Winter is upon us, and the cold is seeping in as we fiercely try to battle it with hot cups of coffee every morning. Don’t let the weather stop you from having fun though – there are plenty of places in the UK that are gorgeous enough to be enjoyed even in the coldest of winters, such as Swansea.

I visited the beautiful city of Swansea in Wales for the first time recently. The day that I went it was typical UK weather: wet and windy with the occasional sunshine to tease us. I was down in the dumps because of the depressing weather, but cheered up immediately upon arriving at Swansea.

The city is truly beautiful with wonderful views and architecture everywhere. The first attraction is Swansea Marina, which is a small port housing hundreds of private boats every day. If you are lucky, you can catch the moment where a boat majestically sails out of the port.

The city is rich in culture. On the way to the marina I noticed a famous landmark called The Swansea, a unique stone structure with over 900 years of history. Right next to the marina is the National Waterfront Museum, displaying the history of industry and innovation in Wales from the past 300 years.

However, the pride of every Welsh person living in Swansea has got to be Swansea beach. Ask any local about what the best tourist attraction is, and chances are that they will point you towards the beach – 5 miles of picturesque scenery along the bay. Apart from the beauty of the place, it is popular with the tourists because it is close to the town centre and perfect for a short stroll after dinner or just chilling in the afternoon. It is enjoyable even in the winter, and absolutely perfect in summer.

On the right of the marina you can see Mumbles pier. It is a favourite with not only tourists, but also with locals. The well built pedestrian path is full of restaurants serving everything from traditional fish and chips to the most refined international cuisine. It is the perfect place for the foodies among us.

If you are a fan of ice cream, you must not miss Wales most famous Joe’s ice Cream, an ice cream shop founded in Swansea back in 1898. There are over 50 items you can choose from just from just the ice cream menu. I remember thinking that even the plain vanilla tastes better than most of the ice creams back in London.

In total, there are 19 beaches near Swansea. The most worthy visiting is the Rhossili Bay beach, which is voted the Britain’s best beach by TripAdvisor for 2 years and 9th best in the world. This beach is about 40 minutes’ drive from Swansea and 1 hour on the bus. It has a 3 miles of golden sandy shore, which is perfect for all sorts of water sports (although you might want to wait until it warms up a bit before attempting any of them). Next to the beach there are a few small mountains with a number of challenging walking routes, attracting some hiking enthusiasms. The view from the top of the mountains is extraordinary, and it is hard to find a more beautiful spot in the UK.

Pictures: Haoyu Xu, Scott Kuperus, Ifthi Mutaliph, strangebehaviour