This imposing but semiderelict building was once the nerve centre of the Welsh coal trade, and for a time the place where international coal prices were set. It was here in March 1908 that a coal merchant wrote the world's first-ever £1 million cheque. The building narrowly missed becoming the home of the Welsh government in 1979, and eventually fell into disrepair. In 2016, an ambitious £40 million restoration was announced, with plans to convert it into a luxury hotel.
Coal Exchange
Cardiff
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
7.95 MILES
You could be forgiven for thinking that Caerphilly Castle – with its profusion of towers and crenellations reflected in a duck-filled lake – was a film…
1.24 MILES
There's a medieval keep at its heart, but it's the later additions to Cardiff Castle that really capture the imagination. In Victorian times, extravagant…
1.46 MILES
Devoted mainly to natural history and art, this grand neoclassical building is the centrepiece of the seven institutions dotted around the country that…
24.21 MILES
This mighty, innovative steamship was designed by engineering genius Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1843. You get to wander the galley, surgeon's quarters and…
26.52 MILES
The haunting riverside ruins of this sprawling monastic complex have inspired poets and artists through the centuries, most notably William Wordsworth,…
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St Fagans National History Museum
4.74 MILES
Historic buildings from all over the country have been dismantled and re-erected in the semirural surrounds of St Fagans village, 5 miles west of central…
1.32 MILES
Flanked by the castle and the River Taff, Bute Park was donated to the city along with the castle in 1947. With Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna Fields and…
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24.61 MILES
Imposing Chepstow Castle perches atop a limestone cliff overhanging the river, guarding the main river crossing from England into South Wales. It is one…
Nearby Cardiff attractions
0.19 MILES
Roald Dahl Plass is overseen by a soaring stainless-steel water sculpture, which fans of the Doctor Who spin-off series will recognise as the location of…
0.19 MILES
With the aim of introducing kids to science, Techniquest is jam-packed with engrossing, hands-on exhibits that are equally enjoyable for under-fives and…
0.2 MILES
For over a decade Cardiff has been the filming location for famed TV series Doctor Who and its spin-off, Torchwood. In 2009 one of the main characters of…
0.21 MILES
The unusual shape of this large public space is due to its past life as the basin of the West Bute Dock. A large rectangular dock once extended from here…
0.24 MILES
The centrepiece and symbol of Cardiff Bay's regeneration is the £106-million Wales Millennium Centre, an architectural masterpiece of stacked Welsh slate…
0.24 MILES
One of the waterfront's few Victorian remnants, Pierhead is a red-brick and glazed-terracotta French Gothic confection, built in 1897 with Bute family…
0.29 MILES
Designed by Lord Richard Rogers (the architect behind London's Lloyd's building and Millennium Dome and Paris' Pompidou Centre), the home of the National…
8. Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve
0.36 MILES
Between the Bristol Channel and Mermaid Quay lies a 20-acre conservation area on former dockland. Tall walls of reeds attract warblers, bunting,…