You cannot live in Cardiff and remain untouched by rugby. Those who don't play will nevertheless follow some local team, and those who don't participate have a spouse, child or parent who does.

A monument to the sport and Europe's biggest under-cover venue, the Millennium Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park which hosted the 1999 Rugby World Cup and currently the FA Cup Final, dominates the city skyline.

Welsh and Scottish League champs regularly play at the adjacent Cardiff Athletic Ground and are guaranteed to provide spectators with a few hours of first-class entertainment.

Rugby, however, is not Cardiff's only sporting claim to fame. Many Cardiffians while away their Saturdays watching Cardiff City Football Club, the Bluebirds, play with interestingly mixed results at Ninian Park.

Another sport which, somewhat surprisingly, has captured sporting imaginations in the city over the past few years, is ice hockey. The Cardiff Devils are an enormously successful team who have a strong and enthusiastic following in the capital. A few minutes' walk from the centre of the city is Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan County Cricket Club's home patch. To find the ground, simply follow the flow of hampers and beanie hats in high summer.

For the hands-on sportsman, Cardiff has plenty to offer. There is an astounding number of first-class golf courses and driving ranges. The Vale Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort is a luxury retreat set in 600 acres of beautiful countryside on the outskirts of Cardiff. Visitors can play the challenging 6,426-yard championship Lake Course with water coming into play on 12 holes and the new Wales National which, at 7,323 yards, is one of the longest outside America. The surrounding rugged coastline offers excellent opportunities for surfers and sailors alike. Fans of tennis, bowls, riding and swimming are also well catered for and those wishing to indulge in a little gentle rowing can skull their way around Roath Park lake - the perfect Sunday afternoon pastime.

Cyclists can follow the Taff Trail, a cycling path running from the city centre all the way up to the South Wales valleys. Vigorous walkers can tackle the beautiful and remote Brecon Beacons, some forty minutes from town, but if a gentle amble is more up your street, Cardiff is lucky enough to have beautiful parklands within and around the city centre.

Spa City

Cardiff is fast becoming recognised for its world class spa treatment centres. The St David's Hotel and Spa on Cardiff Bay offers a wide range of hydrotherapy treatments.

The treatments use a range of marine and natural products, carefully chosen to improve your sense of well-being. Trained specialists can tailor-make personalised programmes and guests can wade through the hydropool, with its massage fountains and currents, and enjoy an exhilarating water-jet massage. Seaweed wraps or jet bubble bath are available in the water treatment rooms. There are also separate male and female relaxation rooms overlooking the bay.

The Vale Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort is now Wales' largest Spa - comprising 19 treatment rooms. Individual therapies and special programmes from leading houses of Clarins and Elemis have been designed to offer clients the best in spa treatments, facilities and service. From hydrotherapy to dry flotation, aromatherapy massage, reflexology, facials and much more - the choice is endless and totally indulgent.

Nightlife City

Cardiff is packed full of cheerful and welcoming pubs and no visit to the capital would be complete without having sampled a pint of the city's very own beer, Brains SA, brewed in the heart of the city. For those who enjoy less boisterous surroundings, there are several wine bars where you can sit back and enjoy waiter service.

Ever since its days as the world's biggest coal port, Cardiff has been a cosmopolitan city with people from every corner of the globe having chosen to settle here. This heritage is reflected in the variety of restaurants on offer. As well as French, Spanish and Italian cuisine, you'll find Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Hawaiian and Cajun in Cardiff. Several restaurants also specialise in traditional Welsh cooking.

The newest development is the opening of The Old Brewery Quarter, the original Brains Brewery at the corner of St Mary Street and Caroline Street. The spiritual home of Wales' largest independent brewer, the former Brewery has been inextricably linked with the city's heritage and economic prosperity.

The retention of many of The Old Brewery's historical features including the original vaults, clocktower and a number of listed and retained structures give the centre a special charm and sense of place. In contrast, innovative and modern design with contemporary restaurant/bars, apartments and penthouses, many with their own balconies overlooking the main piazza, create a striking new open air caf quarter which offers a unique dining experience and the ultimate in urban living.

Most of The Old Brewery Quarter's commercial occupiers are new to Cardiff. They include Hard Rock Caf, one of the world's most famous restaurant chains, which opened its first venue in Wales in October 2003, Future 3000, one of the leading entertainment providers along the South Coast of England, Spanish tapas bar and restaurant La Tasca, Nandos, a highly successful Portuguese family restaurant concept with its delicious and varied "PERI PERI" chicken and the exclusive restaurant operator Thai Edge. S A Brain & Company has also opened its new flagship concept, The Yard Bar and Kitchen, which takes its theme from the original Brewery on the site.

For cinema goers the city has ample to choose from - UGC on Mary Ann St, UCI, Cardiff Bay and Ster Century at The Millennium Plaza on Wood St, which is home to Wales' largest cinema screens and also has a mix of clubs and eateries such as Crispy Duck, Jongleurs comedy club, Bar Risa and Jumpin Jacks.

For those who want to keep going 'til dawn, Cardiff can oblige. Most of the city's nightclubs, from rave to drag, are accessible to the public for an entry fee.