Cardiff

Cardiff makes a charming first impression with its ever-bustling, restaurant-lined waterfront and elegant, Edwardian Baroque-style City Hall. Imposing medieval churches serve as a striking counterpoint to modern architectural marvels like the copper-domed Wales Millennium Centre, while the city's restored Victorian arcades are today filled with hip boutiques selling quirky local fashion and artisan homewares.

Its dining scene runs the gamut from cosy cafes to high-end restaurants, so you can feast like royalty, whatever your budget. And Cardiff pulses long into the night, with atmospheric traditional pubs, sleek cocktail bars and intimate clubs drawing a diverse crowd of hedonists.