Wales's Capital city, Cardiff is also in the south-east of the country, on the coast of the estuary of the river Severn. The city itself sits at the confluence of 3 smaller rivers, the Rhymney, the Ely and the Taf. It is the largest city in Wales with a population of around 309,000.People have lived in what is now Cardiff since prehistory, but the settlement of Cardiff itself has Roman origins. When the Romans arrived in Wales, they built a fort at the lowest point that the River Taf could be forded around which a small settlement grew.
After the Romans left, the fort fell into ruins and Irish and Viking raiders raided the coast of south Wales. Around 500 years after the Romans departed, as the Normans began their conquest of Wales, they also recognised the strategic importance of the site and built a castle on the site of the Roman fort. Cardiff and its castle were largely destroyed by the Welsh rebel Owain Glyndŵr in 1404, and for the following few centuries, Cardiff was a small fishing port arrayed around the decaying castle until the industrial revolution changed the town of Cardiff's fortunes.
The late 18th century saw the building of a canal connecting Cardiff to the coal mining areas of the South Wales valleys, just to the north of Cardiff. The building of docks and railways in the 19th century saw a huge expansion of the town to become a city, as the port of Cardiff was used to export, firstly iron, and then coal mined from beneath the valleys overseas. Cardiff became the biggest coal exporting port in the world, and the trade paid for the restoration of the castle and the construction of the fine civic buildings of the civic centre; Cardiff City Hall, the National Museum of Wales and Cardiff University. Cardiff officially became a city in 1905. After World War II, the coal export trade wound down and the city began to re-invent itself.
Cardiff was recognised as Wales's capital city in 1955, beating competition from Aberystwyth and Caernarfon. The National Assembly for Wales was established here in 1999. The regeneration of the old docks in Cardiff Bay as an exciting waterfront development and the construction of such buildings the Millennium Stadium, the Wales Millennium Centre and the new National Assembly debating chamber have given the city a self-confidence that belies its size. It now has the attitude and outlook of a modern European capital city and is still growing.
Whether buying or merely window-shopping, Cardiff's numerous Victorian arcades are an attractive environment in which to pass the time.Spend a day on the beach at one of the numerous resorts lining the coast between Cardiff.
Cardiff Castle is a must. Despite extensive rebuilding in the 19th century, the foundations are Roman in origin and large parts date back to the Middle Ages. Also in the city centre of Cardiff, is the National Museum and Gallery of Wales , which has collections of Welsh geology, archaeology, arts and crafts, as well as a collection of impressionist European paintings unmatched outside France.
The Cardiff Bay Area, about 2km (1.5 miles) south of the centre, offers diverse activities ranging from boat trips to the impressive Barrage (which now seals the Bay off from the open sea), to the Techniquest Science Discovery Centre , which is great for the kids.
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/
www.cardiffcastle.com
www.museumwales.ac.uk
www.techniquest.org
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