Apparently, Cardiff is known as the City of Arcades, and with good reason, as there are over half a dozen beautiful Victorian and Edwardian arcades in the centre of town, as well as a couple of more modern ones.

All the older arcades are situated on St Mary's Street, with many linking across to the Hayes, running parallel to St Mary's.

Perhaps it is a homage to Cardiff's notoriously wet weather that there are so many arcades, as they are a great place for shelter from the rain and you can get across a lot of the central part of the town under cover if you are clever about it.

Starting from the top of St Mary's Street, there are:

Castle Arcade

Built in 1887, this arcade actually has two levels, although the top level is mostly empty. It is L-shaped, coming out onto Castle Street opposite the castle, which is no surprise considering its name.

It looks a bit dog-eared, but with one of Cardiff's best clothes stores (Barkers), an interesting bookshop, and a couple of nice cafés.

High Street Arcade

Built in 1886 and opposite the Castle Arcade, this comes out at St John's Square, also linking to Duke Street arcade in a T-shape.

At the entrance is the excellent Atlantic Coffee Co café, and inside is the tasty New York Deli, as well as some excellent clothes shops and the place where I get my hair cut.

Cardiff Market

This large Victorian indoor market on two levels was built in 1886, with entrances on St Mary Street and St John's Square. It has a bizarre range of goods on offer, including fresh fruit and veggies, cheese, fish, coffee and tea, pets, electronics, second-hand records, and the like.

Morgan & Royal Arcades

Perhaps the two nicest arcades, these back out under the Morgan's Department Store and are joined by a connecting corridor. The Morgan Arcade has been recently renovated. There are a number of speciality shops inside these arcades, including the fantastic Wally's Delicatessen and the Neal's Yard Remedies shop.

Wyndham Arcade

Situated next to the newly established Cafe Quarter, this Edwardian arcade, dating from 1847, features a number of speciality shops, including a cigar seller.

Two other arcades of note are the modern-style arcades on the main shopping street of Queen Street:

Queen St Arcade

It is Cardiff's largest arcade, with over 40 shops, including Mark's & Spencer, Debenhams, and the largest Boots I have ever seen, on two levels, but lacks the character of the older arcades.

Capitol Arcade

This is a more upmarket arcade and the newest in the city on two levels. Shops include Virgin Megastore, Oasis, Austin Reed, Jaeger, and Kookai.

What To Pay: Generally, prices are less than those in London