Visiting Cardiff
Attractions
General information on visiting Cardiff can be found at:http://www.visitcardiff.co.uk
http://www.cardiffharbour.com
http://www.museumwales.ac.uk
http://whycardiff.com/events-in-cardiff.html
Concerts and Arts Venues
Cardiff is a key venue for popular and classical concerts and performances at the Wales Millenium Centre, St David's Hall and Cardiff International Arena. Over the last years or so these and other venues have hosted Madam Butterfly, the Stereophoics, Michael Ball, Tom Jones, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, The Marriage of Figaro, U2, Bryn Terfel, Brue Springsteen, Eddie Izzard and the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra & Chorus amongst many others.
Available events during the conference are unknown, but listings can be found ..here...
Sporting Venues
Cardiff has venues for all major international sports, including rugby, football, cricket, cycling, swimming, car rallying and athletics.
Available events during the conference are unknown, but the UK national rugby and football seasons will be underway, and Cardiff teams such as the Bluebirds (football) and the Blues (rugby) are active in the leading leagues of both sports.
Shopping
Shopping opportunities start about two minutes walk from the conference venue with the city centre, where all major UK chains have a presence. Further in are department stores such as John Lewis, Debenhams and Hywels, part of the Fraser's chain. A couple of large malls such as St David's and the Capital Centre help with shopping in the rain, as do the many arcades in St Mary's Street which are full of small, independent shops well worth a visit for something unusual.
Doctor Who
BBC Wales brought Doctor Who back to the TV a few years ago with tremendous success. The show is made in Cardiff at the BBC studios, with exterior filming around the city and its suburbs. Spin out series such as Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures have built on its popularity, and the city is proud of its association with the shows props and cast members pop up across the city, not least at the Dr Who Exhibition in Cardiff Bay.
Cardiff Castle
In the heart of the capital is Cardiff Castle with a history that spans 2000 years; Roman soldiers slept here, noble knights held court here and the Bute family with extraordinary wealth and vision transformed the Castle into a romantic Victorian fantasy. Architect William Burges created the lavish and opulent interiors; each breathtaking room rich with murals, stained glass and gilding. The new Interpretation Centre relate the extraordinary episodes in the Castle s history. An exposed original Roman wall, exhibition and film presentation, plus an audio guide (available in several languages) will revolutionise visitors perception of this site. A guided tour of the Castle apartments is key to any visit.
Church of St. John the Baptist
Cardiff's second oldest building after the Castle, St John's City Parish Church is a fine 15th century building with a landmark perpendicular tower, right next to the covered market. With some fine Victorian stained glass, a 16th century tomb with effigies and some 20th century artworks, it welcomes the world daily. A volunteer run tea room offers home made refreshments of quality, and it is open most days. Look at for the 'Open' signs on the church railings.
Llandaff Cathedral
Located to the North of the city centre (at the Northern end of Bute Park) Llandaff Cathedral is one of two cathedrals in Cardiff, the other being the Roman Catholic cathedral in the city centre. Llandaff Cathedral stands on one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain. In the sixth century St Dyfrig founded a community close to the ford where the Roman road crossed the river Taff.
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, the home of the Wales national Rugby Union team as well as the Wales national Football team. Its removable pitch allows it to host many other events and sports, such as Wales Rally Great Britain stage of the World Rally Championship, Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain, boxing and many music concerts, including Madonna, U2 and The Rolling Stones.
National Museum and Gallery of Wales
The National Museum Cardiff is a museum and art gallery located in the Edwardian civic complex of Cathays Park, which includes the City Hall, Law Courts and Cardiff University. The museum has a wide variety of exhibits covering art, archaeology, natural history, geology and the history of Wales. Admission is free.
St. Fagans National Museum
Located on the outskirts of the city, St Fagan's National Museum provides a walk around Wales from Celtic times to present day. During the last fifty years, over forty original buildings from different historical periods have been moved here from locations across Wales and re-erected in the 100-acre parkland. St Fagans is one of Europe's foremost open-air museums and Wales most popular heritage attraction. Highly recommended and free entry.
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay (Welsh: Bae Caerdydd) is the area in and around the freshwater lake created by the Cardiff Barrage. The area was locally known as Tiger Bay and was the birthplace of singer Shirley Bassey and Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs. Cardiff Bay has undergone significant regeneration and it is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the UK.
The Bay itself is supplied by two rivers (Taff and Ely) to form a 500-acre (200 hectare) freshwater lake round the former dockland area south of the city centre.
The area has many attractions including:
Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre
A unique building known locally as 'The Tube' managed by Cardiff Harbour Authority housing exhibitions and providing visitor information about Cardiff Bay and its regeneration.
The Pierhead Building
The Pierhead Building is a Grade 1 listed building built in 1897 and designed by William Frame, who studied under William Burgess It was formerly the headquarters of the Bute Dock Company.
The Senedd
The Senedd (Welsh for Legislature, Parliament or Senate) is the home of the National Assembly for Wales. The building was designed by world famous architect Richard Rogers and built at a cost of £67 million and was officially opened on 1 March 2006 by Queen Elizabeth II.
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre (nicknamed locally as The Armadillo) is a centre for the performing arts. It was opened during the weekend of the 26-28 November 2004 and has hosted performances of opera, ballet, dance, comedy and musicals. The 37,000 sq metre building currently comprises two theatres and a smaller hall, shops, bars and restaurants, and seven resident Welsh arts organisations including the Welsh National Opera.
Norwegian Church
The Norwegian Church is a historic timber-built church building, which was formerly a place of worship for the Norwegian community in Cardiff. Cardiff-born writer Roald Dahl was baptised in the church. The building is now used as an arts centre.
Techniquest
Techniquest is a science and discovery centre that was first established in Cardiff in 1986. Techniquest gives visitors a hands-on approach to science and includes a science theatre, a planetarium, and a discovery centre.