About Cardiff
Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, has a population of 300,000. It is one of
Britain's regional centers for education, business, sport, music and
entertainment. Cardiff's University of Wales hosts over 25,000 students.
Cardiff has all the qualities of a large, cosmopolitan city; it hosts
several theaters, art museums, and sport arenas; restaurant and nightlife
abound. The city center is 15 minutes' walk from interns' flats in Cardiff Bay.
Cardiff's
location on the Southern Coast of Wales also offers easy access to the tranquility of the nearby
shoreline and
countryside. An hour west lies Swansea's seaside beaches and the gorgeous
coastal cliffs of the Gower (left). Wales's coasts are the perfect spot for surfing, coasteering, hiking, and rock climbing. Inexpensive and frequent public
transport links Cardiff with these outlying areas.
Music
Cardiff
is rich in music venues, the most notable of which are Cardiff International
Arena, Clwb Ifor Bach, the Barfly, and the University of Wales Cardiff. In
recent years, Cardiff in particular has been at the forefront of the
British rock scene, with bands such as Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry
Animals, Catatonia, Stereophonics, and
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
leading the charts. Welsh rock has never been so strong or influential.
Britain is the most vibrant country in the world for pop and rock music, and Cardiff is undoubtedly one of its most important musical cities. REM, Radiohead, the Strokes, and Moby are some of the major names to play in Cardiff in recent times. The World Ticket Shop website has more information about upcoming concerts in Cardiff.
Pubs and Clubs
The
jubilant culture of Wales offers a wide array of pubs and clubs. Comfortable
pubs offer food and pints throughout the day and evening, while clubs of all
sorts stay open until the wee morning hours.
Eating Out
Cardiff
offers world cuisine, from Indian and Chinese to Mexican, Greek and, of course,
Welsh. Restaurants of all sorts are found in the Bay and city centre.
Sport
Whether you're into playing or
cheering, Cardiff will almost certainly cater to your fancy,
whatever the sport. The city currently has the largest and most modern stadium
in Great Britain. The Millennium Stadium staged the Rugby World Cup in
1999, and regularly hosts the Welsh Rugby
Union's matches. Ninian Park is home
to the Cardiff Bluebird's football club.
Theater
Cardiff is one of the centers for the British theater and musical scenes. Recently opened in Cardiff Bay is the Wales Millennium Centre, an ambitious $140m multi-purpose arts arena. Wales's former First Secretary, Ron Davies, said the building will "be the focus for Wales' future and make a bold statement about our aspirations as a nation." The Centre houses restaurants and a new home for the Welsh National Opera, one of Europe's premiere opera companies. Cardiff is also home to the BBC National Welsh Chorus Orchestra.
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