photo by Andrew Hazard
A century ago, the Welsh capital of Cardiff was a prosperous city with Victorian glass-covered shopping arcades, and a wool and coal industry that made the waterfront the largest coal exporting port in the world.
Then the story turned sad: the coal business declined and wool became cheaper elsewhere. The waterfront, known as The Docks, provided the perfect seedy backdrop for the 1959 black and white film, Tiger Bay. Things only got worse in the 1980s,when the city was hit by industrial collapse.
Today, Cardiff is showing signs of a dramatic comeback — the city is restored but still recognizable, and the renamed Cardiff Bay — a decade-long, multi-billion pound investment over some 2,000 acres of abandoned industrial land — has become the signature success story for this city of 317,500.
Like everything else in this small city, Cardiff Bay is human-sized, great for walking. If you want to try you sea legs, though, boat tours and kayak rentals are also available. Kids will love bobbing on the water, and they’ll also have a great time exploring the science center, called Techniquest. Interactive exhibits encourage them to launch a hot air balloon, fire a rocket, or sink an oil rig. For more family fun, there’s the only Welsh-themed carousel in the world: besides horses, fearless wee ones can climb aboard dragon chariots (the red dragon being a Welsh symbol).
Doctor Who fans might want to meet K9, challenge the famous Daleks, and ogle the costumes at one of a series of exhibitions around the British isles dedicated to the hokey and very long-running sci-fi classic. This one, though, seems more relevant since the show is often filmed on location around Cardiff.
Casual restaurants, shops such as Polka Dot (featuring Welsh arts and crafts), and galleries, make this area commercial but not offensively so.
The waterfront is a striking pastiche of various architectural styles. The most eye-popping new building is the Wales Millenium Centre, a performing arts center built of slate (there’s lots of it in the north), with what looks like a glass block sail leaning over one side.
photo by Kiran Ridely
On it is marked, in English and Welsh, “In these words, horizons sing.” There’s always something going on here, and this intriguing space makes a good place for a rest and a snack, even when it’s not showtime.
Start your visit to Cardiff Bay by stopping at the Visitor Centre; known as “the Tube”(you’ll see), it offers panoramic views across the Bay, and provides visitors’ with information and interactive exhibitions and a scale model of the Bay.
Nearby, and in sharp contrast, is the imposing 19th century red brick Butetown History and Arts Centre, a former customs house that now contains photo and other exhibits on the history of the docklands and its multicultural past. One exhibit, for example, explores the century-old Somali presence.
At Mermaid Quay, more shops and restaurants await, as does the St. David’s Hotel, a flamboyant glass structure with a full service Marine Spa. It offers local mud treatments and a full range of spa services as well as a pool and hot tubs with a view of the harbor.
The marine theme continues outside at the Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve, with a boardwalk winding through acres of wetlands. Herons, kingfishers and other birds forage for fish and insects in a freshwater marshland transformed from saline mud flats. It’s an area newly vivid with life and rejuvenation — just like Cardiff Bay itself.
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