Cardiff, the City of Arcades, the capital of Wales and home of Principality Stadium – it is a city in which rugby runs through the veins.
With a Grand Slam title to defend, its proud population will be baying their beloved countrymen on this year from the seats of their Colosseum, with the city playing host to matches against Italy, France and Scotland in the 2020 Championship.
And while the Principality Stadium is undoubtedly one of the city’s main attractions with its wonderfully central location in the city, outside of the rugby, there is so much that the city has to offer.
The National Museum houses one of Europe’s finest art collections, with a particular focus on Impressionism.
In addition, Cardiff Castle – dating all the way back to 50AD – with its gothic architecture is also a must-see.
Bute Park if the weather is fine is one of the more peaceful and stunning spots in the city while you quite literally cannot miss The Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.
Nicknamed the Armadillo, the enormous centre hosts a huge range of concerts and performances in one main theatre and two smaller halls.
Cardiff as a city is very bike friendly with cycling superhighways and a dedicated cycling officer (www.keepingcardiffmoving.co.uk has lots of information including lists of bike shops and route maps).
Local buses are operated by Cardiff Bus, buy your ticket from the driver (cash or contactless; no change given).
Be sure to check out the live music scene in Cardiff and also to sample some spicy food – curries and the like are one of Cardiff‘s specialities.
THE VENUE
The beauty of the Principality, in addition to its unmatched atmosphere, is its central location.
Cardiff Central Rail Station is approximately five minutes’ walk from the ground; indeed, you should be able to see the stadium upon exiting the station, with sign posts also showing visitors the way.
With a capacity of almost 75,000, it has played host to some of sport’s most historic competitions since opening in 1999: the 2012 Olympics, FA Cup finals and a series of high-profile nights of boxing among them.
But it is for rugby that the stadium is best known, with Wales lifting no less than five Guinness Six Nations titles on the hallowed turf since the turn of the millennium.
