Since moving into its new home in 2004 Welsh National Opera has gone from strength to strength, with a critically acclaimed chorus and orchestra.

After a painful decade of architectural controversy during which the first scheme was ditched, the WNO now have a fitting base in Cardiff. The new architects, Percy Thomas, were instructed to build something ‘unmistakeably Welsh and internationally outstanding.’ The result: The Wales Millennium Centre, a massive structure of slate, glass and steel, built to withstand the lashings of the elements on its coastal location and embodying the natural resources and industries of Wales.

It has the largest orchestra pit in the United Kingdom, and while the auditorium seats 1,850, it is acoustically excellent.

The Millennium Centre is one of many projects in Cardiff Bay, a development that has transformed the old docks of the city into a waterfront stretch of exciting design. Our five-star, ultramodern and light-filled hotel is a key element in the Bay and has variously been referred to by journalists as thrilling, sexy, soothing and solicitous. The centre of the city is an admirable Edwardian exercise in town planning, imperious and compact.

Read 2011 itinerary