Forest bathing at Bute Park

Bute Park runs north from Cardiff Castle through the middle of the city, and it is really an arboretum. There are over 3,000 individually catalogued trees, most planted after 1947 on top of the Bute family's 19th-century estate collection. It holds 41 Champion Trees, the tallest or broadest of their kind in the British Isles, including a ginkgo avenue in Castle Mews. Blackweir Woods is a Site of Interest for Nature Conservation, with wood anemones and wild garlic under the trees.

The south end near the castle and West Gate is the busy part. For a slower visit head north towards Blackweir Woods, or follow the Champion Tree Trail and stop at the trees that catch your eye. The Taff Trail and a cycleway run through the park, so step off the main routes for quiet. Spring flowers in Blackweir and autumn colour across the collection are the best times. There is no parking on site, so walk in from the city centre.