Things to do in Town

Opened in June 1999 complete with the first fully retractable roof in the UK, it has hosted some of the world’s most famous sporting events as well as concerts featuring the biggest entertainers in show business, from Take That, One Direction and Oasis to Madonna, Rihanna and Beyoncé.

A 12-sided medieval keep offering panoramic views across the city from a platform at its top is at the castle’s heart, but the site is also full of later additions that capture the imagination. Fabulous mock-Gothic features, including an extravagant banqueting hall and clock tower, were added during the Victorian era.

Brecon Beacons National Park is an expanse of immeasurable natural beauty. Rugged mountain ranges spill down to valleys while limestone caves and dramatic waterfalls highlight a landscape of flower-filled meadows, forests and grassy hills. Brecon Beacons National Park is a paradise for biking, hiking, horseback riding and touring on canals. Discover more than 250 ancient monuments, villages crowned by castles and designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The main area of the arena is a hugely versatile space capable of staging a wide variety of events, from trade exhibitions to music concerts and stand-up shows. It is capable of holding a standing audience of 7,500 people, a number that falls to 5,000 for seated events.

One of the UK’s major teaching and research universities, in its 2014 University Guide the Sunday Times described Cardiff as “the acknowledged leader of higher education in Wales”. The previous year it hailed it as a “powerhouse of academic and research excellence”.

Despite that, this beautiful Anglican cathedral has endured a chequered history, falling into disrepair under Henry VIII, occupied by Parliamentarian troops in the English Civil War, badly hit by the Great Storm of 1703, and suffering extensive bomb damage during World War II that undid much of the restoration work that had been carried out to that point. Yet it has survived triumphantly, a majestic example of Norman architecture that has been carefully curated in recent years. The west frontage is considered one of Wales’ foremost examples of medieval art, while the figure of Christ in Majesty that hangs from a concrete arch added by George Pace takes the breath away when you enter the nave.

The tree collection here alone is broad enough to be considered nationally significant, while other popular attractions include the Animal Wall (topped with bears, seals and lions), the Gorsedd Standing Stones representing the country’s Druidic heritage and the picturesque Mill Leat castle moat. The park also contains history in the form of Blackfriars Friary, one of only two friaries established by the Dominican religious order in Wales. In 2011, the Lottery-funded Bute Park Restoration Project added an education centre to the parks amenities featuring a grass roof, solar panels and timber-clad facade.