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| Raaaaawr.... |
Now
that my adopted nation has made it to the Rough Guide, I thought that I'd
compile a list of fabulous places and attractions from across the land; with
maybe just a little touch of bias towards the North.
These
are my top 6 picks for Wales 2016:
Snowdonia National Park, North Wales:
OK,
so I actually live within the confines of Snowdonia NP. In a house,
though...not out in the wilds in a tent or anything. They don't make tents big
enough for my shoe collection and, when they do...it won't make any difference
because I don't like camping. Anyway, I digress: Snowdonia is amazing!
If
you fancy a bit of hiking, feel free to climb Mount Snowdon, which is the
highest peak in England and Wales, and second in the UK (with Ben Nevis in
Scotland topping the leader board). Snowdon stands at an extremely respectable
1,085ft above sea level. I have no idea what this actually means, but it sounds
like a lot of work to get up there.
There
are several routes to the Snowdon summit, which are helpfully graded in terms of
just how hellish they are to scale. Me? I'd go for the easiest one every time.
In fact, I'd be driving to Llanberis and getting the Snowdon Railway to the top
because, well...I wouldn't have to walk AT ALL and I'd still get to stand on
the summit and totally take photos for social media to tell everyone just how
tired I was.
Apart
from hiking, walking, cycling, and all those other Outdoor Things fit people do
within the National Park; we are also home to some beautifully picturesque
towns and villages. My personal favourites are Barmouth, Porthmadog and
Llanberis, which are all full of restaurants, coffee shops, independent stores,
beaches, and the obligatory steam railways.
Just
to be clear: Wales also has normal railways, like you'd find everywhere else,
but the steam trains are by far the most scenic way to get around, provided
you're not in much of a hurry. If you need to keep an appointment, you should
probably travel with Arriva instead.
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| Cadair Idris |
Anglesey, North Wales:
The
Isle of Anglesey is connected to the mainland via the beautiful Menai and
Britannia Bridges and is located at Wales' most north westerly point. Anglesey
is the 5th largest island in the UK and sits in the Irish Sea.
A
short distance from the bridges is the location of the village with the longest
name in the UK, which is a great place to get your photo taken, if you have a
wide angle lens. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwilllantysiliogogogoch is
a pretty little village, even if you can never tell people you've been because
you simply have no chance of EVER being able to pronounce it. Llanfair would be
an acceptable shortened version, I would imagine.
The
rural coastline of the whole isle has been designated as an Area of Outstanding
Beauty and, if you head up to Holyhead on Anglesey, towards South Stack
Lighthouse, you'll see exactly why this is.
South
Stack is jaw dropping. And not only because you can literally walk along the
edge of some pretty steep cliff faces, but also from beautiful colours of the
flowers and heather, which provide a gorgeous contrast to the stark whitewashed
lighthouse. It really is a fabulous spot for a walk (probably not if it's wet
or windy, though, because of the whole certain death thing if you fell), but
certainly on a clear day when you can wave to people across the water in
Ireland and battle with your mobile provider as you get a text welcoming you to
the Emerald Isle and informing you of just how much it’ll cost you to make any
calls.
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| South Stack Lighthouse |
Newtown & Machynlleth, Mid Wales
Newtown
is the biggest town in the Powys region in Mid Wales and lies on the River
Severn. It is famous for being the birthplace of Robert Owen, the Welsh
philosopher and entrepreneur, and founder of the co-operative movement. Owen's
former home, unfortunately, has been replaced by the HSBC Bank, which I'm
unsure whether is ironic or not, but there is a museum in the town dedicated to
his life.
Newtown
is also home to a fabulous chapel and Baptist church, as well as the Oriel
Davies Arts Centre. I'm fond of the high street in the town, which has a good
variety of old school pubs, clubs and the obligatory Wetherspoons, lots of
lovely independent stores and a fair few high street names thrown into the
mix. Also: the British Red Cross charity shop in the
precinct is the best I’ve come across, so far.
There’s
also a late night vendor on the main street who serves the best post pub crawl
out burger I have ever tasted. Seriously, I'm salivating just thinking about
it.
Machynlleth
is a charming town, full of lovely independent stores and a quite wonderful old
clock tower, which dominates the opening to the main thoroughfare. I've
previously written a post about the joys of Mach, so I won't go in to them
again here. However, I will say that there are many. And please don’t miss Wales’ MOMA, located
just off the main street, which is free of charge and absolutely
wonderful.
Cardiff, Glamorgan, South Wales:
Cardiff
is the capital city of Wales and is the seat of the Welsh Assembly
(Parliament). Sitting on the banks of the River Taff and Severn Estuary,
Cardiff is a wonderfully multicultural city with so much to offer.
Whether
you fancy checking out the unusual lines of the Senedd (Welsh Assembly); taking
in a game of football at the incredible Cardiff Stadium; to checking out the
Castle or one of the many museums on offer, or simply walking around the
pleasant green surroundings of Bute Park, you will not be at a loss for busy,
people filled streets or quiet, tranquil spots to relax. Me? I'll literally go
anywhere where there are actual Welsh people as they're always lots of
fun.
The
regenerated waterfront area is a hub of activity, with a range of options for
eating and drinking and is also home to the fabulous Millennium
Centre; which will
cater for all your concert and theatre going needs.
For
your inner geek, there’s a local Dr Who tour, since the BBC programme is filmed
in the city or, if art, geology and natural history are more to your liking,
you can while away the hours at the beautiful National
Museum in Cathays
Park. This is also free of charge.
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| Cardiff |
Brecon Beacon National Park:
Located
in South Wales, Brecon Beacons is a national park and mountain
range, which includes Wale’s highest peak, Pen y Fan. The
Brecons is one of three national parks in the nation and has also been awarded
Dark Sky Reserve status in 2013, making it only the fifth to gain the accolade
internationally. I think that means it’s
REALLY dark at night, but I could be wrong.
Much
like Snowdonia, Brecon NP is more than just mountains and green space – it also
incorporates towns and villages and all the local amenities that those
bring. If you want to get away from it
all, you can head off on one of a countless number of walking and hiking
trails, take your bike out for a ride, relax with a cold cider (a Welsh one,
obviously) in a local pub, or book yourself into a local hotel or B&B and
have more cider. The choice is yours.
Brecons
NP has a huge range of different festivals and events organised throughout the
calendar year, so there’s always something extra to enjoy on your visit
there.
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| Cardigan Bay |
Llandudno, Conwy – North Wales
On
the Creuddyn Peninsula of Conwy County, lies the gorgeous seaside town of Llandudno. Famous for its beautiful Grade 2 listed pier
and Great and Little Orme Railways, Llandudno has no shortage to of charm to
entice in visitors.
It
is a lovely town to wander aimlessly around, as I often do, and sit out at one
of the many independent coffee shops and boost your caffeine levels. When the weather is pleasant, as it often
is, sitting out at the patio area at the rear of Venue Cymru, with a cold
cider, looking out at the sea, is also a wise decision as the views are
fantastic.
If
shopping is more your thing, head to Mostyn Street, which is the main money
spending area in the town. There is a
great selection of independent stores and national brands to choose from.
My
favourite thing to do in Llandudno, however, is check out the Alice in
Wonderland Trail. Llandudno is famous
for its connections with the classic Lewis Carroll book and it is thought that
the author visited the town and drew inspiration from its surroundings.
Because
of the connection with the books, there is a trail around the town, where you
can grab a map (or download the app) and follow the White Rabbit trail. There are numerous statues, featuring all
the famous characters from Alice through the Looking Glass, including the White
Rabbit, Cheshire cat, Alice herself, and the ever terrifying Queen of
Hearts.
The
statues are outstanding; carved from wood by some incredibly talented
individuals with some really big chainsaws.
have YOU visited Wales yet? If not...why??
Suzanne x
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