Cardiff wears its history like a well-loved coat — familiar, textured and full of stories. As Wales’s capital, the city hums with a lively cultural pulse but it’s the arcades that steal the show: winding rows of Victorian and Edwardian glass-roofed alleys, each one a little world of independent shops, vintage finds and cozy cafés. At the heart of it all, Cardiff Castle rises — a stony silhouette against the sky — reminding you that past and present here are always in good company.

Nestled within 13th-century town walls, the sleepy harbor town of Tenby, Wales, cradles golden sandy beaches that sweep toward the sea beneath the romantic ruins of Tenby Castle and the amiable Tenby Museum and Art Gallery. Tenby’s colorful Georgian houses, quaint narrow streets and welcoming seaside atmosphere make it utterly charming.