It was dark and cold when I arrived in Cardiff for the first time. I was quite tired after a long flight from Colombo to Birmingham followed by a coach trip from Birmingham to Cardiff. The last hour of the coach trip was caught in a slow moving traffic so it was with relief that I got off the coach at Sophia Gardens. I saw that the November rains had freshly washed the city that day as I made my way along the footpath to my hotel on Cathedral road. I had chosen to stay in quieter Pontcanna rather than the busy St. Mary’s street in the heart of Cardiff. However, as I walked along the dark, tree-lined street hardly seeing anyone on the road, I was questioning my choice especially as the late 19th century houses that I passed by seemed dark and empty.
The next morning, Pontcanna looked lovely in the light of the day as I walked along Cathedral road and I was glad I had chosen this part of Cardiff as my base. Here are my special six experiences, which I would recommend to the first time visitor to Cardiff.
(1) Visiting Llandaff Cathedral
I started my exploration of Cardiff, not with a visit to the heart of the city but to the adjacent ancient city of Llandaff, now a suburb of Cardiff, where the 12th century Llandaff Cathedral stands. The local Cardiff bus is the quickest way to get to the cathedral and it took around 10 – 15 mins, so is quite walk-able for those who prefer a long morning walk.
Old Bishop’s palace
View of the cathedral, from the cathedral green
(2) Walking around Bute Park:
The park was once part of the private property of the Bute family, who had inherited the land in 1766 and begun the development of the grounds. The Bute family gifted the castle and its park to the people of Cardiff following the death of the 4th Marquess of Bute in 1947. The park was named Bute park in 1948. I only had a short walk around the beautiful park but the 56 hectare park is one of the largest in Wales and is a beautiful part of historic Cardiff.
the “bridge” in Cowbridge road
a model of Blackfriars friary, which once stood at this site
19th century ornamental garden, commissioned by the 4th Marquess of Bute, depicting the medieval friary
(3) Cardiff Castle
The castle is an iconic heritage site of Cardiff. The site of a 5th century Roman fort was where the Normans built their castle and keep in the 11th century. After being the heart of the Marcher lord territory of Glamorgan for several centuries, its significance declined after Marcher powers was abolished in the 16th century. The castle and grounds eventually passed into the hands of the Bute family in the 18th century. The 1st Marquess of Bute employed Capability Brown, the famous English landscape architect, and Henry Holland, who was Brown’s son-in-law and business partner, to convert the lodgings into a Georgian mansion and to landscape the castle grounds. The 3rd Marquess of Bute restored the Roman walls and undertook a major transformation of the Castle lodgings and park, as he was passionate about Gothic revivalism. He employed William Burges for the transformation of the castle lodgings and Andrew Pettigrew for landscaping the southern part of the park.
the Norman keep
Castle lodgings
Nicholls’ 1890 sculpture of a lioness with William Burges’ clock tower in the background
Carrick’s 1931 sculpture of a leopard
I particularly liked the animal wall, which was designed by William Burges but completed after his death. There are a total of fifteen animals on the wall, nine of which were sculpted by Thomas Nicholls in the 19th century and six were sculpted by Alexander Carrick in the 20th century.
(4) Loving Welsh Food Tour
I felt my first visit to Cardiff should include an introduction to Welsh food and after searching online, found the Loving Welsh Food tours. After communicating with its founder, Sian Roberts, I was treated to a complimentary tasting tour during my visit. The walking tour was a delightful experience that I have shared it as a separate post.
(5) Cardiff Boat trip
My boat fix on this trip was going on the Cardiff boat from Bute Park to Cardiff Bay. The 20 minute trip over River Taff, with an audio commentary, took me past Principality Stadium and Brains Brewery.
Principality Stadium
Princess Katharine, a covered boat, was great for winter though I would have certainly preferred an open boat if I had taken the trip during summer.
(6) Cardiff Bay Visit
Cardiff Bay played an important role during the industrial revolution as Cardiff became an important port city for its coal trade. The sun had come out of hiding during the afternoon of my trip so it was a lovely few hours when I explored a few of the landmarks around the bay area. I will share the highlights of my bay visit in a separate Special Six post.
Have you visited Cardiff? What was your favourite part of your visit?
[I am linking this post to City Tripping #57 and The Weekly Postcard]
Perspectives Quilt 
My brother lives in Cardiff but we have never visited Llandaff cathedral. Will bookmark for a future visit!
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Llandaff cathedral is a very lovely medieval cathedral and despite parts of it being destroyed over time, the most recent being a powerful lightning strike destroying the organ in the last decade, has pulled itself remarkably. I am sure you will enjoy the vibe and beauty of the cathedral, Claire.
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I had my first proper visit to Cardiff earlier this year for a blogging conference and loved it – the castle is amazing and I agree that you definitely need a boat trip to appreciate it #citytripping
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Lovely to hear that you enjoyed Cardiff city. I am glad I fitted in a couple of days in Cardiff during this visit. It turned out to be a good first taste of the lovely city and I hope to explore Cardiff and Wales further during summer in the future.
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Ooh, I can’t wait to read the food walking tour post! I lived in London for a while but never went to Cardiff, what a missed opportunity! #citytripping
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When I lived in London for a year, I did not get the opportunity to visit Cardiff. It’s only after leaving the UK that I am trying to focus on places I haven’t visited before, on my return trips. So, Wales has become a new focus for me, Kat 🙂
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What a great visit Ahlia. I haven’t properly explored Cardiff so really must. I think the castle would be at the top of my list. Thanks for linking #citytripping
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The castle was lovely but I decided to leave exploring its interior for my next visit, if I get the opportunity to revisit. I very much enjoyed walking around the castle quarter.
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I lived in Cardiff for two months whilst interning at St Fagans Museum. The Bay was my favourite place to hang out. #CityTripping
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St. Fagans was a place I had marked in my ‘to visit’ list for Cardiff but given time constraints, I had to choose between an afternoon at the bay or St Fagans and I decided to go to the Bay this time.
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Glad to see your posting, and the boat trip reminds of my boat trip in Switzerland – William Tell Express. BTW, I introduced Kotu Roti to some friends who are planning to visit Sri Lanka :).
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Did you tell them to try out the kottu roti at Galle Face Green, where you tried it out the first time? 🙂
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Llandaff Cathedral look amazing, time to revisit Cardiff methinks # CityTripping
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Cardiff is a lovely city, worth re-visiting, Catherine.
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looks great! maybe I visit it too some day:)
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Thanks, Tanja. I am sure you will enjoy Cardiff very much.
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That cathedral is really impressive. I especially love how your photos of the inside turned out. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
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Thank you, Anisa. The cathedral is lovely and if there is a small group, one can write in advance and request a tour.
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Beautiful experiences, Ahila. I would have enjoyed visiting Llandaff Cathedral too. The nave seems quite impressive, with that arch in the middle. It seems the weather is a hit and miss in Cardiff however…
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On the days I was in Cardiff, it was rainy and very cloudy in the mornings and evenings but the afternoons were sunny but perhaps it was just the weather in November.
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The cathedral may not be as ornate as others, but it’s beautiful in its simplicity. I feel like Wales always gets looked over for other countries in the U.K. It definitely deserves attention and more focus than it gets, so I’m glad you took the time to share some great things about Cardiff.
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From the moment I saw photos of Llandaff cathedral, while planning my trip to Cardiff, I had decided that it would be the first place I visit in the city. It is a beautiful cathedral. This was my first visit to Wales so I started with Cardiff. I hope I get to explore along the coast from Cardiff to Swansea next time.
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We visit Cardiff regularly as it is only an hour away from where we live. Great post if what to do, we love getting the boat to the bay and having a wander there. Thanks for sharing #TheWeeklyPostcard
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Thank you! I enjoyed the boat ride and walking around Cardiff bay area though I believe I would have enjoyed it even more, had I visited during summer.
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I had very much wanted to visit Cardiff while we were in the UK, but there simply was not enough time. I especially like the statues in the clock tower. They really stand out.
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The clock tower is considered one of the iconic landmarks of Cardiff and I would love to explore its interior, if I get the opportunity to revisit the city. The 3rd Marquess of Bute apparently went all out with his affinity for Gothic structures and did a major overhaul of the castle lodgings.
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