Swansea lies along the Bristol Channel at the mouth of the River Tawe and is the second largest city in Wales (after Cardiff). The poet Dylan Thomas was born here and celebrated the region in his work.

The city centre - Castle Square - sets for a colourful variety of free live street entertainment and events.

Swansea has a well-respected Botanical collection that is known as one of the best in Wales. The Gardens at Clyne were established by Algernon Walker-Heneage-Vivian who was a fascinating and important figure in the life of Swansea between the two world wars.

Brangwyn Hall is home to Swansea's festival of music and the arts. The city's principle concert hall, offers performances by the world's finest orchestras, soloists and conductors.

Swansea Museum is the oldest Museum in Wales. The collections, which have been built up over the past 150 years, contain all kinds of objects from an Egyptian mummy and a Roman milestone to an Ichthyosaur skeleton, a rare locally-made porcelain teapot, local photographs and paintings and a Welsh kitchen.

Maritime Industrial Museum provides information of Swansea's Industrial past. It incorporates a working woollen mill and historic floating exhibits, such as the Gower lightship. Swansea Maritime & Industrial Museum is situated in the heart of Swansea's waterfront development, the marina area of the Maritime Quarter. This is centred around the City's historic South Dock, once the hub of the nineteenth century commercial port. Twenty-five years ago, the dock and its surroundings were completely derelict - the Museum was just one of two buildings left standing.

Shopping in Swansea is a delight with so many top stores within short walking distance of each other. No shopping trip is complete without something fresh from Swansea's famous covered market, one of the largest in Britain, and arguably the best. The market has been on the same site since medieval times (14^th century) and all the flavours of Swansea, Gower and West Wales mingle under its vast glass roof. Colourful sails flying above the cockle-and-laver bread stalls adorn the centre of the market.

Ninety percent of the clubs in Swansea are on the Kingsway, the street that bears a startling resemblance to the Bigg Market Scene of Newcastle: everyone descends on it from miles around.

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