| Whether you feel like filling your day with | | | | over two million visitors every year. When |
| sports, arts, shopping or just a walk on the | | | | you visit the Cardiff Bay waterfront you will |
| waterfront, Cardiff Bay is the place that | | | | encounter its other attractions like the |
| offers the entertainment or leisure | | | | visitors centre known among the locals as |
| experience that you need. | | | | "the tube", the Cat-cruisers, Techni Quest, |
| | | | the land train or the Norwegian Church Arts |
| Known in the past as the largest coal | | | | Centre. Another popular place to visit is the |
| exporting port in the world, by the 1980s | | | | spectacular Wales Millennium Centre for the |
| Cardiff Bay was an empty land filled with | | | | performing arts that can offer you a day |
| abandoned buildings but it has changed its | | | | filled with art, be it ballet, opera or a |
| image and profile with the introduction of | | | | musical. This is just one of the many |
| the Cardiff Barrage completed in 1999. This | | | | cultural attractions in Cardiff. |
| barrage impounded the River Taff and the | | | | |
| River Ely to create a regeneration area | | | | If you prefer, you can just go shopping in |
| dominated by the newly formed freshwater lake | | | | the many shops the centre houses within its |
| at the south of Cardiff city's center. | | | | walls, or you can simply enjoy a refined |
| | | | dinner in one of the restaurants overlooking |
| Completed with the attractions it offers | | | | the beautiful Cardiff Bay. There are walking |
| today, Cardiff Bay draws nearly two million | | | | tours of the waterfront available and if you |
| visitors to its waterfront every year. Among | | | | need to take a break you can choose from the |
| the main attractions available now you will | | | | wide range of bars and restaurants of Mermaid |
| find The Welsh Assembly at the Pierhead, the | | | | Quay. Cardiff Bay is also home to the MAS |
| Norwegian Church Arts Centre, the Wales | | | | Carnival and several festivals of local, |
| Millennium Centre or the Goleulong 2000 | | | | national or international importance like the |
| Lightship, while the Techni Quest Science | | | | Welsh Food Festival. |
| Discovery Centre and the Atlantic Wharf | | | | |
| Leisure Village provide entertainment for the | | | | One of the developments planned for the near |
| whole family. | | | | future is the International Sports Village in |
| | | | Cardiff Bay, located on the Ferry Road |
| Cardiff Bay plans for future attractions | | | | peninsula and intended to be used as an |
| include a Welsh National Canoe and Rafting | | | | Olympic training venue if completed by 2012. |
| Centre complete with a 50m pool and a leisure | | | | Other projects under construction at this |
| water complex, an ice rink as part of St | | | | time include an ice rink temporarily framed |
| David's II, a Morrisons superstore and a | | | | in timber, a leisure water complex and a 50m |
| Toys-R-Us store that will be the largest in | | | | pool as part of the Welsh National Canoe and |
| Europe. | | | | Rafting Centre. The leisure water complex |
| | | | will be completed, like the International |
| A visit to Cardiff Bay may also bring you to | | | | Sports Village of Cardiff Bay, around the |
| a local, national or international festival | | | | year 2012. The growing development of the |
| like the Welsh Food Festival or the MAS | | | | area also includes the building of new stores |
| Carnival. With all this and much more to | | | | like the largest Toys-R-Us store in Europe |
| offer, Cardiff Bay must be among your | | | | meant to replace the one demolished in the |
| favourite destinations when you're looking | | | | city centre and a Morrisons superstore that |
| for a fun time out. | | | | will most likely reduce the dominance of |
| | | | local grocery market giants Asda and Tesco. |
| The largest coal exporting port in the world | | | | Some of the historic buildings will be spared |
| has certainly changed its image with the | | | | by the development plans like the Norwegian |
| construction of Cardiff Barrage, creating a | | | | Church and the Pierhead building but the rest |
| freshwater lake measuring approximately 500 | | | | of the historic area of the quay side will be |
| acres and resulted in 8 miles of waterfront. | | | | fashioned with leisure facilities like |
| The barrage was used to impound two nearby | | | | cinemas, restaurants, shops, offices and even |
| rivers, the River Taff and the River Ely and | | | | housing. The plans also include a new home |
| it resulted in the now regenerated area that | | | | for the National Assembly for Wales that will |
| continues to develop as a leisure destination | | | | be designed by Richard Rogers. |
| and a favourite among tourists from all | | | | |
| corners of the world. | | | | Whether you are looking for a fun filled day, |
| | | | a romantic time out or you want to spend your |
| The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation, | | | | time enjoying a quality artistic performance |
| created in 1987, was the key player in the | | | | you can find it all in Cardiff Bay. The |
| development of the area and by the year 2000 | | | | various shops and superstores offer you a |
| it had achieved most of its goals. The empty | | | | wide variety of quality shopping at very low |
| land and torn down buildings had turned into | | | | prices that can make your day a lot of fun. |
| an unrecognizable area with a freshwater lake | | | | The Wales Millennium Centre for the |
| and habitats for several freshwater species | | | | performing arts is always ready to offer a |
| at the mouth of the River Taff. This also | | | | quality show whether it is ballet, opera, |
| resulted in an economic growth of the area | | | | dance or a musical. If you would prefer a |
| with new apartments built, new jobs | | | | more romantic pastime you can enjoy a refined |
| available, private lands becoming open to the | | | | candle light dinner for two with a view of |
| public and much more. | | | | the beautiful Cardiff Bay or simply take a |
| | | | walk along the Cardiff Bay waterfront. Either |
| The main attraction of Cardiff Bay is | | | | way, you can't go wrong if you spend your day |
| probably the waterfront, a perfect | | | | in Cardiff Bay. |
| destination for a romantic walk, and it draws | | | | |