Things to see in Cardiff

Cardiff Bay juxtaposes outstanding modern architecture and 19th-century dockland heritage. The Cardiff Bay Barrage, opened in 2001, created a new freshwater lake and 12km (7.5 miles) of waterfront with parks, entertainment complexes, shops, bars and restaurants. Boat tours around the Bay and out to the Barrage are available. The Bay is home to the Techniquest Science Discovery Centre, Craft in the Bay, The Senedd (the Welsh Assembly's debating chamber at the Pierhead), Butetown History and Arts Centre, Goleulong 2000 Lightship, the Wales Millennium Centre and the Norwegian Church Arts Centre.

This museum is situated in the grounds of the Elizabethan mansion, St Fagan’s Castle, in the village of the same name, just to the west of Cardiff city centre. It is an open-air museum where visitors can explore over 40 Welsh buildings that have been brought in from all over the country and rebuilt in the extensive gardens. The buildings include a 19th century farmyard, a pottery, a tannery, a Victorian schoolroom, a post office, tollhouse and a workmen's institute. There are also six homes with contents showing life in Wales from 1805 to 1985.

Castell Coch is a flamboyant gothic fantasy that was created as a rural retreat for the Marquis of Bute. It was commissioned to complement the opulence of Cardiff Castle, the Marquis’s main residence. The architect William Burges was given free rein and didn’t hold back. The result is a fairytale castle, with round towers, dazzling walls and ceilings, and red turrets. It stands as an example of an unbounded Victorian imagination combined with pots of cash. Castell Coch is situated in woodlands at Tongwynlais, just outside Cardiff. It is easily accessible by train or car.

The Norwegian Church dates from the 19th century when it acted as a home away from home for the Norwegian sailors who transported timber from Scandinavia. The wood was used in the coalmines as pit props, and the ships returned to Norway with coal. It was in this church that Roald Dahl was christened, so it is no surprise that he was president of the organisation that raised funds to restore it after it fell into disrepair. The church was dismantled and moved from its original site as part of the redevelopment of the docks and today it hosts an art gallery and café.