Edited by Peter Rosenfeld

Get out and about around the capital of Wales

Cardiff is one of the UK’s most up-and-coming cities, with the newly established National Theatre Wales operating from its heart, the booming Millennium Stadium which won the hearts of football fans as the alternative Wembley for the best FA Cup and international football matches.

There are also some excellent options for accommodation, with hotels in Cardiff that spread away from the city centre and can introduce you to new areas, like the countryside of the Vale of Glamorgan, or the chic heights of Cardiff Bay. Check out Millennium Hotels for more options.

So if you want a party – or to catch some Olympic football, then Cardiff is clearly the place for you. Yet the Welsh capital is more than a culture and sport spot; it’s also a gateway to the beautiful landscape of south Wales. Given the size and ease of communications between Cardiff and the surrounding coastal and mountainous areas, a city break can easily have a very outdoorsy flavour.

Forget the docks and the sea the Cardiff sits on for a moment, and look inland. Wales has some of the most breathtaking natural mountains and hills in the whole of the UK; and you’d be mad not to take advantage.

About half an hour north of Cardiff are the Brecon Beacons, including Pen Y Fan, one of the Welsh Three Peaks. You can park opposite outdoor centre and education facility Storey Arms on the A470 and walk up the flatter side of mountain from there.

Exploring the valleys and areas north of Cardiff are ideal for a city break with some serious adventure thrown in. The Taff Valley Quad Bike and Activity Centre is another place worth calling if you want to organise a day of events, from taking quad bikes through the woods and hills to gorge walking in Brecon (way more fun than anything motorised!).

Or why not get climbing and bouldering? Boulders, Cardiff’s leading indoor climbing centre, is a great place to get practicing, before taking to the cliffs and crags of the South Wales coastline. For scrambling and free climbing you can try the rocks around Ogmore and the coastal path between Llantwit Major and Porthcawl.