A City Guide to: Cardiff

Hello Wonderful People!

Cardiff was my university city and will always hold a special place in my heart. I absolutely love it! Call me biased, but I honestly believe you’d be hard pushed to find a better city to go to uni. Yes, I know everyone loves their uni city and think there’s nowhere better to go, but they’re wrong. And I’m right, obviously. Cardiff is a pretty small city, but it has everything you could possibly want in an easily accessible area. The Welsh capital has everything from castles, to beaches, to great bars and restaurants, plus the beautiful Welsh countryside is right on your doorstep; what more could you want?

Despite being a small city, Cardiff has the most awesome night life. The city centre is rammed with bars, clubs and pubs so you’ll never be short of a place to drink or dance, no matter what day of the week. Students usually dominate weeknights at popular clubs like Glam, Revs, Bunker and the old favourite, Live Lounge. If you’re after a more civilised night, head to Mill Lane which is full of cocktail bars that spill out onto the street, giving the area a real European feel. All nights in Cardiff have to end at Catherine Street, or chippy lane as it’s more commonly known, for a much needed post-night-out snack. If you go to Cardiff and don’t have a cracking night, I will personally come to your house and tap dance on your door step, trust me you’re guaranteed an epic night.

The best time to visit Cardiff has to be when the rugby is on. The Welsh are rugby mad and the atmosphere in the city is electric when Wales are playing – especially during the 6 Nations. The city centre becomes a sea of red shirts and signing fans, so it’s hard not to get swept up in the excitement (even if you’re English, like me)! If you aren’t lucky enough to get tickets to a game (do try, the Millennium Stadium is pretty cool) then you can always head to absolutely any bar or pub in the city, as they will definitely be showing the game. Prepare to get you vocal chords ready as you’ll be singing Bread of Heaven around 7645 times throughout the game.

If sport or drinking isn’t your thing then Cardiff has a pretty good selection of shops, restaurants and cafes where you can easily spend your days. Queens Street and the Saint David’s II shopping centre are both great for all you high street shops and there’s a great choice to choose from. However, Cardiff also has loads of little arcades full of independent shops and cafes. If you’re after something original, vintage or just fancy a nosey away from the mainstream shops, checking out the arcades is an absolute must. My all time favourite café, Madame Fromage, is located in Castle Arcade and does the best homemade food, with lots of Welsh specialities. Plus there’s a little deli counter in there, where you can buy cheese, meats, pies and cakes! If you’re after somewhere fancy for an evening meal, you’re best heading to Cardiff Bay, which has a great selection of independent and chain restaurants. However, if you’d rather a cheaper evening meal, head to Cathays the student haven, where you’ll find lots of small, independent restaurants that serve great food at cheap prices. This is also a great place to find veggie food if (like me) you’re a vegetarian. You won’t go hungry in Cardiff, that’s for sure.

If it’s a nice day and you don’t fancy traipsing round the shops, or if you’re a history buff, then head to Cardiff Castle, which is smack bang in the centre of town. Shockingly, despite living in Cardiff for 3 years I never actually visited the castle. However, my mother reassures me that I did visit there when I was younger, so I’m not too embarrassed. Situated just behind the castle is Bute Park, which is massive and is a great plce to go for a walk or picnic if the weather is nice! If you fancy getting out of the city for a while then head to St Fagans, which is a 20 minute drive outside of Cardiff. St Fagans is an outdoor National History Museum that details the life, history and culture of Wales. It has loads of old house and a reconstruction of a village with sweet shops, cafes and a bakery. It's a great place to visit on a nice day with the family. 

Cardiff really is a great little city and totally worth a visit. No matter what tickles your pickle, Cardiff has something to offer everyone and I want people to share my love  for my uni city!