Cardiff Touristic Guide, United kingdom. Tourism, Holiday Guide, Honeymoon The capital of Wales since just 1955, Cardiff has embraced the role with vigour, emerging in the new millennium as one of Britain's leading urban centres. Spread between an ancient fort and an ultramodern waterfront, compact Cardiff seems to have surprised even itself with how interesting it has become. Nowhere is this vitality more evident than in Cardiff's buildings it flexes newly acquired architectural muscles as if it's still astonished to have them. Such confidence is infectious, and these days it's not just the rugby that draws crowds into the city. Come the weekend, a buzz reverberates through the streets as swarms of shoppers hit the Hayes, followed by waves of revellers descending on the capital's thriving pubs, bars and live-music venues. Cardiff also makes an excellent base for day trips to the surrounding valleys and coast, where you'll find castles, beaches, interesting industrial sites and ancient monuments.