Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital and unitary authority on Wales’s south coast, centred where the River Taff meets the Severn Estuary. The city grew around a medieval castle built on the site of a Roman fort; the Norman keep still stands within the castle walls. The street plan around the castle contains several Victorian shopping arcades that link the main thoroughfares, and Cardiff Central railway station sits a short walk from the civic heart. The Principality Stadium, with its retractable roof, anchors the city centre and hosts national rugby matches and large events that shape the city’s calendar.

The waterfront at Cardiff Bay marks the city’s industrial past and present. Tiger Bay’s docks were a major coal-exporting complex by the early 20th century; the bay now includes the Cardiff Bay Barrage that controls tidal flow into the docks. The Senedd building and nearby performance venues sit beside restored dockside warehouses and the Norwegian Church, a small maritime chapel that served visiting seafarers. Parks such as Bute Park run along the Taff, offering green space within short distance of the bay and the city core.