Cheap Hotels in Cardiff

With an area of 139 sq km (54 sq miles) Cardiff used to be part of the much larger historic county of Glamorganshire. The majority of the county is taken up by Cardiff City, which is the capital and largest city in Wales.

First settled in prehistoric times, Glamorganshire was later occupied by the Romans, then invaded by the Normans in the 11th century, when many castles were built throughout South Wales, including Cardiff Castle, which now stands within the walls of a later 19th century castle. A market town in the middle ages, the settlement of Cardiff began life as a Roman fort. With the exploitation of the South Wales coalfield in the 19th century Cardiff City exploded into a major port and industrial centre.

Following the decline of coal mining and heavy industry Cardiff has remained a major seaport and an important administrative, commercial, and industrial centre. Cardiff Bay is the site of Europe's largest urban regeneration project, and the city was largely redeveloped after bombing in World War II and is now home to many great museums, art galleries, restaurants and sporting venues.