National Museum and Art Gallery

Housing Cardiff’s premium art and history collection, the National Museum and Art Gallery is the city’s most visited museum, dating back to 1927. Set in the tranquil surroundings of Cathays Park, the museum houses a vast collection of Welsh archaeology, geology and natural history items, depicting the country’s fascinating history and ancestry through a series of inventive installations.

It’s the adjourning art gallery, however, that draws the most attention. Renowned as one of Europe’s finest art collections, with pieces dating back to the turn of the 16th century, the museum’s 15 galleries showcase Europe’s art history through a range of different styles, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics and silverwork. Particularly notable are the extensive 19th and 20th century galleries featuring Monet's famous San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk; the world's largest collection of works by satirical artist Honoré Daumier and works by Poussin and Salvator Rosa, among a roster of other celebrated names. A bronze cast of Rodin's The Kiss is the key piece of the impressionist gallery, displayed alongside works by Renoir, Van Gogh and Cézanne, and homegrown artists like Thomas Jones, Augustus John and Richard Wilson feature prominently in a gallery devoted to Welsh art.