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Date spot in Cardiff

Castell Coch

Head just north of the city to the little red castle in the beech woods, a Victorian fairy-tale rebuild of a medieval ruin, with round towers, conical roofs and lavishly painted rooms.

Castell Coch's round stone towers with pointed roofs at the end of a path between lawns and trees

Tongwynlais, on the northern edge of Cardiff

Castell Coch, Tongwynlais, Cardiff CF15 7JS
  • Trip
  • Romantic
  • Out of town

Why it's a good date: It looks like it's been lifted out of a storybook, and the woods around it are lovely for a walk afterwards. Repairs are going on, so check Cadw's page before you go.

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Photo: Zeniris, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)

More from our Cardiff guide

  • Inside Cardiff Market, rows of stalls under a high iron and glass roof, seen from the upstairs balcony

    Cardiff Market

    St Mary Street, city centre

    St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1AU
    • Restaurant
    • Rain-proof ☔
    • Foodie

    Wander the stalls of the Victorian covered market under its glass roof, picking up Welsh cakes warm from the griddle and a bite to eat from the food counters.

    Why it's a good date: Cheap, cheerful and very Cardiff. Look down on it all from the upstairs balcony, then head out into the arcades.

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    Photo: Dominic Nelson, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)

  • The ornate Victorian stone front of the Morgan Arcade, with shop windows below and the arcade's entrance in the middle

    The arcades and Spillers Records

    Morgan, Royal and Castle Arcades, city centre

    Spillers Records, Morgan Arcade, Cardiff CF10 1AF
    • Activity
    • Rain-proof ☔
    • Free

    Get lost in the city's Victorian and Edwardian shopping arcades, and flick through the racks at Spillers in the Morgan Arcade, which has been selling records since 1894.

    Why it's a good date: Covered, so it works in the rain, and full of little shops and cafés to duck into. Set a budget and choose a record for each other.

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    Photo: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

  • The white Scott Memorial lighthouse with its clock face, standing in Roath Park Lake under a grey sky

    Roath Park Lake

    Roath Park, north of the centre

    Lake Road West, Roath Park, Cardiff CF23 5PJ
    • Outdoors
    • Free
    • Romantic

    Walk the loop round the long Victorian lake in Roath Park, out to the little lighthouse that remembers Captain Scott's last expedition, which sailed from Cardiff.

    Why it's a good date: An easy, pretty walk that suits a slow Sunday. In summer you can hire a boat and take turns rowing.

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    Photo: Gail Franklin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)

From our guide to date ideas in Cardiff

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