Cardiff’s Victorian Arcades

There is a lot to do in Cardiff, Wales. The food scene is great, the pubs, the history, but something particularly unique about the city is its Victorian arcades. In fact, Cardiff is known as the City of Arcades and for good reason. There are numerous arcades to explore and they have all been around since the late 19th century.

Each one is named for its particular geographical location in the city. You can choose from the Royal Arcade to the Castle Arcade and High Street Arcade. These are only a few of the arcades. In total, the city has more than 2,500 feet of these glassed-in enclosures.

The oldest is the Royal Arcade, built in 1858. Before the arcades came into being, Cardiff was not a shopper’s paradise. There were mainly stalls and only about 25 shops in the whole city. These beautiful structures took a hit during the recession of 2008, but have steadily been coming back into use. They house coffee shops, teahouses, a tailor, vintage shops and record stores. If you are going to be in Cardiff at Christmastime, be sure to see the arcades at this time of year, as they are particularly beautiful. Decorated for the season, there are also seasonal pop-up shops that make the holidays come alive