"Beach_dog's Cardiff Page" a Cardiff Travel Page by Beach_dog

<p align="center"><font color="teal"><font size="4">Cardiff City Hall</font></p>
<hr width="500">

<a href="http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/03715.html">
<img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/banner/gizmotempbig/global/stations/03715.gif" height=40 width=467></a>

Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, is located on the south east coast. It is well served with road and rail links to the rest of the United Kingdom. It has an airport offering scheduled services to other parts of the UK and Amsterdam and Paris in Europe.

The origins of Cardiff date back nearly 2000 years to the Roman occupation of Wales. Here they built a fort at the site of present day Cardiff castle to protect their interests in this area and the river crossings. The remains of this fort can still be seen at the castle. The Normans also built a castle here in the early 12th. century, its keep is located in the gardens of Cardiff castle and is fairly well preserved.

In the 1830's the Marquis of Bute a Scottish aristocrat, built the present castle on the site of the fort and keep. He made his money from owning much of the land around Cardiff and developing the docks at Cardiff, the docks exporting the coal that powered the industrial revolution. His castle reflected his interest in the gothic and European architecture and has often been described as a fairytale castle, it served as his summer residence. Just outside Cardiff he built another castle... Castell Coch (Red Castle), employing the same Architect, William Burgess. It was highly decorated and craftsmen from across Europe were found.

Cardiff really developed as a city with the opening of the docks, it was the busiest port in the world from the middle of the 19th. century. Many of the cities greatest buildings were constructed around this time, and the population increased tenfold in just a few years with the great influx of labour to build and work the docks. Today Cardiff's port has declined from its past but the docks still operate. Manufacturing has taken over in the region.

Cardiff has all the amenities of any other European city... Museums, concert and sporting venues. It has an active nightlife drawing in people from surrounding areas and the students from its universities and colleges. The new Cardiff Bay development includes multi-cinema complexes and bowling alleys as well as proposed marina in the new enclosed bay. Recently the construction of the Millenium Stadium, for rugby football has added another venue and occassionally others sports and concerts are held here.

A view of the castle just before Christmas with the lights.