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South Wales is the most populous part of Wales. The capital city
of Cardiff is located here, along with Swansea, Wales's second city.
Most of Wales's commercial and industrial activity is also concentrated
here. South Wales still has large areas of unspoilt countryside
and coastline, including a mountainous National Park, official `Areas
of Outstanding Natural Beauty' and a Heritage Coast. Cardiff is
a stylish city noted for its neoclassical Civic Centre and ornate
city-centre castle. As Wales's capital, it is a major administrative,
business, political, media and commercial centre. The city has splendid
museums and large areas of parkland. Its shopping centre is famous
for its covered Victorian arcades, which weave their way amongst
modern covered malls.
Exciting developments are taking place on the old waterfront. The
mammoth Cardiff
Bay redevelopment scheme is transforming the docklands where
Cardiff grew up as a coal-exporting port. The coal came from the
nearby South Wales Valleys, an area rich in industrial hertitage.
Only one working coal mine remains. Links with the past are confined
to the many museums and heritage centres at places like Merthyr
Tydfil, Pontypridd, Pontypool and the Afan Valley. Two outstanding
sites are the Big
Pit Mining Museum, Blaenafon, and the Rhondda
Heritage Park, Trehafod, both based at former coal mines. The
Valleys' natural beauty and wealth of attractions never fail to
surprise. Margam
Country Park is one of many beautiful parks; Penscynor in the
Vale of Neath is home to a famous Wildlife
Park; Merthyr Tydfil has a scenic narrow-gauge railway, Llancaiach
Fawr near Gelligaer is an award-winning manor house; and Caerphilly
boasts one of Europe's finest medieval castles.
Coal from the Valleys was also transported to Newport. Magnificent
Tredegar
House on the outskirts reflects the wealth of the coal barons.
In the green border country east of the Valleys, the rivers Usk
and Wye flow through two lovely vales. Caerleon, on the Usk, has
extensive Roman remains
including an amphitheatre and Roman bath-house. The historic border
town of Monmouth stands at the northern gateway to the wooded Wye
Valley, an `Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'. Along the valley
is Tintern Abbey,
an evocative medieval site, while Chepstow, another old town with
Britain's first stone-built castle, guards the southern approach.
West of Cardiff is the green Vale of Glamorgan, a rich farming
area fringed by the spectacular cliffs of the Glamorgan
Heritage Coast. The South Wales coast also has two traditional
seaside resorts at Barry
Island and Porthcawl, and a charming Victorian seafront at Penarth.
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