COMBINING the hustle and bustle of a city break with the tranquillity of a beach getaway, Swansea is certainly an area of contradictions.

It is known for its vibrant nightlife, with a range of clubs, bars and restaurants to suit every taste.

The Wind Street area is a modern café quarter by day, and by night becomes the liveliest street in the city. There’s no better place to celebrate or, indeed, drown your football sorrows.

The No Sign Bar is a good place to start, with live music all weekend. Another stage for the Welsh music scene is The Uplands Tavern, hailed by BBC Wales as ‘The best live music pub in South Wales’.

And once you’ve lapped up the vibrancy of the city centre, a perfect antedote the morning after would be Mumbles, with its stunning views over Swansea Bay. The area is full of pretty boutiques and shops, offering unique gift ideas and designer wear.

Adventurers can step back in time with a visit to Oystermouth Castle. Overlooking Swansea Bay, it was the location for the Hollywood movie Ironclad.

Then there’s Swansea Market, the largest covered market in Wales. It is internationally renowned for its fine local produce, laverbread and cockles, and houses more than 100 independent traders.

For high street lovers, the Quadrant Shopping Centre is set under a reassuring glass roof for those who don’t want the Welsh weather to rain on their shopping parade.

Anyone looking for treasures that can only be found in independent boutiques should seek out the arcades, including the new Castle Arcade, in Castle Street. And at the heart of the city’s retail hub, Oxford Street attracts more than 50,000 visitors a week.