Spend your Day in Cardiff Bay

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