Cardiff, Pembrokeshire & South Wales

Why Go?

Stretching from historic border town Chepstow through to the jagged Pembrokeshire Coast in the west, South Wales really packs in the sights.

Hugging the border, the Wye Valley is the birthplace of British tourism. For more than 200 years people have come to explore this tranquil waterway and its winding, wooded vale, where the majestic ruins of Tintern Abbey have inspired generations of poets and artists.

The nation's capital, Cardiff, flies the flag for big-city sophistication in the land of the red dragon. Just out of Swansea, Wales' second city, the Gower Peninsula revels in its coastal beauty. To the north, the fecund heartland of rural Carmarthenshire offers country comfort in abundance.

Beyond Cardiff, the biggest draw in South Wales remains Pembrokeshire, where almost 200 miles of magical shoreline has been declared a national park, delineated by craggy cliffs, golden sands, chocolate-box villages and seaside resorts.

When to Go

Wales' home matches in the Six Nations Rugby Championship warm the spirits of locals and visitors alike during chilly February and March. Early daffodils pop out to celebrate St David's Day on 1 March – spend it in the saint's city, St Davids. If you're planning some coastal walking, April to July are the driest months. In July the summer-long Cardiff Festival kicks off, incorporating theatre, comedy, music and a food festival. In August, the warmest month, knights storm Cardiff Castle, classic cars converge and gay pride hits the streets. Swansea Bay's summer festival continues right through to September.

Best Places to Eat

APurple Poppadom

AHalen Môr

ACors

AFood at Williams

ACoffee Barker

Best Places to Stay

AGrove

AManor Town House

AOld School Hostel

AOld Rectory

ARiver House Backpackers

Cardiff, Pembrokeshire & South Wales Highlights

1 Diving into the myriad attractions and raucous nightlife of Wales' dynamic capital city, Cardiff

2 Watching the surf break at Rhossili Bay on the spectacular Gower Peninsula

3 Unwinding in St Davids, Wales' most beguiling little city

4 Strolling among the romantic ruins of Tintern Abbey in the glorious Wye Valley

5 Discovering gardens and manor houses secluded in lush countryside around Llandeilo

6 Building sandcastles in the shadow of the real thing at Tenby

7 Tracing a breathtaking collision of rock and sea along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path

8 Crossing the moat at Caerphilly Castle and wandering into a fairy tale

9 Feasting on World Heritage industrial sites and world-class cheese at Blaenavon

2Activities

For outdoor activities, the region’s main draw is Pembrokeshire. Walkers love the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, a 186-mile jaunt through some of Britain's most spectacular scenery. Watersports on offer include excellent sea kayaking, surfing and, most thrilling of all, coasteering. Another area popular with surfers and walkers is the Gower Peninsula.

The Lôn Geltaidd (Celtic Trail; NCN Routes 4 and 47) cycle route cuts clear across South Wales from the Severn Bridge to Fishguard via Chepstow, Swansea and Carmarthen. Off-road cycling fans should head for the tracks and byways of the Preseli Hills, south of Newport, or to the dedicated Cognation (www.cognation.co.uk) mountain-bike areas between Cardiff and the Brecon Beacons.

8Getting There & Around

Frequent train and coach services connect South Wales to England and the rest of Wales. The main railway continues west to the ferry terminals of Fishguard and Pembroke Dock (both ports for Ireland). Trains also trundle through Carmarthenshire on the famously scenic Heart of Wales line (www.heart-of-wales.co.uk) between Swansea and Shrewsbury.

For information on routes and timetables, refer to www.traveline-cymru.info.

Cardiff (Caerdydd)

Pop 447,000

The capital of Wales since only 1955, Cardiff has embraced the role with vigour, emerging in the new millennium as one of Britain’s leading urban centres. Caught between an ancient fort and an ultramodern waterfront, compact Cardiff seems to have surprised even itself with how interesting it has become.

The city has entered the 21st century pumped up on steroids, flexing its recently acquired architectural muscles as if it’s astonished to have them. This newfound confidence is infectious, and these days it's not just the game of rugby that draws crowds into the city. Come weekends, a buzz reverberates through the streets as swarms of shoppers hit the Hayes, followed by waves of revellers descending on the capital's thriving pubs, bars and live-music venues.

CARDIFF IN…

TWO DAYS

Wander around the central city, stopping to explore Cardiff Castle and the National Museum Cardiff. Lunch could be a picnic in Bute Park with treats acquired at Cardiff Market or, if the weather's not cooperating, a meal at any of the reasonably priced central-city eateries. Spend your second day heading back to the future at Cardiff Bay, where you can immerse yourself in forward-thinking architecture and have a Doctor Who Experience.

FOUR DAYS

Spend your third morning steeped in history at St Fagans National History Museum, then check out Barry Island. On your last day, head north to explore Llandaff Cathedral, then continue on to Castell Coch and Caerphilly Castle. For your last night in the Welsh capital, blast away the cobwebs in one of the city's live-music venues.

History

In AD 75 the Romans built a fort where Cardiff Castle now stands. The name 'Cardiff' probably derives from the Welsh Caer Tâf (Fort on the River Taff) or Caer Didi (Didius' Fort), referring to the Roman general Aulus Didius. After the Romans left Britain, the site remained unoccupied until the Norman Conquest. In 1093 a Norman knight named Robert Fitzhamon, conqueror of Glamorgan and later earl of Gloucester, built himself a castle here (the remains stand within the grounds of Cardiff Castle) and a small town grew up around it. Both were damaged during a Welsh revolt in 1183, and the town was sacked in 1404 by Owain Glyndŵr during his unsuccessful rebellion against English domination.

The first of the Tudor Acts of Union in 1536 put the English stamp on Cardiff and brought some stability. But despite Cardiff's importance as a port, market town and bishopric, only 1000 people were living here in 1801.

Cardiff owes its present-day stature to iron and coal mining in the valleys to the north. Coal was first exported, on a small scale, as early as 1600. In 1794 the Bute family, which owned much of the land from which Welsh coal was mined, built the Glamorganshire Canal to enable iron to be shipped to Cardiff from Merthyr Tydfil.

In 1840 the canal was superseded by the Taff Vale Railway. A year earlier the second marquess of Bute had completed the first docks at Butetown, just south of Cardiff, getting the jump on other South Wales ports. By the time it dawned on everyone that the valleys held immense reserves of coal, which triggered a kind of black gold rush, the Butes were in a position to insist the coal be shipped from Butetown. Cardiff was off and running.

The docklands expanded rapidly; the Butes grew staggeringly rich; and the town boomed, its population rising to 170,000 by the end of the 19th century and to 227,000 by 1931. A large, multiracial workers' community known as Tiger Bay grew up in the harbourside area of Butetown.

In 1905 Cardiff was officially designated a city, and a year later its elegant Civic Centre was inaugurated. The city's wealth and its hold on the coal trade persuaded Captain Robert Scott to launch his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole from here in 1910. Cardiff became the world's top coal port in 1913, exporting some 13 million tonnes of the stuff.

The slump in the coal trade after WWI and the Great Depression of the 1930s slowed Cardiff's expansion. Bombing in WWII badly damaged the city and claimed more than 350 lives. Shortly afterwards the coal industry was nationalised, prompting the Butes to pack their bags and leave town in 1947.

Wales had no official capital, and the need for one was seen as an important focus for Welsh nationhood. Cardiff had the advantage of being the country's biggest city and boasting the architectural riches of the Civic Centre, which today includes the National Museum Cardiff, City Hall, police headquarters, law courts, crown offices and Cardiff University. A ballot of members of the Welsh authorities gave Cardiff 36 votes against Caernarfon's 11 and Aberystwyth's four, and it was proclaimed the capital of Wales in 1955.

Cardiff

4Sleeping

1Lincoln HouseA1

2Number 62B1

3Saco HouseA1

4Town HouseA1

5Tŷ RosaB4

5Eating

6BravaA1

7Bully'sA1

8ConwayA1

9Purple PoppadomA2

3Entertainment

10ChapterA1

Cardiff Central

1Top Sights

1Bute ParkC3

2Cardiff CastleC4

3Millennium StadiumC5

4National Museum CardiffD2

1Sights

5Animal WallC4

6Cardiff StoryD4

7St John the Baptist ChurchD4

2Activities, Courses & Tours

8Cardiff Cycle ToursB5

4Sleeping

NosDaB5

9Park PlazaE3

10Premier Inn Cardiff City CentreF4

11River House BackpackersB5

5Eating

12Cafe CittáD4

13Coffee BarkerD4

14Goat MajorD4

15Park HouseE2

16Riverside MarketC6

6Drinking & Nightlife

1710 Feet TallD4

18Buffalo BarE3

19City ArmsC4

20EagleE4

21Full MoonC4

22Golden CrossE6

23GwdihŵF4

24Pen & WigE1

25Pica PicaC4

26Porter'sF5

3Entertainment

27Clwb Ifor BachC4

28New TheatreE3

29Sherman CymruE1

30St David's HallE4

7Shopping

31Cardiff MarketD4

32Castle ArcadeC4

33Castle Welsh CraftsC4

34High St ArcadeD4

35Morgan QuarterD5

36Spillers RecordsE5

37St David'sE5

38WRU StoreC5

39Wyndham ArcadeE5

1Sights

Central Cardiff

oNational Museum CardiffMUSEUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.museumwales.ac.uk; Gorsedd Gardens Rd; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun)F

Devoted mainly to natural history and art, this grand neoclassical building is the centrepiece of the seven institutions dotted around the country that together form the Welsh National Museum. It's one of Britain's best museums; you'll need at least three hours to do it justice, but it could easily consume the best part of a rainy day.

The excellent art collection's treasures include a trio of Monet's Water Lilies, alongside his scenes of London, Rouen and Venice; Sisley's The Cliff at Penarth (the artist was married in Cardiff); Renoir's shimmering La Parisienne; and Van Gogh's anguished Rain: Auvers. Welsh artists such as Gwen and Augustus John, Richard Wilson, Thomas Jones, David Jones and Ceri Richards are well represented. A large new space is devoted to contemporary exhibitions.

oCardiff CastleCASTLE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cardiffcastle.com; Castle St; adult/child £12/9, incl guided tour £15/11; h9am-5pm)

The grafting of Victorian mock-Gothic extravagance onto Cardiff's most important historical relics makes Cardiff Castle the city's leading attraction. Far from a traditional Welsh castle, it's more a collection of disparate buildings scattered around a central green and which encompasses practically the entire history of Cardiff. The most conventionally castle-like bits are the 12th-century motte-and-bailey Norman keep at its centre and the 13th-century Black Tower, which forms the entrance gate.

In the 19th century it was discovered that the Normans had built their fortifications on top of the original 1st-century Roman fort. The high walls that surround the castle are largely a Victorian reproduction of the 3m-thick Roman walls from the 3rd century. Also from the 19th century are the towers and turrets on the west side, dominated by the colourful 40m clock tower. This faux-Gothic extravaganza was dreamed up by the third marquess of Bute and his architect, the eccentric William Burges. Both were obsessed with Gothic architecture, religious symbolism and astrology, influences that were incorporated into the designs.

A 50-minute guided tour takes you through the interiors of this flamboyant fantasy world, from the winter smoking room in the clock tower with decor expounding on the theme of time, to the mahogany-and-mirrors narcissism of Lord Bute’s bedroom. The banqueting hall boasts Bute-family heraldic shields and a fantastically over-the-top fireplace. Marble, sandalwood, parrots and acres of gold leaf create an elaborate Moorish look in the Arab room. The neighbouring nursery is decorated with fairy-tale and nursery-rhyme characters, while the Roman-style roof garden seems to underline how much of a fantasy all this really was – designed with southern Italy in mind, rather than Wales. Some but not all of these rooms can be accessed with a regular castle entry, which includes an excellent audioguide (also available in a children's edition and a range of languages).

Below the ticket office is Firing Line, a small museum devoted to Welsh soldiers.

oBute ParkPARK

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h7.30am-sunset)

Flanked by the castle and the River Taff, Bute Park was donated to the city along with the castle in 1947. With Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna Fields and Llandaff Fields, it forms a green corridor that stretches northwest for 1½ miles to Llandaff. All were once part of the Bute family's vast holdings.

Forming the park's southern edge, the Animal Wall ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) is topped with stone figures of lions, seals, bears and other creatures. In the 1930s they were the subject of a newspaper cartoon strip and many Cardiff kids grew up thinking the animals came alive at night.

oMillennium StadiumSTADIUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2082 2228; www.millenniumstadium.com; Westgate St; tours adult/child £9.50/6)

This spectacular stadium squats like a stranded spaceship on the River Taff's east bank. Attendance at matches has increased dramatically since this 74,500-seat, £168-million, three-tiered stadium with sliding roof was completed in time to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Rugby is the national game and when the crowd begins to sing at Millennium, the whole of Cardiff resonates. If you can't get tickets to a match, it's well worth taking a tour. Book online or at the WRU Store ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 8 Westgate St; h10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm Sun).

Cardiff StoryMUSEUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cardiffstory.com; Old Library, The Hayes; h10am-4pm)

This excellent little museum uses interactive displays, video footage and everyday objects to tell the story of Cardiff's transformation from a small market town into the world's biggest coal port and then into the capital city of today. Check out the original entrance to the library, lined with beautiful Victorian tiles, and head upstairs to see temporary art exhibitions.

St John the Baptist ChurchCHURCH

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Working St; h10am-3pm Mon-Sat)

A graceful Gothic tower rises from this 15th-century church, its delicate stonework looking almost like filigree. A church has stood on this site since at least 1180. Inside there are regimental flags, elegant pointed arches and a spectacular Elizabethan-era tomb. Regular lunchtime organ concerts are held here.

THE BEAUT BUTES

The Butes, an aristocratic Scottish family related to the Stuart monarchy, arrived in Cardiff in 1766 in the shape of John, Lord Mountstuart, who had served briefly as prime minister under King George I. He married a local heiress, Charlotte Jane Windsor, and in the process acquired vast estates and mineral rights in South Wales.

Their grandson, the second marquess of Bute, grew fabulously wealthy from coal mining and then, in 1839, chanced his fortune to create the first docks at Cardiff. The gamble paid off. The coal-export business boomed, and his son, John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, the third marquess of Bute, became one of the richest people on the planet. Not your conventional Victorian aristocrat, John was an intense, scholarly man with a passion for history, architecture, ritual and religion (Catholicism). He neither hunted nor fished, but instead supported the antivivisection movement and campaigned for the rights of women to a university education.

The Butes had interests all over Britain and never spent more than about six weeks at a time in Cardiff. Soon after WWII ended they had sold or given away all of their Cardiff assets, the fifth marquess gifting Cardiff Castle and Bute Park to the city in 1947. The present marquess, the seventh, lives in the family seat at Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute in Scotland's Firth of Clyde. Another maverick, he's better known as Johnny Dumfries, the former Formula One racing driver.

WORTH A TRIP

LLANDAFF CATHEDRAL

Llandaff CathedralCATHEDRAL

( GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2056 4554; www.llandaffcathedral.org.uk; Cathedral Green; h7am-6.30pm Sun, 9am-6.30pm Mon-Sat)

Set in a hollow on the west bank of the River Taff, Llandaff Cathedral is built on the site of a 6th-century monastery. Derelict by the 18th century, it was largely rebuilt in the 19th century and extensively restored after being damaged by a German bomb in 1941.

Regular buses run along Cathedral Rd from Cardiff to Llandaff, 2 miles from the city centre.

The present cathedral was begun in 1120, but it crumbled throughout the Middle Ages, and during the Reformation and Civil War it was used as an alehouse and then an animal shelter. The towers at the western end epitomise the cathedral's fragmented history – one was built in the 15th century, the other in the 19th. Inside, a giant arch supports sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein's huge aluminium work Majestas, its modern style a bold contrast in this gracious vaulted space.

Cardiff Bay

Lined with important national institutions, Cardiff Bay is where the modern Welsh nation is put on display in an architect's playground of interesting buildings, large open spaces and public art. The bay's main commercial centre is Mermaid Quay, which is packed with bars, restaurants and shops.

It wasn't always this way. By 1913 more than 13 million tonnes of coal were being shipped from Cardiff docks. Following the post-WWII slump the docklands deteriorated into a wasteland of empty basins, cut off from the city by the railway embankment. The bay outside the docks, which has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world (more than 12m between high and low water), was ringed for up to 14 hours a day by smelly, sewage-contaminated mudflats. The nearby residential area of Butetown became a neglected slum.

Since 1987 the area has been radically redeveloped. The turning point came with the completion of a state-of-the-art tidal barrage in 1999.

Cardiff Bay

1Top Sights

1Wales Millennium CentreC2

1Sights

2Butetown History & Arts CentreB2

3Doctor Who ExperienceD5

4PierheadC3

5SeneddD3

6TechniquestA4

4Sleeping

7St David's Hotel & SpaB5

5Eating

8FfreshC3

7Shopping

9Craft in the BayC2

Doctor Who ExperienceEXHIBITION

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0844 801 2279; www.doctorwhoexperience.com; Porth Teigr; adult/child £15/11; h10am-5pm (last admission 3.30pm) Wed-Mon, daily school holidays)

The huge success of the reinvented classic TV series Doctor Who, produced by BBC Wales, has brought Cardiff to the attention of sci-fi fans worldwide. City locations have featured in many episodes; and the first two series of the spin-off Torchwood were also set in Cardiff Bay. Capitalising on Timelord tourism, this interactive exhibition is located right next to the BBC studios where the series is filmed – look out for the Tardis hovering outside.

Visitors find themselves sucked through a crack in time and thrown into the role of the Doctor's companion. It's great fun – especially when you come face to face with full-size Daleks in full 'ex-ter-min-ate' mode. But don't blink – there are weeping angels about. The 'experience' only takes about 20 minutes but afterwards you're transported into a large two-level warehouse, where you can wander at your leisure around the displays of sets, costumes and props spanning the show's 50-year run.

oWales Millennium CentreARTS CENTRE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2063 6464; www.wmc.org.uk; Bute Pl; tours £6; htours 11am & 2.30pm)F

The centrepiece and symbol of Cardiff Bay's regeneration is the superb Wales Millennium Centre, an architectural masterpiece of stacked Welsh slate in shades of purple, green and grey topped with an overarching bronzed steel shell. Designed by Welsh architect Jonathan Adams, it opened in 2004 as Wales' premier arts complex, housing major cultural organisations such as the Welsh National Opera, National Dance Company, National Orchestra, Literature Wales, HiJinx Theatre and Ty Cerdd (Music Centre of Wales).

The roof above the main entrance is pierced by 2m-high letter-shaped windows, spectacularly backlit at night, which spell out phrases from poet Gwyneth Lewis: 'Creu Gwir fel Gwydr o Ffwrnais Awen' (Creating truth like glass from inspiration's furnace) and 'In these stones horizons sing'.

You can wander through the large public lobby at will. Guided tours lead visitors behind the giant letters, onto the main stage and into the dressing rooms, depending on what shows are on.

SeneddNOTABLE BUILDING

(National Assembly Building; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0845 010 5500; www.assemblywales.org; h10.30am-4.30pm)F

Designed by Lord Richard Rogers (the architect behind London's Lloyd's Building and Millennium Dome and Paris' Pompidou Centre), the Senedd is a striking structure of concrete, slate, glass and steel, with an undulating canopy roof lined with red cedar. It has won awards for its environmentally friendly design, which includes a huge rotating cowl on the roof for power-free ventilation and a gutter system that collects rainwater for flushing the toilets.

When they're not on recess, the National Assembly for Wales meets in a plenary session from 1.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. Seats in the public gallery may be prebooked, although there's usually space if you turn up on the day. Free tours take place at 11am, 2pm and 3pm, except for sitting days when only the 11am tour is held.

PierheadMUSEUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.pierhead.org; h10.30am-4.30pm)F

One of the waterfront's few Victorian remnants, Pierhead is a red-brick and glazed-terracotta French Gothic confection, built in 1897 with Bute family money in order to impress the maritime traffic. Its ornate clocktower earned it the nickname 'Wales' Big Ben'. Inside there's an interesting little display on the history of the bay (including a short film and a slideshow), some important historical documents and a gallery.

Butetown History & Arts CentreGALLERY

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.bhac.org; Bute St; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun)F

This centre is devoted to preserving oral histories, documents and images of the multiethnic neighbourhood that was best known as Tiger Bay. Displays range from old photographs to contemporary art.

St Fagans

St Fagans National History MuseumMUSEUM

( GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2057 3500; www.museumwales.ac.uk; carpark £3.50; h10am-5pm)F

Five miles west of central Cardiff, the little village of St Fagans is the semirural setting for the St Fagans National History Museum. More than 40 historic buildings from all over the country have been re-erected here, including thatched farmhouses, barns, a watermill, a school, an 18th-century Unitarian chapel and shops stocked with period-appropriate goods.

Buses 32A, 320 and 322 (£1.80, 23 minutes) head here from Cardiff's Central bus station. By car, it's reached from the continuation of Cathedral Rd.

You'll need half a day to do the whole complex justice and you could easily spend longer, picnicking in the grounds. It's a great place for kids, with special events in summer, tractor-and-trailer rides (£1) and an old-time funfair. Craftspeople work in many of the buildings, showing how blankets, clogs, barrels, tools and cider were once made. In winter, fires are stoked by people in period clothes.

Highlights include a 16th-century farmhouse imbued with the smell of old timber, beeswax and wood smoke, and a row of six miners' cottages from Merthyr Tydfil, each one restored and furnished to represent different periods in the town's history, from the austere minimalism of 1805 to all the mod cons of 1985. It took 20 years to move St Teilo's church here (built 1150 to 1530), stone by stone. It's been restored to its original look, before Protestant whitewash covered the vividly painted interior.

St Fagans Castle is no johnny-come-lately to this site; it was built by the Normans in 1091 as a motte-and-bailey castle before being rebuilt in stone. The manor house at its heart was grafted on in 1580 and is recognised as one of the finest Elizabethan houses in Wales. The property was donated by the earl of Plymouth in 1948, along with its extensive formal gardens, which form the basis of the museum.

The museum is in the midst of a multi-million-pound redevelopment, which isn't due to be completed until 2018. Until that time the reproduction Celtic village and indoor galleries are likely to remain closed.

TTours

Cardiff History & HauntingsWALKING TOUR

(%07538 878609; www.cardiffhistory.co.uk)

Runs a selection of guided history walks, the most acclaimed of which is the Llandaff Ghost Walk, a two-hour torch-lit stroll through the ruins, lanes and graveyards of old Llandaff (£8.50).

Cardiff On FootWALKING TOUR

(%0790 5923421; www.cardiffwalkingtours.com; from £6)

Offers guided strolls around the city centre, Cardiff Bay and Penarth.

Where When WalesBUS TOUR

(%07773 786228; www.wherewhenwales.com; adult/child from £45/25)

Operates a range of one-day itineraries: South Wales Valleys, Wye Valley, the Gower, Wales Borders, West Wales, Mid-Wales. Overnight tours can be customised.

See WalesBUS TOUR

(%029-2022 7227; www.seewales.com; adult/child £45/25)

Themed day tours include Mines & Mountains, Romans & Ruins and Golden Gower.

City SightseeingBUS TOUR

(%07808 713928; www.city-sightseeing.com; adult/child £12/7)

Open-top double-decker tours, departing every 30 to 60 minutes from outside Cardiff Castle and making a short circuit of the city. Tickets last 24 hours, and you can hop on and off at any of the stops.

Cardiff Cycle ToursCYCLING TOURS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %07500 564389; www.cardiffcycletours.com; NosDa, 53-59 Despenser St; per person £20)

Three-hour guided rides around Cardiff Bay (Docks & Doctor) or the city centre (Parks & Canals).

zFestivals & Events

Cardiff FestivalSUMMER FESTIVAL

(www.cardiff-festival.com; hJun-Aug)

Acts as an umbrella for most of Cardiff's regular summertime festivals, including the Welsh Proms (two weeks of classical concerts at St David's Hall), Cardiff International Food & Drink Festival, Grand Medieval Melee, Pride Cymru, Classic Car & Boat Rally, Everyman Summer Theatre Festival, and lots of crazy one-offs.

Cardiff Winter WonderlandWINTER FESTIVAL

(www.cardiffswinterwonderland.com; hlate Nov-early Jan)

Festivities include an outdoor ice-skating rink, Christmas lights, Santa's grotto and family-friendly activities.

MUSICAL CYMRU

With such a small population and a culture that's been overshadowed by England for centuries, it's something of a surprise that Wales (Cymru in Welsh) has produced plenty of musical maestros who have hit the big time. Everyone knows perma-tanned warbler Tom Jones, who, together with the likes of Shirley Bassey, has kept Welsh pop on the map since the 1960s.

Along with Lou Reed, valleys-born John Cale was responsible for the experimental edge that made the Velvet Underground one of the most influential bands of all time. He's gone on to become a respected solo performer and producer.

Since then major names have included The Alarm, Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Stereophonics, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Charlotte Church, Jem, Christopher Rees, Bullet For My Valentine, Kate Le Bon and Duffy. The genre-defying Super Furry Animals produced the biggest-selling Welsh-language album of all time, the dreamy Mwng.

The Welsh wave shows no signs of breaking anytime soon, with bands such as Marina & the Diamonds, Kids In Glass Houses and Future of the Left flying the red dragon flag.

4Sleeping

Central Cardiff

oRiver House BackpackersHOSTEL

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2039 9810; www.riverhousebackpackers.com; 59 Fitzhamon Embankment; dm/r incl breakfast from £18/42; iW)

Professionally run by a young brother-and-sister team, the River House has a well-equipped kitchen, small garden and cosy TV lounge. The private rooms are basically small dorm rooms and share the same bathrooms. A free breakfast of cereal and toast is provided.

Premier Inn Cardiff City CentreHOTEL

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2034 9910; www.premierinn.com; 10 Churchill Way; r from £39; W)

The Cardiff branch of Britain's biggest chain has 200 beds in a squat mirror-clad former office tower, right in the city centre. It's not flash, but it's comfortable, clean and terrific value – although you'll need to book early and pay in advance to secure the cheapest rates. Request a higher floor for a quieter room.

NosDaHOSTEL

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2037 8866; www.nosda.co.uk; 53-59 Despenser St; dm from £21, s/d from £42/60, without bathroom £32/48, incl breakfast; piW)

Directly across the river from the Millennium Stadium, NosDa ('goodnight' in Welsh) has brightly painted rooms above a grungy bar. Free basic breakfasts and parking make this an appealing budget option.

Park PlazaHOTEL

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2011 1111; www.parkplazacardiff.com; Greyfriars Rd; r from £86; Ws)

Luxurious without being remotely stuffy, the Plaza has all the five-star facilities you'd expect from an upmarket business-oriented hotel. The snug reception sets the scene, with a gas fire blazing along one wall and comfy wingback chairs. The rear rooms have leafy views over the Civic Centre.

Cardiff Bay

St David's Hotel & SpaHOTEL

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2045 4045; www.thestdavidshotel.com; Havannah St; r from £119; iWs)

A glittering, glassy tower topped with a sail-like flourish, St David's is already starting to look a little dated. The rooms have been recently renovated and almost all of them have a small private balcony with a bay view. Facilities include a restaurant, bar and day spa.

Pontcanna

Lincoln HouseHOTEL

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2039 5558; www.lincolnhotel.co.uk; 118 Cathedral Rd; r from £90; pW)

Walking a middle line between a large B&B and a small hotel, Lincoln House is a generously proportioned Victorian property with a separate bar, and heraldic emblems in the stained-glass windows of its sitting room. For added romance, book a room with a four-poster bed.

Number 62GUESTHOUSE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %07974 571348; www.number62.com; 62 Cathedral Rd; s/d from £49/65; iW)

The only thing stopping us calling Number 62 a B&B is that breakfast isn't offered. In all other respects it's very similar to the other converted town houses on this strip, although it does have one of the most lovingly tended front gardens. The cosy rooms are simply decorated in demure colours.

Town HouseB&B

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2023 9399; www.thetownhousecardiff.co.uk; 70 Cathedral Rd; s/d £53/73; pW)

Succinctly named, this elegant Victorian town house on the Cathedral Rd strip has welcoming owners and a relaxed vibe. It retains lots of period features, including original fireplaces, stained-glass windows and a tiled hallway with busy wallpaper. The rooms are more restrained.

Saco HouseAPARTMENT

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0845 122 0405; www.sacoapartments.co.uk; 74-76 Cathedral Rd; apt from £138; W)

This large town house has been given a contemporary makeover and converted into serviced apartments, complete with comfortable lounges and fitted kitchens. They're set up for longer visits but one-day stays are possible mid-week. The two-bedroom apartments are good value for families with kids; there's an extra sofa bed in the lounge.

Grangetown

Tŷ RosaB&B

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0845 643 9962; www.tyrosa.com; 118 Clive St; s/d from £50/69, without bathroom £40/50; W)

Half an hour’s walk from either the bay or Central Cardiff (follow the river south, turn right on to Penarth Rd and then left after 650m), this gay-friendly B&B is noted for its sumptuous breakfasts and affable hosts. The thoughtfully equipped rooms are split between the main house and an annexe across the road. Some rooms share bathrooms.

CARDIFF FOR CHILDREN

Compact and easy to navigate, Cardiff is welcoming to families. Interactive Techniquest ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.techniquest.org; Stuart St; adult/child £7/5; h9.30am-4.30pm Tue-Sun, daily school holidays) is the main attraction for challenging junior brains, while the National Museum Cardiff is full of weird and wonderful animals and other fascinating exhibits. For a day trip, try the living history of St Fagans, Caerphilly Castle or Castell Coch.

5Eating

Central Cardiff

oCoffee BarkerCAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Castle Arcade; mains £4-7; h8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 10.30am-4.30pm Sun; Wc)

Slink into an armchair, sip on a silky coffee and snack on salmon scrambled eggs or a sandwich in what is Cardiff's coolest cafe. There are plenty of magazines and toys to keep everyone amused.

Riverside MarketMARKET

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.riversidemarket.org.uk; Fitzhamon Embankment; h10am-2pm Sun; v)

What it lacks in size, Riverside Market makes up for in sheer yumminess, its stalls heaving with cooked meals, cakes, cheese, organic meat, charcuterie, bread, apple juice and real ale. There are lots of options for vegetarians, and the Welsh cakes, hot off the griddle, are exceptional.

Goat MajorPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.sabrain.com/goatmajor; 33 High St; pies £7.50; hkitchen noon-6pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun; W)

A solidly traditional wood-lined pub with a fireplace and Brains craft beers, the Goat Major's gastronomic contribution takes the form of a selection of homemade pot pies served with chips. Try the Wye Valley pie, a mixture of chicken, leek, asparagus and Tintern Abbey cheese.

Cafe CittáITALIAN

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2022 4040; 4 Church St; mains £9-12; hnoon-9pm Tue-Sat; v)

Once you're lured through the door by the delicious scents wafting out of the wood-fired oven, you won't want to escape this little slice of la dolce vita. The authentic linguine puttanesca is proof that some traditions shouldn't be messed with. There are only a handful of tables, so book ahead.

Park HouseMODERN BRITISH

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2022 4343; www.parkhouserestaurant.co.uk; 20 Park Pl; mains £26, 2-/3-course lunch £16/21; h11am-10pm Wed-Sat, to 6pm Sun)

The ambience is rather stuffy, but the menu at this private members' club is anything but conservative, adding subtle Indian and Southeast Asian touches to classic European dishes. Dress up and push the buzzer for admittance.

Cardiff Bay

FfreshMODERN WELSH

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2063 6465; www.ffresh.org.uk; Wales Millennium Centre; mains £14-18; hnoon-9.30pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm Sun)S

Overlooking the Senedd from the glassed-in end of the Millennium Centre, Ffresh has the Welshiest of settings and a menu to match. Local, seasonal produce features heavily in a creative menu that includes some traditional favourites, such as Welsh lamb and Perl Wen cheese.

Pontcanna

oPurple PoppadomINDIAN

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2022 0026; www.purplepoppadom.com; 185A Cowbridge Rd East; mains £8-18; h5.30-11pm Tue-Fri, noon-2.30pm & 5.30-11pm Sat, 1-9pm Sun; v)

Trailblazing a path for 'nouvelle Indian' cuisine, Anand George's kitchen offers its own unique take on regional dishes from all over the subcontinent – from Kashmir to Kerala. Meals are thoughtfully constructed and artfully presented.

ConwayGASTROPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2022 4373; www.knifeandforkfood.co.uk; 58 Conway Rd; mains £10-15; hnoon-11pm; c)

With a sun-trap front terrace and a pleasantly laid-back vibe, this wonderful corner pub chalks up its delicious 'seasonal, fresh and local' offerings daily. Kids get their own menu, while the grown-ups can ponder the large selection of wines served by the glass.

BravaCAFE, BISTRO

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.bravacardiff.co.uk; 71 Pontcanna St; brunch £6-9, dinner £9-15; h9am-4pm Sun & Mon, 8am-10pm Tue-Sat)

With local art on the walls and an informal vibe, this cool cafe is a favourite brunch spot on the strength of its eggs Benedict, silky coffee and attentive service. Tables spill out onto the pavement in summer and in the evening it morphs into a licensed bistro. Brava, indeed.

Bully'sFRENCH

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2022 1905; www.bullysrestaurant.co.uk; 5 Romilly Cres; mains £19-23, 1-/2-/3-course lunch £10/14/18; hnoon-2pm & 6.30-9pm Mon-Sat, noon-3.30pm Sun)

An assortment of odd things (bank notes, receipts from famous restaurants etc) cover the walls of this cosy neighbourhood bistro, giving little indication of the high quality French-style dishes served here. The set lunch menus are great value, including a free glass of house wine.

Cathays

Mint & MustardINDIAN

( GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2062 0333; www.mintandmustard.com; 134 Whitchurch Rd; mains £8-16, lunch thali £10; hnoon-2pm & 6-11pm; v)

A rewarding short detour to student hub Cathays, north of the city centre, will bring you to this upmarket Indian eatery, specialising in seafood dishes from Kerala. If you're not enticed by the lobster, crab, prawn and fish dishes, there are plenty of vegetarian options and an excellent crusted lamb biryani.

6Drinking & Nightlife

Cardiff is a prodigiously boozy city. Friday and Saturday nights see the city centre invaded by hordes of generally good-humoured, beered-up lads and ladettes tottering from bar to club to kebab shop, whatever the weather (someone fetch that young woman a coat!). It's not as tacky as it sounds: a lively alternative scene, some swish bars and a swath of old-fashioned pubs keep things interesting.

Try the local Brains SA (meaning Special Ale, Same Again or Skull Attack, depending on how many you've had), brewed by the same family concern since 1882.

oGwdihŵBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.gwdihw.co.uk; 6 Guildford Cres; h3pm-midnight Sun-Wed, noon-2am Thu-Sat)

The last word in Cardiff hipsterdom, this cute little bar has an eclectic line-up of entertainment (comedy nights, markets and lots of live music, including microfestivals that spill over into the car park) but it's a completely charming place to stop for a drink at any time.

Buffalo BarBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.buffalocardiff.co.uk; 11 Windsor Pl; hnoon-3am)

A haven for cool kids about town, the laid-back Buffalo features retro furniture, tasty food, life-affirming cocktails and alternative tunes. There's a small beer garden at the rear, while upstairs a roster of cutting-edge indie bands takes to the stage.

Full MoonBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thefullmooncardiff.com; 1/3 Womanby St; h5pm-late)

There are no pretences at this friendly, grungy rock bar, directly opposite well-known live-music venue Clwb Ifor Bach. Sample from the large selection of rum, whisky and vodka, or try the 'jar of green shit' if you dare. Upstairs, the Moon Club thrums to live bands.

City ArmsPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thecityarmscardiff.com; 10-12 Quay St; h11am-11pm Mon-Wed, to 2am Thu-Sun; W)

What's affectionately known in these parts as an 'old man's pub' – despite it attracting just as many young people – the City Arms is an unpretentious, old-fashioned kind of place, its walls lined with rugby memorabilia and beer labels. It gets packed out on rugby weekends, but on weekday afternoons it's a quiet place for a pint.

Pen & WigPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.penandwigcardiff.co.uk; 1 Park Grove; h11am-midnight)

Latin legal phrases are printed on the walls of this solidly traditional pub, but there's nothing stuffy about the large beer garden or the entertainment roster (open mic Mondays, quiz Tuesdays, 'Gig @ the Wig' Saturdays). Caveat emptor: the impressive range of ales may induce mens rea (guilty mind) the morning after.

Porter'sBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.porterscardiff.com; Bute Tce; h4pm-12.30am Sun-Thu, to 3am Fri, noon-3am Sat)

There's something on most nights at this friendly attitude-free bar, whether it's live music, a quiz or a movie screening (there's a little cinema attached).

10 Feet TallBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.10feettallcardiff.com; 12 Church St; hnoon-3am)

This three-storey venue merges a cafe, a cocktail and tapas bar, and a live-music venue. Handsome bartenders swish together two-for-one cocktails between 5pm and 10pm, and all day Sundays.

Pica PicaBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.picapicacardiff.com; 15-23 Westgate St; hnoon-midnight Wed-Sat; W)

Housed in a series of low-ceilinged brick vaults, this cool bar serves tapas, mezze and two-for-one cocktails before 7.30pm.

GAY & LESBIAN CARDIFF

Cardiff's small gay and lesbian scene is focused on a cluster of venues on Churchill Way and Charles St. For listings, check www.gaycardiff.co.uk. The big annual event is Pride Cymru (www.cardiffmardigras.co.uk; hlate Aug/early Sep), held as part of the Cardiff Festival.

EagleGAY

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.eaglecardiff.com; 39 Charles St; h5pm-3am Sun-Thu, to 5am Fri & Sat)

A bastion for blokiness, the Eagle has a gay-men-only policy after 9pm on the weekends, enabled by a membership system (£3 annually). There's no DJ, drag or back room, just a friendly little basement bar open until the wee small hours, with a smoking deck at the rear.

Golden CrossGAY

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.sabrain.com/golden-cross; 282 Hayes Bridge Rd; hnoon-11pm Mon & Tue, to 2am Wed-Sun; W)

One of the oldest pubs in the city and a long-standing gay venue, this Victorian bar retains its handsome stained glass, polished wood and ceramic tiles. It hosts drag, cabaret, quiz and karaoke nights, and there's a little dance floor.

3Entertainment

Pick up a copy of Buzz (www.buzzmag.co.uk), a free monthly magazine with up-to-date entertainment listings, available from the tourist office and venues.

Most of the large arts companies are based at the Wales Millennium Centre.

St David's HallCLASSICAL MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2087 8444; www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk; The Hayes)

The National Concert Hall of Wales hosts the Welsh Proms in July and a full roster of classical music performances.

oClwb Ifor BachLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2023 2199; www.clwb.net; 11 Womanby St)

Truly an independent music great, Y Clwb has broken many a Welsh band since the early 1980s. It started as a venue for Welsh-language music in Anglophone Cardiff and has built a reputation as the city's most eclectic and important venue. It's the best place to catch gigs by up-and-coming new acts as well as by more established artists.

ChapterTHEATRE, CINEMA

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2030 4400; www.chapter.org; Market Rd, Canton)

The city's edgiest arts venue, Chapter has a varied rota of contemporary drama, art exhibitions, art-house cinema, workshops, alternative theatre and dance performances.

Sherman CymruTHEATRE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2064 6900; www.shermancymru.co.uk; Senghennydd Rd, Cathays)

South Wales' leading theatre company, Sherman stages a wide range of material, from classics and children's theatre to works by new playwrights.

New TheatreTHEATRE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2087 8889; www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk; Park Pl)

A restored Edwardian playhouse, New Theatre hosts touring productions, including musicals, ballet and pantomime.

7Shopping

If you thought Cardiff's 21st-century makeover was all about political edifices, arts centres and sports stadia, think again. One of the most dramatic developments in the central city is the transformation of the Hayes shopping strip, with the giant, glitzy extension of the St David's shopping centre now eating up its entire eastern flank. Balancing this modern mall is a historic network of Victorian and Edwardian shopping arcades, which spread their dainty tentacles either side of St Mary St.

oSt David'sMALL

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.stdavidscardiff.com; The Hayes; h9.30am-8pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun; W)

Immense is the best way to describe this shiny shopping centre. All the high-street chains you could name have a home here, along with a smorgasbord of eateries, a cinema multiplex and a large branch of the John Lewis department store dominating its southern end.

Cardiff MarketMARKET

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cardiff-market.co.uk; btwn St Mary & Trinity Sts; h8am-5.30pm Mon-Sat)

For an age-old shopping experience, head to this Victorian covered market, which is packed with stalls selling everything from fresh fish to mobile phone covers. Stock up here for a picnic in Bute Park.

Craft in the BayARTS & CRAFTS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.makersguildinwales.org.uk; Lloyd George Ave; h10.30am-5.30pm)

This retail showcase for the Welsh Makers Guild cooperative sells work by its members, including a wide range of ceramics, textiles, woodwork, jewellery, glassware and ironwork.

Castle Welsh CraftsSOUVENIRS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.castlewelshcrafts.co.uk; 1 Castle St; h9am-5.30pm)

If you're after stuffed dragons, lovespoons or Cardiff T-shirts, this is the city's biggest souvenir shop, conveniently located across the street from the castle.

Spillers RecordsMUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.spillersrecords.co.uk; Morgan Arcade; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm Sun)

The world's oldest record shop, founded in 1894 (when it sold wax phonograph cylinders), Spillers stocks a large range of CDs and vinyl; prides itself on catering to the nonmainstream end of the market (it's especially good for punk music); and promotes local talent through in-store gigs.

Morgan QuarterSHOPPING ARCADE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.morganquarter.com; btwn St Mary St & The Hayes)

Cardiff's oldest arcade (1858), the Royal connects up with the Morgan Arcade via a series of covered lanes, forming this ritzy shopping precinct. Look out for Spillers Records, the excellent Wally's Delicatessen and Liam Gallagher's pricey menswear boutique, Pretty Green.

High St ArcadeSHOPPING ARCADE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cardiffhighstreetarcade.co.uk; btwn High & St John Sts)

Stop into the NY Deli for a burger or sandwich, then head on to Hobo’s for vintage clothing, or to Catapult for dance music.

Castle ArcadeSHOPPING ARCADE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cardiffcastlearcade.co.uk; btwn Castle & High Sts)

The most decorative of the city's arcades houses Troutmark Books (secondhand and Welsh-language titles), Claire Grove Buttons (beads and buttons of every description), Madame Fromage and Coffee Barker.

Wyndham ArcadeSHOPPING ARCADE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; btwn St Mary St & Mill Lane)

This historic arcade houses the gloriously old-fashioned Bear Shop, a specialist tobacconist featuring a prominently displayed 200-year-old piece of taxidermy called Bruno.

8Information

Cardiff Bay Tourist OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION

( GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2087 7927; www.visitcardiffbay.info; Wales Millennium Centre; h10am-6pm, extended on show nights)

Cardiff Tourist OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION

( GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2087 3573; www.visitcardiff.com; Old Library, The Hayes; h9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun; i)

Internet access costs £1 per 30 minutes.

University Hospital of WalesHOSPITAL

( GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2074 7747; www.cardiffandvaleuhb.wales.nhs.uk; Heath Park)

Cardiff's main accident and emergency department, located 2 miles north of the Civic Centre.

8Getting There & Away

Air

Cardiff Airport ( GOOGLE MAP ; %01446-711111; www.cardiff-airport.com) is mainly used by budget operators. Aside from summer-only services and charters, a number of airlines fly into Cardiff and serve international and national destinations.

Aer LingusAIRLINE

(www.aerlingus.com)

Flies to Dublin.

CityJetAIRLINE

(www.cityjet.com)

Services to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey and Paris Orly.

CitywingAIRLINE

(www.citywing.com)

Flights to Anglesey.

Eastern AirwaysAIRLINE

(www.easternairways.com)

Sevices to Aberdeen and Newcastle.

FlybeAIRLINE

(www.flybe.com)

Flights to Belfast and Jersey.

KLMAIRLINE

(www.klm.com)

Services to Amsterdam.

ThomsonAIRLINE

(www.thomson.co.uk)

Flights to Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Paphos and Sharm el-Sheikh.

Bus

Cardiff’s Central bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; Wood St) is next to the train station.

Bus destinations include Swansea (route 100/701; £3, one hour), Aberystwyth (701; four hours), Abergavenny (X4; £9.10, 2¼ hours), Hereford (X4; 3¼ hours) and Bristol (100; £11, 1½ hours).

National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) coach destinations include London (£19, 3½ hours), Bristol (£6, 1¼ hours), Birmingham, (£27, 2¾ hours), Manchester (£37, six hours) and Leeds (£51, 6¾ hours).

Greyhound (www.greyhounduk.com) coaches head to/from Swansea (£3.30, one hour), Newport (£3.30, 35 minutes) and Bristol Airport (£11, 1¾ hours).

Car

Cardiff is easily reached from the M4 (which runs from London to northwest of Swansea). All major rental car companies have branches in the capital.

Train

Trains from major British cities arrive at Cardiff Central station, on the southern edge of the city centre. Direct services from Cardiff:

AAbergavenny £13, 45 minutes

A Birmingham £26, two hours

ABristol £13, 35 minutes

ACheltenham £18, 1½ hours

ALondon Paddington £39, 2¼ hours

8Getting Around

To/From the Airport

Cardiff Airport is 12 miles southwest of Cardiff, past Barry.

Cardiff Airport Express bus (£5, 38 minutes, every 20 minutes) heads between the airport and Central bus station.

The 905 shuttle bus (£1, seven minutes) links the airport terminal to nearby Rhoose Cardiff Airport train station. Trains to Cardiff Central station (£4.20, 30 minutes) run hourly from Monday to Saturday and two-hourly on Sundays.

A taxi from the airport to the city centre takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic, and costs £31.

Public Transport

Local buses are operated by Cardiff Bus ( GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2066 6444; www.cardiffbus.com; single trip/day pass £1.70/3.40); buy your ticket from the driver (no change given). Free route maps and timetables are available from its Wood St office. Generally buses are more convenient for short trips than trains, although there are a handful of stations scattered around the city.

Two boats run alternating water-bus services along the River Taff from Bute Park to Mermaid Quay, departing every half-hour from 10.30am to 5pm. The journey takes about 25 minutes and costs £3 each way.

Taxi

Reliable companies include Capital Cabs (%029-2077 7777; www.capitalcabs.co.uk) and Dragon Taxis (%029-2033 3333; www.dragontaxis.com). Checker Cars (%01446 711747; www.checkercars.com) operates the cabs leaving from the airport.

Around Cardiff

If you're based in Cardiff, there's a diverting selection of day trips to choose between.

Penarth

Pop 27,300

Well-heeled Penarth is slowly transforming from an old-fashioned seaside resort to a virtual suburb of Cardiff, despite it being in the neighbouring county, the Vale of Glamorgan. It's connected to Cardiff Bay by the freshwater lake formed by the construction of the barrage and it now sports a busy marina on the lakefront.

1Sights

Penarth Pier PavilionARTS CENTRE

(www.penarthpavilion.co.uk; Penarth Pier; h10am-5pm Sun-Wed, to 8pm Thu-Sat Apr-Oct, 10am-5pm daily Nov-Mar)

Penarth's rock-strewn shoreline may not be particularly attractive but it is the closest beach to Cardiff. In 1894 it was graced with that stereotype of the Victorian seaside, a pier. This elegant art deco pavilion followed in 1927, and has been recently restored, complete with a brand-new gallery, cinema and cafe.

Alexandra GardensPARK

This pretty Edwardian-era park slopes from Penarth's bustling town centre down to the esplanade. Its formal gardens are filled with topiary and colourful flowerbeds.

FfotogalleryGALLERY

(%029-2034 1667; www.ffotogallery.org; Plymouth Rd; h11am-5pm Tue-Sat)F

Also known as the Turner House Gallery, this red-brick building near the train station hosts edgy photographic, video and multimedia exhibitions. It's at its busiest during the month-long Diffusion international photography festival in May.

8Getting There & Away

Buses head to/from Cardiff (route 89/92–95; £1.80, 28 minutes) and Barry (88/93/94; £2.50, 30 minutes) and there are frequent trains (£2.60, 12 minutes).

It's possible to walk or cycle along the barrage from Cardiff Bay to Penarth Marina (allow 40 minutes on foot). From here it's a steep but short walk up to the town centre and down again to the pier.

Barry (Y Barri)

Pop 54,700

Nowhere have the recent triumphs of the BBC Wales television department been more keenly felt than in Barry, a seaside town 8 miles southwest of Cardiff. If you watch Doctor Who or Being Human, you'll no doubt be aware that the town is infested with aliens, zombies, ghosts, werewolves and vampires. Yet it's the massive popularity of the altogether more down-to-earth comedy Gavin & Stacey that has given the town a new cache. The staff at Island Leisure (on the Promenade) are used to fans of the show making a pilgrimage to the booth where Nessa (played in the show by co-writer Ruth Jones) worked. Other sites include nearby Marco’s Cafe, where Stacey worked, and Trinity St, where Stacey’s mum and Uncle Bryn lived.

The real attraction here is Barry Island, which is well signposted at the south end of the town. It stopped being a real island in the 1880s when it was joined to the mainland by a causeway. Amusement arcades and fun parks line the waterfront at sandy Whitmore Bay, which is easily the best beach this side of the Gower.

It's also worth stopping at Porthkerry Country Park, where an impressive Victorian railway viaduct passes over a lovely wooded valley leading down to a stony beach. There are plenty of trails to explore, a popular playground and the potential to spot buzzards, adders and foxes. It's well signposted from the road to Barry Island.

8Getting There & Away

Frequent trains head to the Barry and Barry Island train stations from Cardiff (£3.20, 24 minutes).

Cardiff Bus services head to/from Penarth (route 88/93/94; £2.50, 30 minutes) and Cardiff (93–96/304; £2.50, one hour).

Castell Coch

Castell CochCASTLE

(Cadw; GOOGLE MAP ; %029-2081 0101; www.cadw.wales.gov.uk; adult/child £5.50/4.10; h10am-4pm)

Cardiff Castle's little brother is perched atop a thickly wooded crag on the northern fringes of the city. Fanciful Castell Coch (Red Castle) was the summer retreat of the third marquess of Bute and, like Cardiff Castle, was designed by William Burges in gaudy Victorian medieval style.

Stagecoach buses 26 and 132 (£2.30, 27 minutes) stop at Tongwynlais, a 10-minute walk from the castle. Bus 26 continues to Caerphilly Castle, and the two can be combined in a day trip.

Raised on the ruins of Gilbert de Clare's 13th-century Castell Coch, the Butes' Disneyesque holiday home is a monument to high camp. Lady Bute's huge, circular bedroom is pure fantasy: her bed, with crystal globes on the bedposts, sits beneath an extravagantly decorated and mirrored cupola, with painted panels around the walls depicting monkeys (fashionable at the time, apparently; just plain weird now). The corbels are carved with images of birds nesting or feeding their young, and the wash basin is framed between two castle towers.

Lord Bute's bedroom is small and plain by comparison, but the octagonal drawing room is another hallucinogenic tour de force. Its walls are painted with scenes from Aesop's Fables, while the domed ceiling is a flurry of birds and stars. The tower to the right of the entrance has exhibits explaining the castle's history.

Caerphilly (Caerffili)

Pop 32,700

The town of Caerphilly, with its fairy-tale castle, guards the entrance to the Rhymney Valley to the north of Cardiff. Its name is synonymous with a popular variety of mild, slightly crumbly, hard white cheese that originated in the surrounding area.

THE BIG CHEESE

Any festival that includes a Cheese Olympics and a Tommy Cooper Tent has got to be worth a look. On the last weekend of July, Caerphilly welcomes more than 70,000 people to the Big Cheese (www.caerphilly.gov.uk/bigcheese; admission free), three days of family-oriented fun and games that offer everything from fireworks to falconry, comedy acts to cheese tasting, plus medieval battle re-enactments, food and craft stalls, archery demonstrations, live music and a traditional funfair.

The Cheese Olympics are held on Friday evening, with events including cheese throwing, rolling and stacking. The Tommy Cooper Tent – named after the much-loved British comedian, who was born in Caerphilly and died in 1984 – stages comedy acts, including a Tommy Cooper tribute act. A statue of Cooper, in his trademark fez and with a rabbit at his feet, overlooks the castle near the tourist office.

1Sights

oCaerphilly CastleCASTLE

(Cadw; %029-2088 3143; www.cadw.wales.gov.uk; adult/child £5.50/4.10; h9.30am-5pm)

You could be forgiven for thinking that Caerphilly Castle – with its profusion of towers and crenellations reflected in a duck-filled lake – was a film set rather than an ancient monument. While it is often used as a film set, it is also one of Britain's finest examples of a 13th-century fortress with water defences.

Most of the construction was completed between 1268 and 1271 by the powerful English baron Gilbert de Clare (1243–95), Lord Marcher of Glamorgan, in response to the threat of attack by Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, prince of Gwynedd (and the last Welsh Prince of Wales), who had already united most of the country under his control. Edward I's subsequent campaign against the Welsh princes put an end to Llywelyn's ambitions and Caerphilly's short-lived spell on the front line came to an end.

In the 13th century Caerphilly was state-of-the-art, being one of the earliest castles to use lakes, bridges and a series of concentric fortifications for defence. To reach the inner court you had to overcome no fewer than three drawbridges, six portcullises and five sets of double gates. In the early 14th century it was remodelled as a grand residence and the magnificent great hall was adapted for entertaining, but from the mid-14th century onward the castle began to fall into ruin.

Much of what you see today is the result of restoration by the castle-loving Bute family. The third marquess of Bute purchased and demolished houses built up against the walls, and in 1870 the great hall was given a magnificent wooden ceiling. The fourth marquess instituted a major restoration from 1928 to 1939, giving jobs to many Great Depression–affected locals in the process. Work continued after 1950, when the fifth marquess gifted the castle to the state. In 1958 the dams were reflooded, creating its current fairy-tale appearance.

You can enter through the outside gate and into the first tower before reaching the ticket office. Upstairs, there are detailed displays about the castle's history. A cartoonish film projected onto the walls of one of the inner towers tells a truncated version of the same story.

On the south dam platform you can see reconstructions of medieval siege weapons; they are working models and lob stone projectiles into the lake during battle re-enactments.

8Information

Caerphilly Tourist OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION

(%029-2088 0011; www.visitcaerphilly.com; The Twyn; h10am-5.30pm)

Not only is this friendly office a good place to stock up on information, it's also the only place in town selling Caerphilly cheese – along with Penderyn spirits and locally made chocolates. There's a small cafe attached.

8Getting There & Away

The easiest way to reach Caerphilly from Cardiff is by train (£4.20, 19 minutes).

Buses head here from Cardiff's Central bus station (route 26/A/B; £3.80, 40 minutes).

Southeast Wales

You need only contemplate the preponderance of castles to realise that the pleasantly rural county of Monmouthshire was once a wild frontier. The Norman Marcher lords kept stonemasons extremely busy, erecting mighty fortifications to keep the unruly Welsh at bay. The River Wye forms the Wales–England border before emptying into the River Severn below Chepstow. Much of it is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk), famous for its limestone gorges and dense broad-leaved woodland.

To the west, the serried South Wales valleys were once the heart of industrial Wales. Although the coal, iron and steel industries have withered, the valleys still evoke a world of tight-knit working-class communities, male voice choirs and rows of neat terraced houses set amid a scarred, coal-blackened landscape. Today, the region is fighting back against decline by creating a tourist industry based on its industrial heritage.

Newport (Casnewydd)

Sitting at the muddy mouth of the River Usk and flanked by the detritus of heavy industry, Newport is never going to win any awards for beauty. Despite its grim appearance and gritty undercurrents, however, Wales' third-largest city does have some fascinating things to see. It's well worth a day trip, but you're unlikely to be tempted to stay over.

1Sights

Tredegar HouseHISTORIC BUILDING

(NT; %01633-815880; www.nationaltrust.org.uk; house adult/child £7.20/3.60, parking £2; hpark 9am-dusk year-round, house 11am-5pm Feb-Oct; p)

The seat of the Morgan family for more than 500 years, Tredegar House is a stone and red-brick 17th-century country house set amid extensive gardens. It is one of the finest examples of a Restoration mansion in Britain, the oldest parts dating to the 1670s. The National Trust took over management of the property in late 2011 and has done a great job bringing the fascinating stories of its owners to life. Tredegar House is 2 miles west of Newport city centre.

The Morgans, once one of the richest families in Wales, were an interesting lot – Sir Henry was a 17th-century pirate (Captain Morgan's Rum is named after him); Lord Godfrey survived the Charge of the Light Brigade; and Viscount Evan was an occultist, a Catholic convert and a twice-married homosexual who kept a boxing kangaroo.

Transporter BridgeBRIDGE

(www.newport.gov.uk/transporterbridge; Usk Way; vehicle/passenger £1/50p; h10am-5pm Wed-Sun Easter-Sep)

The spidery towers of the 1906 Transporter Bridge rise over the river, about a mile south of the city centre. A remarkable piece of Edwardian engineering, the bridge can carry up to six cars across the river in a gondola suspended beneath the high-level track, while still allowing high-masted ships to pass beneath. It's the largest of eight such bridges remaining in the world. The day visitor rate (adult/child £2.75/1.75) includes access to the motor house and high-level walkway.

8Information

Tourist OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION

(%01633-656656; www.newport.gov.uk/tourism; John Frost Sq; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm Sat)

8Getting There & Away

Bus

Newport's bus station is on Kings Way, across from the river, but it can also be accessed from John Frost Sq.

Buses head to Cardiff (route 30; £2, 40 minutes), Caerleon (27–29; £1.60, 15 minutes), Chepstow (74; £2, one hour) and Blaenavon (X24; £4.50, 51 minutes).

National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) coach destinations include Swansea (£9.10, 1½ hours), Cardiff (£3.20, 30 minutes), Birmingham (£23, 2¼ hours), Bristol (£8.10, 40 minutes) and London (£23, three hours).

Greyhound coaches stop at the train station en route to/from Swansea (£6.60, two hours), Cardiff (£3.30, 35 minutes) and Bristol Airport (£11, 1¾ hours).

Train

Newport train station is on Queensway, immediately north of the High St. Direct train destinations:

AAbergavenny £8.50, 25 minutes

ABristol £11, 30 minutes

ACardiff £4.80, 20 minutes

ALondon Paddington £39, two hours

AShrewsbury £37, 1¾ hours

Caerleon

Pop 8750

Hidden in plain view beneath the small, genteel town of Caerleon is one of the largest and most important Roman settlements in Britain. After the Romans invaded in AD 43, they controlled their new territory through a network of forts and military garrisons. The top tier of military organisation was the legionary fort, of which there were only three in Britain – at Eboracum (York), Deva (Chester) and Isca (Caerleon).

Caerleon (meaning, 'Fort of the Legion’) was the headquarters of the elite 2nd Augustan Legion for more than 200 years, from AD 75 until the end of the 3rd century. It wasn’t just a military camp but a purpose-built township some 9 miles in circumference, complete with a 6000-seat amphitheatre and a state-of-the-art Roman baths complex.

1Sights

National Roman Legion Museum MUSEUM

(www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/roman; High St; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun)F

Put your Caerleon explorations into context at this excellent museum, which paints a vivid picture of what life was like for soldiers in one of the most remote corners of the Roman Empire. It displays a host of intriguing Roman artefacts uncovered locally, from jewellery to armour, and from teeth to tombstones.

Caerleon Roman Fortress BathsRUIN

(Cadw; www.cadw.wales.gov.uk; High St; h9.30am-5pm daily Apr-Oct, 9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm Sun Nov-Mar)F

Like any good Roman town, Caerleon had a grand public bath complex. Parts of the outdoor swimming pool, apodyterium (changing room) and frigidarium (cold room) remain under a protective roof, and give some idea of the scale of the place. Projections of bathers splashing through shimmering water help bring it to life.

Roman AmphitheatreRUIN

(Cadw; www.cadw.wales.gov.uk; The Broadway; h9.30am-5pm)F

The turf-covered terraces of the only fully excavated Roman amphitheatre in Britain can be found here; it once lay just outside the old Roman fortress walls. Take the side street opposite the National Roman Legion Museum, which leads to a park on the left. Follow the signs on the other side of the Broadway to see the foundations of the Barracks.

4Sleeping

oOld RectoryB&B

(%01633-430700; www.the-oldrectory.co.uk; Christchurch Rd; r £75; pW)

One mile south of Caerleon, in the village of Christchurch, the Old Rectory offers a warm welcome and three luxurious rooms with views over the Severn Estuary to England.

8Information

Tourist OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION

(%01633-422656; www.newport.gov.uk/tourism; 5 High St; h10am-4pm)

8Getting There & Away

Regular buses head to/from Newport (routes 27–29; £1.60, 15 minutes).

Chepstow (Cas-gwent)

Pop 16,200

Chepstow is an attractive market town nestled in a great S-bend in the River Wye, with a splendid Norman castle perched dramatically on a cliff above the water. The town was first developed as a base for the Norman conquest of southeast Wales, later prospering as a port for the timber and wine trades. As river-borne commerce gave way to the railways, Chepstow's importance diminished to reflect its name, which means 'marketplace' in Old English.

1Sights

oChepstow CastleCASTLE

(Cadw; GOOGLE MAP ; www.cadw.wales.gov.uk; Bridge St; adult/child £4.50/3.40; h10am-4pm)

Magnificent Chepstow Castle perches atop a sheer limestone cliff overhanging the river, guarding the main river crossing from England into South Wales. It is one of the oldest castles in Britain (building began in 1067) and it's remarkably well preserved.

Chepstow MuseumMUSEUM

( GOOGLE MAP ; Bridge St; h11am-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun)F

Housed in an 18th-century town house across the road from the castle, this small, child-friendly museum covers Chepstow's industrial and social history.

5Eating

Lime TreeCAFE

( GOOGLE MAP ; www.facebook.com/limetreecafebar; 24 St Mary St; mains £4-11; h8.30am-11pm; Wv)

This appealing eatery handles the transition from cosy daytime cafe into trendy gastro bar seamlessly. The vastly varied menu stretches from breakfast into sandwiches, burgers and all the traditional tapas favourites. Grab a newspaper and settle into one of the nooks.

Riverside Wine BarTAPAS

( GOOGLE MAP ; %01291-628300; www.theriversidewinebar.co.uk; 18a The Back; mains €7-11; h10.30am-11pm, reduced hours in winter)

Sink into a leather couch and quaff on wine while grazing through antipasto and cheese platters, skewers, burgers, pizza and tapas. Heavy gilt-framed mirrors and feature wallpaper set the tone, while in summer the action spills outside.

Mythos!GREEK

( GOOGLE MAP ; %01291-627222; www.facebook.com/MythosMezeBar; Welsh St; mains £9-18; hnoon-midnight Mon-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat, 5pm-midnight Sun)

Exposed beams, stone walls and dramatic lighting make this lively Greek bar and restaurant memorable, but it's the authentic, delicious food that justifies that exclamation mark in the name: tzatziki, grilled haloumi, moussaka – served as mezze or main-sized portions.

8Information

Tourist OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION

( GOOGLE MAP ; %01291-623772; www.chepstowtowncrier.org.uk; Castle car park, Bridge St; h9.30am-5pm Apr-Oct, to 3.30pm Nov-Mar)

Ask about local walking trails, such as the Tintern & Return path.

8Getting There & Away

Buses head to/from Newport (route 74; £2, one hour), Tintern (69; £2.65, 19 minutes) and Monmouth (65/69; £3, one hour).

National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) coach destinations include London (£19, three hours), Cardiff (£5.40, one hour), Swansea (£12, two hours), Carmarthen (£17, 2½ hours) and Tenby (£18, 3¼ hours).

There are direct trains from Cardiff (£9.30, 40 minutes), Gloucester (£9.50, 30 minutes), Cheltenham (£12, 40 minutes) and Birmingham (£26, 1½ hours).

Lower Wye Valley

The A466 road follows the snaking, steep-sided valley of the River Wye from Chepstow to Monmouth, passing through the straggling village of Tintern. It's a beautiful drive, rendered particularly mysterious when a twilight mist rises from the river and shrouds the illuminated ruins of Tintern Abbey.

There are plenty of possibilities for riverside walks around Tintern. One of the best begins at the old railway bridge just upstream from the abbey, and leads to the Devil's Pulpit, a limestone crag on the east side of the river with a spectacular view over the abbey (2.5 miles round-trip).

1Sights

oTintern AbbeyHISTORIC BUILDING

(Cadw; www.cadw.wales.gov.uk; adult/child £4.50/3.40; h10am-4pm; p)

Founded in 1131 by the Cistercian order, this monastic complex and its riverside setting has been immortalised in many famous paintings and poems. The huge abbey church was built between 1269 and 1301, the stone shell of which remains surprisingly intact; the finest feature is tracery that once contained the magnificent west windows.

4Sleeping

Tintern Old RectoryB&B

(%01291-689920; www.tintern-oldrectory.co.uk; A466; s/d from £75/85; pW#)

Dressed in pale pink and blue, the four sweet rooms in this 18th-century house either look over the river or have access to the rear garden. The breakfast menu offers an impressive array of options.

Tŷ BrynB&B

(%01594-531330; www.wyevalleystay.co.uk; A466; r £70-80; pW)

Perched on a hillside overlooking a pretty stretch of the River Wye in the village of Llandogo, 3 miles north of Tintern Abbey, this old stone house has three comfortable en suite rooms looked after by friendly young owners.

Crown at WhitebrookHOTEL

(%01600-860254; www.crownatwhitebrook.co.uk; Whitebrook; r £110-140)

Hidden away on the narrow country lane that runs along the west bank of the Wye (a mile north of the turn-off where the A466 crosses the river into England, and 5 miles north of Tintern Abbey), this little restaurant-with-rooms is a peaceful and elegant bolt-hole.

8Getting There & Away

Bus 69 follows the A466 along the river between Chepstow (£2.65, 19 minutes) and Monmouth (£3.55, 34 minutes).

Monmouth (Trefynwy)

Pop 10,200

The compact market town of Monmouth sits at the confluence of the Rivers Wye and Monnow, and has hopped in and out of Wales over the centuries as the border shifted back and forth. Henry V was born in 1397 in Monmouth Castle, the meagre remains of which can be seen on Castle Hill.

Monmouth's main drag, Monnow St, starts at car-free Monnow Bridge, the UK's only complete example of a medieval fortified bridge. It was built in 1270, although much of what you see now was restored in 1705. Before you cross into town, it's worth poking your head into St Thomas the Martyr's Church; parts of it date from around 1180.

5Eating

Bistro PregoITALIAN

( GOOGLE MAP ; %01600-712600; www.pregomonmouth.co.uk; 7 Church St; mains £12-19; hnoon-2.30pm & 6.30-9.30pm)

Set down a cobbled lane in the heart of the town, this little Italian eatery dishes up tasty pasta and more substantial mains. Save room for dessert – the semifreddo is delicious. It also has rooms.

8Information

Tourist Office TOURIST INFORMATION

( GOOGLE MAP ; %01600-775257; www.shirehallmonmouth.org.uk; Shire Hall, Agincourt Sq; h10am-4pm)

8Getting There & Away

Buses head to/from Chepstow (route 65/69; £3, one hour), Newport (60; £5.50, one hour), Abergavenny (83; £3, 45 minutes), the Forest of Dean (34/35; £2.20, 20 minutes) and Hereford (36; one hour).

National Express coaches head here from Newport (£8.40, 35 minutes), Cardiff (£11, one hour), Ross-on-Wye (£4.80, 20 minutes) and Birmingham (£20, 1¾ hours).

Skenfrith

A chocolate-box village of stone buildings set around a hefty castle and ancient church, and skirted by the River Monnow, Skenfrith encapsulates the essence of the Monmouthshire countryside. Skenfrith Castle was built around 1228 on the site of earlier Norman fortifications. Its keep and walls are partially intact, and there are no barriers to prevent you entering and picnicking on the central lawn. Nearby, a squat tower announces 800-year-old St Bridget's Church, accessed by a low wooden door with a foot-high step. The riverside village pub, the Bell at Skenfrith (%01600-750235; www.skenfrith.co.uk; s/d from £75/110; pW#), has a popular restaurant and elegant rooms.

Skenfrith is 5 miles northwest of Monmouth along the B4233; there's no public transport.

WORTH A TRIP

RAGLAN CASTLE

Raglan CastleCASTLE

(Cadw; www.cadw.wales.gov.uk; adult/child £4.50/3.40; h10am-4pm; p)

This was the last great medieval castle to be built in Wales, designed more as a swaggering declaration of wealth and power than a defensive fortress. A magnificent, sprawling complex built of dusky pink and grey sandstone, its centrepiece is the lavish Great Tower, a hexagonal keep ringed by a moat, badly damaged during the Civil War of the 1640s.

Buses from Newport (route 60; £5.50, 39 minutes), Monmouth (60/83; £2.85, 19 minutes) and Abergavenny (83; £3.40, 26 minutes) stop in Raglan, a five-minute walk to the castle.

Blaenavon (Blaenafon)

Pop 5700

Of all the valley settlements that were decimated by the demise of heavy industry, the one-time coal and iron town of Blaenavon shows the greenest shoots of regrowth, helped in large part by the awarding of Unesco World Heritage Site status in 2000 to its conglomeration of industrial sites. Its proximity to Brecon Beacons National Park and Abergavenny doesn't do it any harm either.

1Sights

Blaenavon World Heritage CentreINTERPRETATION CENTRE

(%01495-742333; www.visitblaenavon.co.uk; Church Rd; h9am-4pm Tue-Sun)F

Housed in an artfully converted old school, this centre contains a cafe, tourist office, gallery, gift shop and, more importantly, excellent interactive, audiovisual displays that explore the industrial heritage of the region.

oBig Pit National Coal MuseumMINE, MUSEUM

(%029-2057 3650; www.museumwales.ac.uk; car park £3; h9.30am-5pm, guided tours 10am-3.30pm; p)F

The atmospheric Big Pit provides an opportunity to explore a real coal mine and get a taste of what life was like for the miners who worked here up until 1980. Tours descend 90m into the mine and explore the tunnels and coalfaces in the company of an ex-miner guide. Above ground, you can see the pit-head baths, blacksmith's workshop and other colliery buildings, filled with displays on the industry and the reminiscences of ex-miners.

Blaenavon IronworksHISTORIC SITE

(Cadw; www.cadw.wales.gov.uk; North St; h10am-5pm)F

When it was completed in 1789, this ironworks was one of the most advanced in the world. Today the site is one of the best preserved of all its Industrial Revolution contemporaries – although the hulking remains of the kilns and towers are now a home for ravens. Also on display are the tiny terraced workers' cottages.

Pontypool & Blaenavon RailwayHERITAGE RAILWAY

(%01495-792263; www.pontypool-and-blaenavon.co.uk; adult/child £7/4)

Built to haul coal and passengers, this railway has been restored by local volunteers, allowing you to catch a steam train from the town centre to Big Pit or to Whistle Halt, the highest train station in England and Wales (396m). Check online for timetables.

4Sleeping & Eating

OakfieldB&B

(%01495-792829; www.oakfieldbnb.com; 1 Oakfield Tce, Varteg Rd; s/d £41/68; pW)

The clued-up owners of this spick-and-span B&B moonlight at the World Heritage Centre, so they're a fount of local knowledge. There are only three rooms, but twins, doubles and families are all catered for.

Butterflies RestaurantPUB

( GOOGLE MAP ; %01495-791044; www.butterflies-restaurant.co.uk; 31-33 Queen St; mains £12-18; h6-9.30pm Tue-Sat, 12.30-2.30pm Sun)

This bistro-style place has a good menu of meaty mains – Beef Wellington and Welsh lamb cutlets, for example – as well as a few fish and veggie options.

7Shopping

Blaenavon Cheddar CompanyFOOD

(%01495-793123; www.chunkofcheese.co.uk; 80 Broad St; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat)

Showcasing the company's range of handmade cheese, some of which is matured down in the Big Pit mineshaft, this little store also stocks a range of Welsh speciality ales, wines and whisky. It offers bike hire and small-group cycling and walking tours.

8Getting There & Away

Bus X24 heads to Blaenavon from Newport (£4.50, 50 minutes).