Green City Guide: Cardiff

Cardiff, the capital of Cymru, (better known as Wales) is nestled between green valleys to the north and the Bristol Channel to the south. England may only be half an hour away but Cardiff is unlike any other city you'll find in Britain.

Explore

Cardiff is the UK's smallest capital city, and its compact city center is easy to explore in a day. Just a mile south of the center is the smart Cardiff Bay area, home to a large freshwater lake, split from the Bristol Channel by the Cardiff Bay Barrage. Cardiff is a highly Anglocized city but the capital is getting back to its Welsh roots - use of the Welsh language is becoming increasingly common, cafes and restaurants are serving more Welsh dishes, and you'll also see plenty of y Ddraig Goch (red dragon) flags flying high.

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Attractions

Cardiff Castle's Roman walls date back nearly 2000 years, but the Norman keep and extravagant mock-Medieval Victorian interiors are far more interesting. For castle lovers, a trip to the fairytale style Castel Coch, just north of the city center, is also well worth the journey.

The galleries in the National Museum are one of the city's best kept secrets, on display here you'll find Impressionist works from artists such as Monet, Rodin and Cezzane; and unlike other galleries admission is free and there are no queues.

Tours of the Millennium Stadium, the home of Welsh rugby, are also popular, but in the summer months the place to head is Cardiff Bay. The Bay is home to dozens of restaurants, cafes and bars in Mermaid Quay; the Norwegian Church, where author Roald Dahl was christened, and Wales Millennium Center, a striking arts center that hosts opera, ballet and musicals.

Next door to the WMC is the Senedd - the Welsh Assembly Government's debating chamber. Although not a particularly exciting attraction, the Senedd is Cardiff's most eco-friendly building, and features a wind cowl to provide natural ventilation, geothermal heating and cooling, and rain water harvesting for flushing toilets and window washing.

Cardiff does, of course, have a hop-on hop-off bus tour, but fume free options include guided walking tours from Blue Badge guides and bikes can be hired from the nearby Pontcanna Fields, which gives direct access to the flat and scenic - a 70 mile route that stretches from Cardiff Bay to the Brecon Beacons. Cardiff is also home to a Segway tour, but as Segways are not allowed on public roads in Wales, the tour is restricted to a one mile stretch along the Cardiff Bay Barrage.

Although swimming is not allowed in Cardiff Bay itself, the area is now home to a brand new swimming pool, complete with flumes and water slides. The pool is the first part of the planned International Sports Village, a complex which will include a white water activity center, ice rink and snow dome when it is completed in 2010.

Shopping

The highlight of shopping in Cardiff are the arcades that branch off St Mary Street. Wander around these and you'll discover independent stores selling Welshy gifts, cool cafes selling FairTrade coffee and fashion stores selling everything from unique designer gear to vintage threads.

Castle Arcade is home to Oyster, Cardiff's FairTrade fashion store, where you can pick up organic and FairTrade clothes from designers such as Howies and Silverfish. For more Fairtrade gifts and food check out Fair Do's in Canton, and for second hand clothes head out to Roath, where you'll find several charity stores.

Food and Drink

Cardiff became the world's first FairTrade capital city in 2004 and FairTrade coffees and teas can now be found in the majority of cafes in the city, including Starbucks. For Fairtrade coffe and fresh, organic meals, however, you'll have to hunt down cafes such as the tiny Ozone, just off Queen Street or the Greenhouse cafe in the syudent area of Cathays. Locally sourced, organic, Welsh fare is on the menu at Glo bar and restaurant (Welsh for coal), and for one of the best Sunday roasts on offer in Cardiff, grab a table in Tafarn, which sources its food from the organic Riverside Market, which is held opposite the Millennium Stadium every Sunday.

If you miss the stalls at the Riverside market, try exploring Cardiff Central Market, which is open throughout the week. Here you can buy fresh fruit, veg and Welsh favorites such as laver bread and Welsh cakes.

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Green Accommodation

Eco-friendly Budget

Nomad Hostel Cardiff's newest hostel is a smart, clean and in a good area of the city. They also offer free bike hire and FairTrade teas and coffees. Book at Hostelworld

Nos Da Hostel Nos Da boasts a great location opposite the Millennium Stadium, and has its own bar, restaurant and live music venue. Book at Hostelworld

Jolyon's Boutique Hotel This small, six room boutique hotel is the only accommodation to have gained a Green Dragon award - Wales' eco-accreditation. The hotel's bar, Cwtch, also uses locally sourced and organic food. jolyons.co.uk

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Going Green

Most of Cardiff's city center is pedestrianised and reasonably cycle friendly, and within the next few years the completion of the St David's 2 Shopping Center and the planned redevelopment of St Mary Street will mean the entire city center will be mostly car free.

Shoppers along Queen Street can recycle litter in 'Thanks Banks', and the city is also one of the first in the UK to have biodiesel pumps at gas stations.

Cardiff also boasts some excellent parks and gardens. The vast Bute Park is only minutes away from the city center and provides some excellent views of Cardiff Castle, and jump on a bus to pay a visit to Roath Park, which features a large boating lake and some beautiful rose gardens.

Bird lovers will enjoy spotting waders and gulls at the Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve, or on Flat Holm Island - a site of special scientific interest. Daily trips to the island leave from Cardiff Bay.

The nearest National Park, The Brecon Beacons, is a one hour bus journey north of Cardiff. The park is a popular area for hillwalking, horse-riding, canoeing, and a great place to spot Red Kites.

Brecon is linked to Cardiff by the Taff trail, a scenic, and mostly flat, 70 mile cycle trail. If you want a one way journey book a ticket on the Brecon Bike Bus, which operates every summer and will take you and your bike to Brecon.

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Nightlife

During term time Cardiff's population is bolstered by over 30,000 students, which is reflected in the city's boisterous nightlife. St Mary Street is the heart of the bar and club scene at weekends, and areas including Windsor Place and Cathays are also popular. Brains beer is the local brew here, you'll find it in most pubs, and Caroline street, aka chippy alley, is a local institution. The Mochyn Du is the best pub to head to if you want to try out some Welsh. Try 'Diolch' (thanks) and 'gwin gwyn' (white wine) for starters.

If you're aiming to sample a few organic wines and spirits then make your way to Glo Bar in the evenings, when it transforms from a restaurant into a tapas and cocktail bar with live music and DJs, or in Cardiff Bay, the cosy basement bar, Cwtch, has an extensive organic wine and beer list.

Music

Cardiff isn't always a regular stop for international bands on UK tours, but this has only strengthened the local music scene, which is rock dominated. Recent bands to have emerged from South Wales include the Lost Prophets, The Automatic and the Hot Puppies.

Cardiff's most popular live venue is Clwb Ifor Bach, aka the Welsh Club, a three floor venue hidden away on Womamby Street that has gigs several times a week and regular Welsh language nights. The Bar Fly is popular with a younger crowd, and the Point in Cardiff Bay also has regular live music nights.

Cardiff's largest festival is the two day Metro Weekender, held in August, but keep an eye out for locally organized events such as Festival 24.

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Getting Around

	Cardiff does not have a subway network, but trains leaving from Central or Queen Street Stations connect to the suburbs and to towns and villages in the Vale of Glamorgan and the Welsh valleys. Several train services also have room for bicycles. Trains connecting Cardiff Bay to the city center depart from Queen Street Station.
	Hop on a blue bendy bus from Greyfriar Road or St Mary street to get down to Cardiff Bay. If you plan on visiting any attractions in Cardiff's suburbs, such as Roath Park, ask for an All Day Ticket from your bus driver. These currently cost £3, but beware, you'll need exact change on the buses.
	Water taxis operate in Cardiff Bay, and when weather allows, also up the Taff River to pontoons by the Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Castle.
	Cardiff is flat and compact and very easy to explore on foot. Pedal powered taxis known as velotaxis also occasionally tour around the city, offering rides for free. Bikes can be hired from the Pontcanna Fields Caravan Park

Getting There

Cardiff is only two hours by train from London and has good rail and bus links with other major cities in the UK. Bmibaby and Flyzoom airlines connect Cardiff International Airport with Europe and Canada.

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