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Castle
Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd)
Roman walls, a Norman keep and Victorian interiors in the city center; the castle site describes 2,000 years of history.
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A mini guide to
City centre and Cardiff Castle
The castle, the national stadium, a Victorian market and the arcades, all within a short walk
Photos
1 / 4Welcome to the area
The castle, the national stadium, a Victorian market and the arcades, all within a short walk
Cardiff's centre is compact, flat and largely pedestrianised, and Visit Cardiff says many of the main sights are no more than about a 15-minute walk apart. Cardiff Castle, with Roman walls, a Norman keep and Victorian interiors, faces the shopping streets, and the Principality Stadium stands on the river a few minutes south.
Between them run Victorian and Edwardian arcades, the indoor Cardiff Market and Womanby Street, one of the oldest streets in the city. Bute Park, once the castle grounds, opens behind the castle walls, and Cardiff Central and Queen Street stations are both a short walk from the castle.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Stadium
Principality Stadium (Stadiwm Principality)
National stadium of Wales, with a retractable roof and a usual capacity of 73,931, a short walk from Cardiff Central.
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Market
Cardiff Market (Marchnad Caerdydd)
Victorian indoor market in the city center, also known as Cardiff Central Market.
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Museum
Museum of Cardiff (Amgueddfa Caerdydd)
Free museum of the history of the city, in the Grade II* listed Old Library building.
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Park
Bute Park (Parc Bute)
Park and arboretum of 130 acres (53 hectares) that once formed the grounds of Cardiff Castle.
Church
St John the Baptist Church
Grade I listed parish church; apart from the castle, it is the only medieval building left in the city centre.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows City centre and Cardiff Castle and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Walk rather than ride
Visit Cardiff says the centre is flat and largely pedestrianised, and that many sights are within about 15 minutes' walk of each other.
2
Plan around match days
The Principality Stadium is in the city centre, so streets, trains and hotels get busy on big match and concert days; check the stadium's events page before you book.
3
Explore the arcades
Visit Cardiff counts seven arcades in the centre, with over 100 shops, cafés, bars and restaurants under glass roofs.
4
Check the castle site first
Cardiff Castle's site has tickets and visitor information; the Wartime Shelters and the Firing Line museum are within the castle grounds.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
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Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- City centre and Cardiff Castle (area photo): Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd): Tevfik Teker, CC BY 3.0, source
- Principality Stadium (Stadiwm Principality): Clint Budd from About 15 miles North of Swansea, Wales, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cardiff Market (Marchnad Caerdydd): Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Museum of Cardiff (Amgueddfa Caerdydd): Seth Whales, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bute Park (Parc Bute): Athena's Pix (Back, but give me time!) profile at Flickr website, CC BY 2.0, source
- St John the Baptist Church: Allie_Caulfield from Germany, CC BY 2.0, source
- Royal Arcade: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, CC BY 2.0, source
- Morgan Arcade: No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Spillers Records: Heikki Immonen, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cardiff Arms Park: Seth Whales, Public domain, source
- Cardiff Bay: GeraintTudur2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cathays Park and Roath: User:Yummifruitbat, cropped by User:Ham, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Pontcanna, Canton and Llandaff: Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring Cardiff