Cardiff’s post-millennial confidence shows no signs of disappearing. Planners have improved the city centre beyond recognition, making it a hub not just for lively nights out but also for cultural highlights aplenty. And, unlike most major sporting stadia, the Principality feels like a living, breathing part of the city – testament to the Welsh love affair with rugby union.
The new century
While the millennium bug turned out to be something and nothing, the Millennium Centre changed the face of Cardiff. It came at a cost of more than £100m, opening its doors in 2004, and provides yet another focus for the city, wrapped inside a truly impressive building.
The bronze exterior shimmers in the sun, while windows are home to a poem writ large. It houses theatres, the Welsh National Opera and the National Dance Company, and chances are high there’ll be a performance when you visit.
The Doctor Who exhibition may have gone, but many fans of it still make a pilgrimage here, to see the many locations in the city and nearby where it – and Cardiff-based spin-off Torchwood – were filmed. At night, especially on weekends, the area really comes to life as the nexus of the sundown scene, with plenty of restaurants and bars close by.
Castle rock
There’s a reason why, despite the many other reasons to visit Cardiff, the castle remains the number one draw. Its history is one that sheds light on the tumult of the British Isles over thousands of years. A Roman fort was originally built here just short of 2000 years ago - before the Normans built the castle proper and made it a redoubt that could command land and sea from its prime position.
Both the interior and exterior impress, with guided tours available if you want to learn a detailed history – from the Norman occupation through to the Bute family taking over the castle in the 18th century. There are exhibitions and displays, and pretty grounds to wander too. The Butes owned another castle in Caerphilly, a short drive north, which is just as impressive.
Wandering Wales
With your hire car, you have a ready-made passport to the rural glory of Wales. You’ll pass green, rolling hills and pretty villages punctuated by reminders of the past. Head past Newport for the 13th century Tintern Abbey, which didn’t survive Henry VIII’s war on the monasteries, but whose remains are still redolent of times past.
For true serenity, make for the Brecon Beacons. This national park encompasses meadows and mountains, waterfalls and wilderness. Seek out the ruins of Llanthony Priory, once home to Augustinian friars when it opened in 1230 and destined to meet the same fate as Tintern. You might want to climb the park’s highest peak, Pen-y-Fan or, if that sounds too strenuous, duck inside St Issui’s Church, which has stood in the Vale of Eywas since the 11th century.
Whether you’re craving the big city buzz or rural tranquillity, organise car hire at Cardiff Airport to kickstart your next Welsh adventure.