It is often said by visitors to our Cardiff office that we have unquestionably the finest of views of the city. The immediate skyline succinctly encapsulates Wales's identity: a land of castles and rugby.

The juxtaposition of two towering structures in the heart of the Welsh capital sets the tone for our excursion. Cardiff Castle, from original Roman fortifications to gothic embellishments by architect William Burges in the Victorian era, greets us as we begin. 

Following Castle Street alongside the playful Animal Wall, a menagerie of stone sculptures that appears to guard the green haven of Bute Park, we come to the River Taff and a view south of the embankment that is dominated by the steel spears that shine from the roof of the Principality Stadium. Designed to bring the fervour of Welsh rugby fanfare to new levels, the stadium opened for the 1999 Rugby World Cup with the UK’s first retractable roof. On match days the reverberations are inescapable around the city centre.

Just beyond the stadium, the solitary smoke stack of the former Brains Brewery, which once greeted passionate rugby fans and travellers arriving at Cardiff Central Station, will soon form part of an ambitious waterfront redevelopment scheme at Central Quay... a journey for another day.

Now we turn right at the River Taff to enter the suburb of Pontcanna. We find ourselves on the historic Cathedral Road, a grand, tree-lined avenue and one of the most sought-after addresses in Cardiff. The opulent Victorian villas built during the city’s industrial heyday were once all grand family residences but over the years have been reconfigured into a mix of residential, leisure and offices. More recently we have seen these beautiful buildings reinstated as homes, Cathedral Gardens being one particularly striking example.

Arranged over two exemplary Victorian villas and sympathetically designed new- build elements, Cathedral Gardens comprises 33 classically styled one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as well as three four-bedroom new-build townhouses and a gated elevated garden. Residents need only cross the road for their fill of green space, with the development sitting immediately opposite Sophia Gardens and Pontcanna Fields.

Continuing our walk along Cathedral Road we find Kestral Mews, another impressive Victorian conversion. This collection of 17 one, two and three-bedroom apartments and a stunning three-bedroom triplex blends period charm and contemporary comfort beautifully and is ready to move into.

Before we leave Pontcanna we should stop at one of the many independent bars or cafés for which the area is known, with artisan bakers and brewers of both coffee and beer. If we had time, a more indulgent visit to some of Cardiff’s most celebrated restaurants would be in order, but the array of neighbourhood shops to browse will suffice.

Meandering north west of the city centre, we continue through Llandaff, the notable ‘city within a city’ and home to an impressive selection of state and independent schools.

We arrive at the gateway to Plasdwr, Cardiff’s garden city for the 21st century, and come to Dol Werdd, a development of two, three and four-bedroom modern houses and two-bedroom apartments from Lewis Homes, a respected South Wales house builder, known for building quality family homes.

We’ve been transported from cosmopolitan life to a more relaxed pace as we now approach Radyr, although local golf, tennis and cricket clubs all offer active amenities.

Swapping two feet for two wheels seems sensible as it is easy to pick up Cardiff’s famous Taff Trail here. Running for an incredible 55 miles, the cycle trail runs all the way to Brecon over a challenging and dramatic landscape. On this occasion it serves to swiftly loop us back into the city centre following its attractive ribbon of riverbank parks.

Further information

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In Focus and On Foot – expert views on local neighbourhoods