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WALES
Cardiff Highlights
As it was founded in a bay dating back to a Roman fort, Cardiff was established as an early maritime center. Becoming the Welsh capital in 1955 it prospered particularly on the strength of a coal-mining boom which then endured a long period of decline. Cardiff has recently undergone a major cultural and economic renewal. This is reflected in the establishment of a devolved Welsh government in 1999 based in the city which has elevated civic pride. Cardiff is an exciting and varied city with many arts and sports venues (including the largest indoor arena in Europe) and festivals celebrating this fact, yet its unique heritage is still surrounds and enthralls the visitor.


Cardiff Castle
Standing in the heart of the city the castle sits on a Roman site developed by the Normans. From 1865 the gothic towers were converted into well decorated rooms. TheWilliam Burges decorated interior has each room with a different theme. Perhaps most famous of all are the Chaucer Room, the Arab Room with its sandalwood ceiling and Welsh gold, Fairy-Tale Nursery and oldest-part of the castle (dating from the 15th century) The Banqueting Room. The top of the castle affords far reaching views of Cardiff and the surrounding area.

Museum of Welsh Life
Situated in the town of St. Fagan’s, a few miles west of Cardiff the museum is actually a 100-acre collection of over 30 buildings recreating Welsh life of the past 500 years. Almost every The building was rescued from demolition in other parts of the country and rebuilt in the grounds. These include; farmhouses, craft workshops, homesteads, commercial buildings, schools and places of worship. The Museum remains the top heritage site in Wales and one of the leading open-air museums in Europe.

National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff
Contains an impressive collection of both art and science. The Art Galleries contain works by some of the world's most famous artists, with a particularly good Impressionist collection.Visitors can visit 'The Evolution of Wales' exhibition which explores 4600 million years of history or the 'Natural History in Wales' concentrating on the range of wildlife in this region. Theer are also collections of Bronze age, early Christian and Celtic artefacts.
Touring Highlights of Wales

Swansea
West of Cardif Swansea is Wales' second largest city. Along with the celebrated redevloped Maritime Quarter which contains the Maritime and Industrial Museum where visitors can seem the world's first railway the city is also famous as the birthplace of the writer Dylan Thomas. Those with an interest in his literature will want to visit the house in which he was born and also stop at the Dylan Thomas Centre opened a few years ago by the Thomas fan former president Jimmy Carter.

Hay-on-Wye
To the north of the Brecon Beacons lies what has been dubbed the ‘secondhand book capital of the world’ with over 40 bookstores. It was started in the early 1960s by a book-loving entrepreneur. The town has spawned a literary festival at the end of May/beginning of June which attracts writers from all over the world. The former president Bill Clinton visited in in 2001.

Brecon Beacons
Located in South Wales the hills and mountains of the Brecon Beacons occupy 519 square miles of landscape. The park takes its name from a range of flat-topped mountain peaks. The area is renowned for its open wide open grassy spaces. A highlight is the wildness of the Black Mountains looming in the distance.

Snowdonia
This national park is famous for its breathtaking scenery and fabulous walking. It covers over 2,000 square kilometres of north west Wales, and includes the highest mountain in England and Wales (1085m/3560ft), Snowdon from which the Park takes its english name. The welsh name Eryri means 'place of the eagles'. Yet the area also boasts deep valleys, numerous lakes and 23 miles (37 kilometres) of coastline which all contribute to an extremely varied landscapes as well as range of wildlife.
National Botanic Garden of Wales
One of the countries most recent attractions (opening in 2000) the Gardens are set in South Wales in the middle of the Carmarthenshire countryside. Its focal point is the world’s largest single-span glasshouse holding some of the world’s endangered plant species. These are viewable among rockeries and streams, waterfalls and lakes. It is worth noting that 7 of Britain’s National Trust gardens are also in Wales. (see resources page)

Caernarfon Castle
Built by Edward I in 1283 as part of his conquest of Wales, Caernarfon was intended as a government building and royal palace as well as a military site. Designed to emulate the Constantinople walls as much as the idealic castles of Welsh myth the castle sits magestically on the shoreline.
Every Prince of Wales since 1301 has been invested here.
Visitors can walk along the magnificent castle walls in what is now a World Heritage Site, as well as glean some historical context from the various exhibitions housed within the towers.