Places to visit! Southern Wales Attractions

A visit to the National Museum in Cardiff is an essential part of any South Wales itinerary. It doesn't matter whether you're a local or a visitor from across the Severn or across the globe, this is one place that shouldn't be missed.

On any given day the National Museum of Wales might home to travelling artworks of the highest standards, from Monet to Graham Sutherland, plus superb permanent collections of paintings, sculptures, ceramics and photographs. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is a yearly highlight.

But it's not just about art. As you would expect, the National Museum in Cardiff also has an natural history wing just bursting with birds, animals, and fish. Kids love the life-size basking shark hanging from the ceiling. There is also a complete stuffed leatherback turtle (a creature of surprising size) and a detailed examination of the kinds of flora, fauna, and fungi that can be found in the woods and meadows of South Wales. After a day in the National Museum's history wing you'll never look at the sea shore or the trees along your regular walking paths in the same way again.

The Evolution of Wales gallery covers the geological history of the country and the fossil record. There are full-scale woolly mammoths, towering dinosaur skeletons, and much more. The exhibits mesh the geological history of Wales with the paleontology. Kids can learn all about the giant, fierce, and spectacular creatures from epochs gone by, but also find out how coal was formed and all about plate tectonics, volcanoes, and how the climate and landscape has changed over millions of years.

For the human part of the Welsh story, the Origins Gallery contains treasures carved by human hands many thousands of years ago, plus an impressive collection of Roman and medieval artifacts. Visitors can see the famous 'Red Lady' of Paviland, who turned out not to be a lady at all, and a wealth of gold, stone, bronze, and wooden artifacts from across the centuries. There are also things to hear- don't miss the headphone stations where you can sample audio recordings in modern and ancient Welsh, Old English, and more.

Make sure you allow plenty of time when you come to the National Museum, because there is a lot to see!

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