsh speakers. Chapter Market Rd, Canton tel 029/2030 4400. A smart and popular bar in this arts complex with a good choice of real ales, guest beers and... read more >>
Theatre, cinema and classical music Cardiff International Arena Bute Terrace tel 029/2022 4488. For mega concerts, both rock and classical. Chapter Arts Centre Market Rd, Canton tel 029/2030 4400. Multi-use arts complex that hosts British and touring theatre and... read more >>
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