Photo. Cardiff Castle.
This place is almost 2,000 years old - first a Roman fort around AD 55, later reshaped by Norman hands in the 11th century, and endlessly transformed since. These walls have endured sieges, storms, and centuries of change. And in that quiet moment, I realized something simple and grounding: if stone can stand through all that, so can we.
So I continued further inside Cardiff’s Living Past. Beneath those same walls lies another story—one that doesn’t shout, but stays with you. During the Second World War, tunnels carved into the hillside became a refuge for thousands. Walking through them, I tried to imagine the fear, the uncertainty, the courage. Dim lights. Low ceilings. The echo of footsteps. Families huddled together, sharing blankets, songs, whispered hopes, while the world above shook. The darkness and the sounds made it feel uncomfortably real.
What inspired me most wasn’t just that the tunnels offered shelter - it was what they protected. Resilience. Community. The quiet decision to stand together and wait for the light to return. Strength here wasn’t heroic or loud. It was human. It was collective. It was simply holding on, side by side, until the storm passed.
Later, fourteen wild animals watched me as I passed a wall. Thankfully, none of them moved or chased me. This was the Animal Wall in the Castle Quarter: lions, monkeys, bears, and a touch of myth, all frozen mid-watch. It’s playful, unexpected, and strangely comforting. Proof that even stone can have personality and that cities are at their best when creativity is allowed to roam free.
I wandered on into Bute Park and found myself standing quietly inside the Gorsedd Stone Circle, tucked behind the castle. I paused. Took a deep breath. The sky opened just enough. Suddenly, the whole day felt lighter. Sometimes it’s not the grand gestures that reset us—but the simple places that invite us to slow down.
For fellow travel adventurers, this is the magic of Cardiff. Not just a city you visit, but one that gently reminds you: history isn’t only something you look at—it’s something you feel. And if you listen closely, it might just help you face whatever waits on your own road ahead.
Stein Morten Lund, 31st Januar 2026
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