CARDIFF, Wales — Before there was OPEC and oil, there was Cardiff and coal.

In 1913, on the eve of World War I, this city reigned supreme as the biggest coal port in the world, explained Blue Badge guide Bill O'Keefe.

From mines that dotted the nearby valleys to the north, the coal was brought by an endless parade of trains to be loaded onto ships to power the engines of an expanding industrial age.

The coal made millionaires of British industrialists, including one who became the world's richest man. And the coal brought a sense of municipal wealth to this city of 325,000, just two hours by train from London.

So important was this export trade to Cardiff, said O'Keefe, that passenger trains had to stop as the coal cars lurched by.

"Then it all ended," he said. Oil was taking over, putting the coal trade on a path to oblivion.

For years, the vast infrastructure that served the Welsh coal industry languished. Cardiff paid the price suffered by many cities left high and dry by shifting economic forces.

Abandoned warehouses and empty rail yards lined the waterfront of Cardiff Bay. Making matters worse, the port city suffered extended attacks directed at its waterfront from German warplanes in World War II.

Not only did the economic tides shift, but the sea's tidal action in Cardiff Bay left much of the waterfront, part of the estuary of the River Taff, as an unsightly mudflat for as long as 14 hours a day. Ships left in the harbor as the waters rolled out to sea were braced on mounts still evident today that prevented them from keeling over.

As the port's importance declined, there was no need to visit the city's rundown waterfront. Visitors easily overlooked it because Cardiff's commercial hub, with pedestrian shopping zones, lies a mile north of the bay front.

All that has changed, thanks to a huge waterfront redevelopment project and a reworking of how the bay interacts with the sea. Ending the tidal surges, a dam-like system called a barrage has turned the bay into a freshwater lake, connected to the sea by locks and a ladder for fish to travel upstream to spawn.

Along the harbor, the empty yards and derelict building sites have been transformed into the seat of Welsh government and into a center for culture and arts, flanked by broad walkways. The tramp steamers that once hauled coal to exotic ports around the world have been replaced by excursion craft and water taxis.

World-class architects have left their mark here with several acclaimed buildings. Cafes, restaurants and the five-star St. David's Hotel & Spa line the Inner Harbor. And the name of one of Cardiff's most famous sons — the writer Roald Dahl — is memorialized at an outdoor plaza.

Coal brought with it a diverse community to the city as the industry lured immigrants, from Norwegians selling lumber to mine owners to Yemenis working on the docks. Cardiff today claims a multicultural element unmatched elsewhere in Wales, enhanced by a broad base of students from many parts of Europe and beyond.

But, as the most important to this redevelopment effort, it is along the water that that National Assembly for Wales meets in a striking building designed by architect Richard Rogers and which opened in 2006. Known in Welsh as the Senedd, the building is home to a parliamentary body formed to give Wales more self-rule under a process known as devolution.

The Assembly building was built on two guiding principles — environmental sustainability in its construction and architectural transparency that highlights the role of citizens witnessing their government in action. The parliamentary headquarters features Welsh-derived materials, including oak, slate and steel. On the environmental side, it is naturally ventilated and uses geothermal heating.

"Let's pop in here," said guide O'Keefe outside the Assembly. In a few minutes, after passing a security check, we were seated in a glass-enclosed gallery watching the lawmakers below in a debating chamber called the Siambr.

Business is conducted simultaneously in Welsh and English. Visitors use headsets to follow the proceedings.

As they discussed a policy on school nutritional standards, one of the members told her colleagues that "this is an historic law."

"Yes," agreed another. "But as a two-year old body, let me remind you that much of what we do is historic."

Indeed, the parliament is Europe's youngest.

Steps away from the Senedd, contrasting with its modern, glass-enclosed design is the terracotta finished Pierhead Building, built in 1897. The former Port of Cardiff headquarters, its tower stands as a landmark on the waterfront. Today, the Pierhead serves as a visitors center outlining the work of the adjacent Welsh Assembly.

Another standout structure nearby is the Wales Millennium Center, a performing arts venue that is home to the Welsh National Opera and other organizations. Most striking is its facade and bronzed dome, giving the building the nickname of "The Armadillo." The front face leans out over the entrance. Above the entrance, cut into the slate cladding, windows in the form of huge letters of calligraphy reflect poetic lines in both Welsh and English. The words in English read, "In these stones horizons sing."

"We're lucky to have two languages; one that we share with half the world and one which belongs just to us," said project architect Jonathan Adams."

Words in songs, stories and poems have helped to make Wales the proud country that it is."

On a more intimate scale, the Norwegian Church Arts Center beckons waterfront visitors with musical programs and a comfortable cafe. The whitewashed building, formerly a church used by Norwegian sailors, was moved from a nearby site. It is here where writer Dahl, known for his many children's books, was christened and worshipped with his family.

The coal era has not disappeared entirely from Cardiff. A few blocks away from the harbor is the impressive Coal Exchange, which was the financial center of the coal trade. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this is where the city's leading businessmen met to fix their deals. Owners of shipping companies, coal mines and related businesses set prices that impacted markets and consumers across the globe. The story goes that inside was struck the first recorded transaction amounting to 1 million pounds British sterling.

But that was a long time ago.

Today, the redevelopment of Cardiff's waterfront has created an unusual medley for visitors. There's an opportunity to stroll past the delightful cafes and restaurants on the bay, take brisk walks to the sea front or experience the many cultural offerings at the Wales Millennium Center and other arts venues. But of all the performances that take place here, the most interesting to watch is in the Welsh National Assembly, where a growing political structure for Wales is unfolding.

When all this redevelopment was started in the late 1980s, the goal voiced by Nicholas Edwards, secretary of state for Wales, was "to put Cardiff on the international map as a superlative maritime city which stands comparison with any such city in the world, thereby enhancing the image and economic well-being of Cardiff and Wales as a whole."

Much of that has been accomplished. And as the city has reinvented itself after the days of coal, it's clear there's much more here to mine as the city has reinvented itself.

IF YOU GO

Cardiff Bay: Cardiff is less than two hours by train from London's Paddington Station. The waterfront is one mile south of the city's main shopping district and is easily reached by public transport.

— Cardiff Bay Visitors\ Center (The Tube): This is a good place to start your exploration. Maps and models show the story of the bay area's redevelopment. The center's staff answers visitors' questions and provides information on tours. See www.cardiffharbour.com.

— Mermaid Quay: Restaurants and cafes dot this area, along with boutiques. See www.mermaidquay.co.uk.

— National Assembly for Wales (Senedd): Designed by Richard Rogers, the parliamentary building is open to the public. Tours are available. See www.walesassembly.org.

— Norwegian Church Cultural Centre. A prominent cultural venue with art and musical offerings and a cafe located on the waterfront. See www.norwegianchurchcardiff.com.

— Wales Millennium Centre: Two theaters, shops and restaurants make this the leading performing arts center in Wales. Eight companies are resident here, including the Welsh National Opera. Guided tours available. See www.wmc.org.uk.

Hotels: Hilton Hotel Cardiff, www.hilton.co.uk/cardiff; Park Plaza Hotel, www.parkplazacardiff.com; St. David's Hotel & Spa, www.principal-hayley.com/cardiff/the-st-davids-hotel-and-spa/.

For more information: www.VisitCardiff.org; www.visitwales.com; www.visitbritain.com; www.Britrail.com.

Carl Larsen is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.