The Bala Lake Railway is a narrow-gauge track along the southern shore of Llyn Tegid, Wales’ largest natural lake. The 2ft-gauge line offers a charming nine-mile return journey through the beautiful scenery of the Snowdonia National Park and the nearby mountains of Arenig Fawr and Aran Benllyn. The line, which is 7.2km-long, is built on…
It began life as the Millennium Stadium, the jewel in the Welsh crown for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, and then in January last year changed its name to the Principality Stadium, but for one night in June this year it takes on the guise of the National Stadium of Wales, when the final of…
St Fagans National Museum of History is an open-air attraction that chronicles the traditional lifestyle, culture and architecture of Wales. Located in St Fagans, just outside Cardiff, the museum consists of more than 40 buildings from various locations in Wales, and is set in the grounds of St Fagans Castle, an Elizabethan manor house. The…
Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery was once the home of the Crawshay family, ironmasters of the Cyfarthfa Ironworks in Park, Merthyr Tydfil. Back at the time of the industrial revolution when Merthyr was the iron and coal capital of the world, industrialist William Crawshay commissioned the spectacular mansion, one of the most imposing buildings…
The National Showcaves Centre at Abercrave in the Swansea Valley is one of the most breathtaking complexes in northern Europe and includes three unique underground experiences. Approaching the entrance to Dan-yr-Ogof cave the River Llynfell emerges from the mountain, returning to the surface after an underground journey of more than 6km. The cave was discovered…
A working coal mine from 1880-1980, the Big Pit National Coal Museum was opened to the public in 1983 as part of the National Museum of Wales. Located adjacent to the preserved Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, it is the highlight of the Blaenavon World Heritage Site and part of a network of coal workings established…
It’s now more than 50 years since Patrick McGoohan immortalised architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis’ magical seaside estate as Number Six in the television series The Prisoner, but largely as a result Portmeirion is as popular today as ever. The Mediterranean-inspired village was created from 1925-76 by Williams-Ellis to show how a naturally beautiful site could…
One of only two museums in Britain dedicated to former prime ministers, the Lloyd George Museum in Llanystumdwy serves as a tribute to one of the United Kingdom’s great reformers. The museum acts as custodian of important historical records and artefacts that document the life and times of the inspirational war leader and social reformer,…
Plas yn Rhiw is an early 17th-century manor house in Y Rhiw, Gwynedd, in north-western Wales. Located at the base of Mynydd Rhiw, the estate overlooks the beach of Porth Neigwl (Hell’s Mouth), Cardigan Bay and the Llyn Peninsula and consists of a small Tudor mansion, a large garden and woodland. It is the only…
Located near Aberdaron, in Gwynedd, Porth Ysgo is a secluded National Trust-owned beach, hidden away and rarely busy. At high tide it is quite pebbley, but mid and low tide reveal an expanse of good quality sand, although a few rocks in the bay mean visitors must take care if doing watersports. A steep hillside…
