Why Choose Cardiff?

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WHY CHOOSE CARDIFF?

Making a decision to apply for a place at university isn’t just a question of choosing an appropriate course. You’ll also need to decide where you want to spend the next few years of your life…

If you are looking for a place where you will feel welcome; somewhere that’s lively, inexpensive and easy to get around - Cardiff is your answer.

It’s young, prosperous and vibrant; a city full of character and atmosphere with a range of first-class opportunities for sport, nightlife, shopping and sightseeing.

ARTS CITY

Cardiff caters well for the arts with the famous St David’s Hall hosting events including ballet, opera and classical concerts. The fantastic Wales Millennium Centre offers every type of performance from West End Shows to contemporary dance. The New Theatre and the Sherman Theatre host a variety of productions. The Chapter Arts Centre is one of the largest complexes of its kind in Europe. It houses two cinemas, a gallery and performance spaces and offers a programme of theatre, dance and art films, as well as blockbusters and exhibitions.

NIGHTLIFE CITY

Cardiff is packed full of cheerful and welcoming pubs and few students graduate from here without having sampled a pint of the city’s very own beer, Brains SA, brewed in the heart of the city. For those who enjoy less boisterous surroundings, there are several wine bars where you can sit back and enjoy waiter service. WATERFRONT CITY

What used to be the old docks area of the city has been totally transformed and majestic old Victorian buildings, which once served the world’s biggest coalexporting port, now blend elegantly with shiny modern architecture.

Cardiff Bay is home to Wales’ National Assembly, the country’s political headquarters, and many businesses. They have been attracted to set up in Cardiff’s newest quarter. The most exciting news on the waterfront, however, is the Wales Millennium Centre. Cardiff Bay houses one of the Welsh nation’s most stunning icons, a vast home for the arts in Wales, which aims to rival Sydney Opera House in stature and reputation.

COAST AND COUNTRYSIDE

Cardiff is surrounded by some of the most attractive countryside and coastal scenery in Britain - and it is all easily accessible.

Vale of Glamorgan - is an area of coastal and rural beauty with steep cliff faces and secluded bays. The best way to discover the Vale is to explore one of the country lanes, which cross its hills and wooded valleys.

Gower Peninsula - is the UK’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The beaches on the Gower are particularly popular with surfers and the area also attracts walkers, rock climbers and hang-gliding enthusiasts - as well as those who just want a lazy day on the beach! Brecon Beacons National Park - offers thousands of miles of public footpath including bridleways and cycle routes. As well as walking, cycling and horse riding, visitors to the Brecon Beacons can take part in other popular activities such as climbing, gliding, sailing, windsurfing and fishing.

Taff Trail - is a 55 mile waymarked route that joins Cardiff Bay with Brecon. The route runs along old railway lines, canals, forestry paths and minor roads. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park - if you want to travel further afield, to the West is Pembrokeshire and Britain’s only coastal based national park, which runs 180 miles from Amroth near Tenby in the south, to St Dogmael’s (near Cardigan) in the north. It is no exaggeration to say that the Park has some of the most spectacular stretches of coast in Europe.

Wild horses roaming free on a grassy mountain top in the Brecon Beacons National Park...

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