# Europes youngest Capital



## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Well here are a few more pics of Cardiff - some excellent old and new architecture from what was europes fastest growing capital city (not sure if its true now eastern europe has joined). You can check out the civic center here 

http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=421369

and to follow on here is the main marble foyer of The National Museum of Wales - most of its collection comes from two very rich sisters who donated alot of their art, giving Cardiff the acolade of having the second largest collection of impresionist art in the World. It also hosts the worlds largest arts prize (for some really shocking art! awfull most of it) and folowing the great British tradition - its FREE! (oh and nearly all pictures arnt mine)














































City hall and city lawn



















Alexandra park and national war memorial




























Heading towards center through underground










Kingsway



















see the castle walls on the right










Hilton hotel



















heading toward the main shopping street










an out of the way club










the New Theater










Some of the old houses converted to offices










Main shopping street (Queen street) Thistle Hotel










modern shopping center










Bute Park next to castle










A street of Queen street where alot of cosmetic surgery, dentists etc are










The Hayes










Largest department store in Wales (this is the ugly entrance sorry).



















St john church (one of the only remaining buildings after the last Welsh attack when Cardiff was burnt to the ground). 




























the oldest park in Cardiff, Victoria park and Lido










The new brewery quarter (on the site of an old brewery) with a mix of bars and chain and independant restaurants










a view between the 75,000 seater millenium stadium and cinema entertainment complex










New business district around Callaghan square (Most of this development to start this year).



















Atlantic Wharf (a now landlocked dock which was once part of the largest coal exporting port in the world) which is apartments, hotels and offices.




























The new water quarter (apartments).










Here is the biggest development in Cardiff - started with the closure of the bay to tidal variations (up the coast in Newport was the highest ever recorded tidal range) and created a 200 hectar freshwater lake. Development occured around the old docks first, with apartments and the new international sports village spreading outwards. Some amazing new architecture here.

the barrage










coming from the center from a long avenue you are greated by The Wales Millenium center - a huge opera house and performance mecca (free performances in the foyer every day)





































reflection










arts studio










there is a large square named after a famouse Cardiffian - Rohl Dahl in the bay














































the beautiful water feature in the bay



















The waterfront with the pierhead building (covered in little dragons) and Mermaid quay (some of the best restaurants in city with some shops).










the first 5 star hotel in Cardiff (the city now has 4 - not bad for a city of only 300,000) St Davids on the right - supposed to look like a cruise liner



















The beautiful Senydd (welsh parliament) on the right










inside the senydd (beautiful roof). The whole building is designed so as the public can view their elected representatives, and the building is one of the most environmentaly friendly buildings in the world.





































underneath the galss in the floor is this - the main debating chamber with a open gallery for the public










some office architecture




























entering the older part of the bay










heading away from the center is Penarth with it gourgeous victorian waterfront and pier (well kept unlike other uk piers)










The citys cathedral is not in the center but in an older part named after the cathedral Llandaff (its about 1000 years old) and built into a hill




























On the northern edge of the city is the red castle




























its enterior is beautiful (although not as much as Cardiff caste in the center) an example of one room




























and the beautifull Duffryn house and free gardens



















well i missed alot out due to the length of this forum (how can you show everything in your city!). If you want to see more check out my links


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## Medo (Apr 7, 2004)

Wow, thanks for these great pictures. Cardiff is a lovely city with great old and new architecture.


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## geoff189d (Jun 4, 2005)

Another set of gorgeous pics. Keep 'em coming please!


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## irving1903 (Nov 25, 2006)

magnificent!! LUV the mix of old and new!! Cardiff is beutiful!


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## BuffCity (Jul 29, 2004)

simple...WOW!

what an amazing place...looks to have more class than any other city in Europe...very clean and complex yet modest.

I like it.

thanks for posting these


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## Joka (Feb 7, 2006)

Very nice looking city, I was very pleasantly suprised.
At first I was like, Cardiff, Cardiff? Then I was like, wow!


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## KaRoLiNa_CoLoMbIa (Nov 18, 2006)

splendid!!.....this place is wonderful...


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Thanks for all the kind comments i really apreciate it 

Here is another pic of the bay with the regular water taxi that runs around the bay and up the river (river Taff) to the city center.


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

roath dock - wih HMS Monmouth


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## NothingBetterToDo (Sep 11, 2002)

Really nice pics Cardiff looks like a great little city 

Some of the areas look a little empty though - could do with a few more people


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

i think most of the pics were taken in early morning on a sunday- hence why no people 

Normally extreemly busy!


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

heres a busier scene outside the civic center


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Inside the Cardiff castle walls


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## Cariad (Sep 22, 2005)

Thanks for the pics! Keep them coming!
Would be nice to see some residential pics too of in and around Roath, cathays and cathedral rd areas, there are some great victorian homes there.


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Well as requested typical roath suburbia - for those not in the know Roath is in the north east of the city (45min walk from the center), with high density victorian housing in the south of the area and then large expensive houses around a large park and lake. The Park is gourgeous with a mix of tennis courts, open green field and a huge lake with nature reserve and hire boats, the citys rose gardens are here as well.










this is really typical housing around the lake










the lake




























the high density housing



















This shows why Cardif has more greenspace per head than any other city in the UK (at least)


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)




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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Bandwidth exceeded on all of the pictures.:sleepy:


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## skyscraper_1 (May 30, 2004)

What is the population of Cardiff?


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

300,000


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Here is Cardiff castle it is 2000 years old and was owned by the richest man in the world who re created most of what is seen today. The outer wall is the exact shape of the origional roman town (with the origional stones visable as a band around the base of the walls). There is the Norman keep on a motte in the castle and luxurious apartment in the gothic style. 










the origional gate into Cardiff



















from the castle park (donated to the people of Cardiff and now called Bute park after the Castles owner).




























the keep to the right










view from the keep





































apartments


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Cardiff indoor market


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## Pegasusbsb27 (Sep 5, 2005)

Great pictures, lovely city. For a typical Brazilian like me, Cardiff seems to be so "strange", so different! And that's very interesting! Congratulations for the post!


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

Just outside Cardiff is another nice castle, Castell Coch. It's a 19th C fantasy castle, not a 'real' fortification but still looks cool imo.


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

The famous 75,000 seater millenium stadium










university building










cardif bay










sunset










millenium center (opera house)


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

stadium


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

Roal Dahl plass in the bay


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

recently restored building










architecture in the bay which is being restored soon











interior of cardiff castle

This is the main banqueting hall










fireplace in the banqueting hall - notice the man in lower left behind bars - shows the story of a king locked up in Cardiff castle, little details like this everywhere in the castle










the arab room of cardiff castle - decoration in this room (you can see its size from the size of the ceiling) was estimated to be over 10 million just to replace the marble and gold etc, let alone any furnishings (was told on the tour)














































the gentlemans smoking room in the clock tower


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)




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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

some random shots of Cardiffs arcades and the types of shops in them


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## Deanb (Jun 7, 2006)

gr8 cardiff pics! i'd love 2 visit one day.

thanks


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)




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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)




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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)




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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

crowds in the stadium


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)




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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

new development, an international sports village




























the site now


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)




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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)




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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)




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## Cariad (Sep 22, 2005)

What a great shot! )


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