Not just a milestone

Swansea is a place often overlooked by Irish visitors, who treat it as little more than a point of passing through.

But it’s a perfect-sized city for a weekend break. Any Swansea resident will gladly point out that their city offers a more homely atmosphere than Cardiff. It has a much more intimate relationship with the sea and, unlike Cardiff, its soccer team is in the Premier League.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Arriving into Swansea is, I’m told, a far more impressive experience if you’re coming by ferry. I didn’t, which is a probably why my first impressions were of an unfocused industrialised build-up. The M4 motorway from Bristol skirts above large coastal towns bearing evidence of heavy industry. On the right are the brooding mountains leading to the Brecon Beacons National Park. Every so often, gaps appear with exit roads leading north through the valleys where coal-mining was once the primary activity.

I was staying in the Space in the City apartments on Princess Street in the centre of Swansea. The place was roomy, bright and there was a good view that looked down on the activity on Princess Street and took in the neat but seemingly haphazard layout of this city centre.

AROUND TOWN

Once you get down to street level, however, you begin to see why so many people are charmed by Swansea. It’s a bustlingly pleasant and pedestrian-friendly sort of place. The cry of seagulls mingles with ambient traffic noises wherever you go.

Within walking distance of Princess Way are virtually all the museums that are worth seeing in the city. These include The Swansea Museum, the Dylan Thomas Centre and the National Waterfront Museum.

The latter enjoys a nice position by the sea front close to Swansea’s marina. The sense of space here is a real breath of fresh air and you’re still only a couple of hundred metres from the city centre.

The next street parallel to Princess Street is Wind Street. This is the central strip of Swansea, the place where the young and the fun-seeking gravitate to of a weekend night to let their hair down.

After partying all night, Wind Street scrubs up well during the daytime and has a pleasant almost provincial-town atmosphere.

Within a short walk of here is an enormous and eclectic range of shopping outlets. The main shopping area centres around Oxford Street and the Quadrant Shopping Centre with its bright glass ceiling.

All the names in main street fashion brands are to be found here, including Next, River Island, BHS and Topshop.

NEARBY

The area immediately to the west of Swansea is the relatively sparsely populated Gower Peninsula. It’s easily accessible even if you don’t have your own transport (through the “Walking by Bus” initiative) and is perfect for walkers, with several clearly-marked routes around Swansea Bay, Mumbles and the Gower Peninsula.

Throughout the year, the peninsula is very much the playground of the region with superb beaches, golf courses, surfing and virtually all other manner of outdoor activity.

EATING

The apartments are set up nicely for self-catering — a good option for anyone, particularly if you have small children and would rather not face the trial or the cost of eating out en famille. With all the large-scale grocery stores close by, you’ve a wide menu at your disposal.

For eating out, a myriad of choices presents itself within a short walkable radius. Most are either of the fast food or the pub grub variety, but don’t let that put you off. My advice is to go for the latter.

I went for the Walkabout Inn at Castle Square, where a man-sized Bonza Burger complete with sumptuous salad and chips set me back less than £5 (about €6) — best enjoyed on the terrace upstairs where you get one of the most pleasing views of Victorian Swansea, complete with its castle and square.

THE BOTTOM LINE

For short stays, studio and one-bed apartments range from £75 to £99 (€90 to €120) per night, while the largest apartments accommodating up to five people run from £190 to £260 (€227 to €310) per night. For longer stays, nightly rates are reduced.

Discounts are available for weekday bookings and there are a number of attractive package options including a spa deal.

For further details, check the website www.aspaceinthecity.co.uk.

If you’re going for luxury, try Morgan’s Hotel (www.morganshotel.co.uk), a 4-star boutique hotel in the heart of the city near the Maritime Quarter, with rooms starting at £65 (€76) per night.

A good city centre three-star option is Premier Inn www.premierinn.com with rooms starting at £36 (€43) per night.

ANYTHING TO ADD

Swansea Museum is hosting a special temporary exhibition until April 30 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Scott Antarctic Expedition, centred around local hero Edgar Evans, who was the first of the five explorers to lose his life on that fateful journey. For more information, see www.visitswanseabay.com or for more general information on visiting wales, see www.visitwales.com.