Gwynedd

Located on the north western side of Wales, Gwynedd is a perfect place to visit. It is mostly located within Snowdonia National Park, and the Snowdonia mountain ranges and Cambrian Coastline. It offers visitors a wide range of attractions from activity programmes to inspirational cultural and historical places to visit.

Porthmadog

A harbour town situated on the Glaslyn Estuary, Porthmadog is rich in maritime history and is an excellent base for touring the surrounding area. It has a number craft shops and restaurants. The town was named after W.A. Maddocks whose ambitious "Cob" embankment scheme led to the town's name, which translates as "Madog's Port". In times gone by, it was a vital, busy shipping port for the international slate trade, brought down from Blaenau Ffestiniog. The maritime history depicts its proud past.

Ffestiniog Railway.

A 21km trek through meadows, woodlands, lakes and waterfalls within Snowdonia National Park. It was in 1832 that an Act of Parliament allowed the construction of the railway from Porthmadog to near Ffestiniog and opened to freight traffic on April 20th 1836. Powered by horses initially, the first steam locomotives were put in use of October 23rd 1863 at a cost of £1000 for each of the two engines. Passenger services started in 1865 and carried over 100,000 passengers per year were for the first three years along with 100,000 tons of slate. In the 1880's the slate industry was in decline, exasperated by the building of the slate wharf at Delaney by the London North Western Rail Company. By 1900 the company already relied on tourists to make up the income.

Portmeirion.

The unique and famous Italianate village built by the architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. The village is reduced in scale, like a diorama, giving the impression of large size in a moderate space. It became famous as the set for the television series The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan, who was Number 6. Portmeirion is halfway between Porthmadog and Penrhyndeudraeth and located on a rugged cliff top on its own private peninsula overlooking Cardigan Bay and is surrounded by subtropical woodlands and miles of sandy beaches. The walks are well worth the visit.

Blackrock

Located on the outskirts of Porthmadog, the beach at Blackrock Sands stretches for miles and is a haven for beach games and resting. T. E Lawrence, of Lawrence of Arabia fame lived nearby and the 14th century poet Shelley is reputed to have regularly visited.

Criccieth

This coastal resort offers superb views of Tremadog Bay, sandy beaches, fine restaurants and good accommodation. Criccieth Castle, built by Llewelyn the Great in the l3th Century dominates the skyline and hosts an exhibition reliving Gerald of Wales' journey through Wales. Today the town attracts watersports enthusiasts. It is home to the famous Cadwaladers ice cream first produced in the 1920's.

Pwllheli

Pwllheli "salt water pool" is an old market town at the entrance to the Llyn Peninsula which received the Borough Charter over 600 years ago by the Black Prince.

It is an ideal base for touring the Llyn Peninsula and the town's Marian y De beach has obtained a European Blue Flag Award. The town is full of character with its narrow streets, shops and cafes. Every Wednesday the open-air market is held on Y Maes. Hafan Pwllheli Marina. The marina is reputed as being one of Britain's finest marinas and sailing centres and a ‘European Centre of Excellence’ in Sailing, and the venue to a number of National and International sailing and water sports events. There is also a local leisure centre, which can be used when the weather is not so good.
Pennarth Fawr is a medieval stone house with a superb wooden interior. The National Trust's Plas yn Rhiw a 17 / 19th Century Welsh manor house set in ornamental gardens, is well worth a visit as is Plas Glyn y Weddw art gallery, a Victorian gothic mansion which hosts exhibitions and has excellent landscaped gardens
History tells us that in early Christian times the Llyn Peninsula was a land of saints and pilgrims, hill forts, holy wells and small churches of which the remains can often be seen. The area is soaked in early Celtic religious history and up to 20,000 Saints are allegedly buried on Ynys Enlli or Bardsey meaning the "Island of Strong Currents".
Pwllheli harbour has a long history - wines from the Continent were imported through here and the coast was a haven for smugglers and pirates. As recently as the last century it was one of the main fishing and ship-building centres in North Wales with nearly 30 ships in production at the same time. The arrival of railways in Pwllheli allowed it to develop further as a centre of social and political life, business and tourism.
Llanystumdwy is the home of "Highgate", the childhood home of David Lloyd George, the famous Liberal Statesman who later became Prime Minister. A Victorian schoolroom museum is dedicated to his life and his grave can be found by the River Dwyfor. The memorial gates by his grave were a gift from Pwllheli in 1952 and carry the elephant and castle which figure in the town's coat of arms.

Beddgelert

This mountain village is situated beside the River's Glaslyn and Colwyn in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park in the midst of Snowdonia's magnificent walking country.

The name Beddgelert, meaning Gelert's grave, is famed for the legend of Gelert the dog that was left by Prince Llywelyn to guard his child. The poor dog covered in blood was killed by his master before he realised that the heroic hound had in fact saved the child from the wolf. Visit the site of Gelert's grave and Llywelyn's cottage.
Beddgelert over the years has won a number of National accolades for its admirable environmental programme to enhance the village - Wales in Bloom. Britain in Bloom and in 1997 won the Gold Award for villages in the ENTENTE FLORALE, the prestigious Europe in Bloom competition.

The village is also linked with the Rupert the Bear stories, as Alfred Bestall wrote and illustrated some of the stories whilst he lived in Beddgelert.

You can experience the copper mining industry by visiting Sygun Copper Mine, an 18th/19th century mining workings with its winding tunnels containing Stalactites and Stalagmites and colourful caverns. Take an underground tour and learn the geology of Snowdonia and how copper ore was extracted.

Castles

Wales abounds with magnificent castles. Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech are all World Heritage Sites and definitely worth a visit. The sheer power and presence of Wales' most famous castle, Caernarfon Castle, is still awesome in today’s world. When first built in the 13th century, it must have presented an invincible image to the people it dominated.
In 1969, HRH Prince Charles, became Prince of Wales at his investiture in Caernarfon Castle.
At Conwy, the mighty 13th Century castle dominates the estuary and you can walk the ancient town walls which gives a flavour of the might of this ancient monument.

Activity holidays in Wales

Wales provides stiff competition for other venues in terms of the number and range of activities taking place within such a localised area. For an adventure and activity holiday with wide open spaces and breathtaking scenery then Snowdonia, Llyn Peninsula and the Cambrian Coast are worth considering. The activities include walking, cycling, climbing, pony trekking, surfing, water skiing, canoeing, quad biking, clay pigeon shooting, or abseiling.
There are six designated routes to the summit of Snowdon and a variety of walking routes to Cader Idris, Snowdonia is the ideal place for both serious climbers and keen walkers. Llanberis is an excellent base from which to explore Snowdonia and there is a network of attractive walks suitable for all the family. For stunning walks through scenic gorges and by rushing rivers, start off at Betws-y-Coed.

The Welsh Language and Culture

Welsh is the first language of over a million people, and in the area of Snowdonia, the Llyn Peninsula and the Cambrian Coast around 70% of the population are Welsh speakers. Welsh is one of the oldest living languages in Europe and shares its roots with Breton, Gaelic and Cornish. The sense of community is very strong and Snowdonia's appeal springs from its unique heritage, culture and language, which touches on everyday life, giving this area a truly distinctive character.

Bala

Bala is an historic town close to Llyn Tegid - the largest natural lake in Wales. It Welsh name of ‘Gwyl y Gwyniad’ was named after the Ice Age old fish that still lurks within its very deep waters.

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