Sights in Swansea (Abertawe)
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Maritime Quarter
WWII bombing flattened much of central Swansea, which was rebuilt as a rather soulless retail development in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. What little remains of Georgian and Victorian Swansea stretches from Wind St and York St to Somerset Pl and Cambrian Way in the Maritime Quarter ; this is the most attractive part of the city centre.
The area around the former docks to the southeast of the city centre was originally redeveloped as a residential area in the 1980s - low-rise red- and yellow-brick apartment blocks with blue-painted steel balconies, which are beginning to look a little tired now. The South Dock and the Tawe Basin (enclosed by a smaller version of Cardiff Bay's…
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The Mumbles
The Mumbles, strung out along the shoreline at the southern end of Swansea Bay, has been Swansea's seaside retreat since 1807, when the Oystermouth Railway was opened. Built for transporting coal, the horse-drawn carriages were soon converted for paying customers, and the Mumbles train became the first passenger railway service in the world.
The name - which becomes a vowel-free zone in Welsh, Y Mwmbwls - is a legacy of French seamen who nicknamed the twin, rounded rocks at the tip of the headland Les Mamelles - 'the breasts'.
Newly fashionable in recent years, with gourmet restaurants vying for trade along the promenade, the Mumbles got a boost to its reputation when its …
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National Waterfront Museum
The Maritime Quarter's flagship attraction is housed partly in a 1901 dockside warehouse and partly in a stunning modern glass-and-slate extension. A series of themed exhibition galleries covers the history of Welsh industry and innovation, making much use of interactive computer screens and audiovisual presentations.
Highlights include the 'People' exhibit, which brings whole communities back to life using the records from the 1851 census to tell the stories of Swansea people. The Sea gallery tells tales of Cape Horner clipper ships and how Swansea became the 19th-century 'Copper Capital of the World'.
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Swansea Museum
It would be hard to find a more complete contrast to the modern National Waterfront Museum than the gloriously old-fashioned Swansea Museum - Dylan Thomas referred to it as 'the museum which should have been in a museum'. Founded in 1834, it remains charmingly low-tech, from the eccentric Cabinet of Curiosities to the glass cases of archaeological finds from Gower caves, all explained in laminated notes stuck in ring-binders.
Pride of place goes to the Mummy of Hor, which has been here since 1887 - a fascinating video in the display room explains the process of its repair and conservation.
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Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Housed in an elegant Italianate building in the north of the city centre, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery displays a wide range of Welsh art - Richard Wilson's evocative landscapes, haunting works by Gwen John, bold portraits by her brother Augustus, and a whole room devoted to the more contemporary Ceri Richards. There are also fine works by Walter Sickert, Wyndham Lewis, Stanley Spencer and John Nash, alongside multimedia temporary exhibitions. There's also a collection of ceramics.
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Egypt Centre
Swansea University is in the suburb of Sketty halfway between the city centre and the Mumbles and possesses the UK's biggest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside the British Museum. Opened to the public in 1998, the volunteer-run Egypt Centre displays a fascinating collection of everyday ancient Egyptian artefacts, ranging from a 4000-year-old razor and cosmetic trays to a mummified crocodile.
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Beaches
From the parking area beyond Mumbles Head (continue along Mumbles Rd, past the pier), you can hike along a cliff-top path to Beaches. Hike for a mile to Langland Bay, and on for another mile to Caswell Bay; both are popular swimming and surfing beaches. You can return to the Mumbles waterfront by walking back along Caswell Rd, Langland Rd and Newton Rd.
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Plantasia
A huge glass pyramid parked between the Parc Tawe Shopping Centre and the river contains Plantasia, a botanical exhibition containing hundreds of species of exotic plants, plus attendant insects, reptiles, tropical fish, birds and tamarin monkeys. A coffee shop and range of kids' activities make it a popular rainy-day retreat.
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Mumbles Pier
The Mumbles is a mile-long strip of pastel-painted houses, pubs and restaurants, with a promenade walk and a Victorian pier at the far end. Built in 1898, Mumbles Pier was recently renovated; the pavilion now houses an amusement arcade, ten-pin bowling, and a brand new ice-rink, and there's a private, sandy beach down below.
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Dylan Thomas Centre
The Dylan Thomas Centre, housed in the former Guildhall, contains an absorbing exhibition on the poet's life and work; entitled 'Man and Myth', it pulls no punches in examining the propensity of 'the most quoted author after Shakespeare' for puffing up his own myth. The centre also contains a bookshop, restaurant and café.
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Oystermouth Castle
Little remains of the old fishing village of Oystermouth, except the majestic ruin of Oystermouth Castle, once the stronghold of the Norman lords of Gower, but now the focus of summer mock medieval battles and Shakespeare performances. There's a fine view to enjoy over Swansea Bay from the battlements.
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Swansea Castle
The ruins of 14th-century Swansea Castle - closed to the public - stand on the east side of Castle Sq, hemmed in by modern buildings and dwarfed by the gleaming blue skyscraper of the BT Tower. It was mostly destroyed by Cromwell in 1647, but had a brief lease of life as a prison in the 19th century.
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Mission Gallery
Set in a converted 19th-century seamen's chapel, the Mission Gallery stages some of Swansea's most striking exhibitions of contemporary art. It is also a commercial gallery, selling glass, ceramics, jewellery and textiles by Welsh artists and designers, as well as paintings, posters and prints.
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