12 Top-Rated

Tourist Attractions
in Wales
12. Llandudno

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 Dubbed the "Queen of the Welsh Resorts," Llandudno is the largest
seaside resort town in Wales. Located on the north coast with views across
the Irish Sea, this picture-perfect tourist destination lies between the Welsh
mainland and the Great Orme, a peninsula inhabited since the Stone Age.
The town's unique promenade is free of the usual seaside shops and cafés,
which were wisely placed behind the seafront to ensure Victorian visitors a
more peaceful experience. The best views of the town and its surrounds are
from the Great Orme, easily accessible by a heritage tramway. Well
connected by rail and road, Llandudno is a good base for touring Wales'
spectacular North Coast.

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 11. Anglesey

Separated from mainland Wales by the mile-wide Menai Strait - spanned by the
Menai Suspension Bridge (1818) - the Isle of Anglesey is home to a number of
quaint, small fishing villages sprinkled along its more than 100 miles of attractive
coastline. Along with its sandy beaches and landmarks such as South Stack
Lighthouse, the island's mild climate makes it popular for day trippers and campers
alike. The smaller Holy Island, linked to Anglesey by bridge, is a popular holiday
resort with two promenades (one of them 1.5 miles-long), while tiny Salt Island
offers great views and a chance for some bird watching. Finally, one of the world's
most famous photo ops is on the railway platforms of the town with the world's
longest place name:
“Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllandysiliogogogoch”.

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10. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal

It took 10 years to design and build the aqueduct that carries the
Llangollen Canal across the wide valley of the River Dee in north east
Wales, and it remains even today a feat of civil engineering, designated as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 18-arched bridge is built of stone and
cast iron, its arches soaring 100 feet above the river, and is more than 1,000
feet in length. In 1801, when the aqueduct was built, canals were an
important means of transport for manufactured goods and raw materials,
and aqueducts were a more efficient means of carrying them across deep
valleys than staircases of canal locks. This one is the longest navigable
aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest in the world. A narrow walkway
with a railing allows pedestrians to cross the bridge, but it's far more fun to
cross it on a canal boat. It's not for those with acrophobia, as the boat sits
high on the shallow canal, and it's a long way down to the river. For a less
vertigo-inducing ride, horse-drawn canal boats take tourists on a tree-
shaded stretch of the canal from nearby Llangollen Wharf.

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9. Bodnant Garden
A National Trust property, Bodnant Garden is one of the most beautiful
gardens in Britain, created over many years by generations of the McLaren
family and brought to its present heights by the 2nd Lord Aberconway.
Highlights of the spectacular gardens are the grand formal terraces,
overlooking views across the River Conwy to Snowdonia, and the famous
Laburnum Arch. This curved walk of about 50 yards is covered with
laburnum, whose abundant, long blossoms cover it in cascades of yellow in
late May and early June. Spring is also when the Dell, a deep valley where
trees tower above streams, is abloom with rhododendrons. But the wide
variety of flowering plants assures that the gardens are filled with color
throughout the whole season. Among the trees are 40 UK Champion Trees,
judged the best examples of their kind in Britain. The elegant Georgian Pin
Mill was moved here from Gloucestershire.

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8. Portmeirion

Portmeirion is a beautiful hotel resort and visitor attraction on the coast of

Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, North Wales. Built by Sir Clough
Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975, Portmeirion was designed to
resemble a quaint Italian fishing village. Visitors staying overnight get the
whole place to themselves once the gates are closed, when they can explore
its beautiful gardens, fountains, church, and the coastal paths of the lower
village. This has been the location for numerous films and TV programs,
including the 1960s cult show, “The Prisoner".

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7. Pembrokeshire Coast

Surrounded by water on three sides, Wales has more than its fair share
of dramatic coastline. Some of the most imposing is to be found along the
coast of the Pembrokeshire Peninsula, which juts out into the Irish Sea. You
can explore it on foot along the dramatic Pembrokeshire Coast National
Trail, finding villages like the picturesque little resort of Tenby, still partially
enclosed by its medieval walls. Other Pembrokeshire coast highlights are
Pembroke Castle, St. David's Cathedral (in the town of the same name), and
idyllic fishing harbors such as Laugharne, where Welsh poet Dylan Thomas
lived for much of his life; his boathouse home above the bay is now a
museum. As elsewhere in Wales, adventurous travelers can find unique
places to stay, including classic old farm cottages, gypsy caravans, or
vintage railcars.

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6. Conwy

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 On the north coast of Wales, just a short distance from Manchester,
Conwy offers something for everyone: a stunning castle, medieval
architecture, and plenty of shopping. The best views of Conwy Castle and
River Conwy, with its suspension bridge designed by Thomas Telford, are
from the 13th-century town walls built by King Edward I to keep the Welsh
at bay. The National Trust's Aberconwy House is Conwy's only surviving
14th-century merchant's house and one of the first buildings constructed
inside the town walls. Other interesting homes are the Elizabethan Plas
Mawr, and the Smallest House in Great Britain.

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5. Caernarfon Castle

Built by King Edward I in the 13th century as a seat for the first Prince of
Wales, Caernarfon Castle is one of the largest castles in the country. With its
13 towers and two gates, this massive castle is recognized as one of the
most impressive and best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe.
Occupying the site of an even older Norman castle, Caernarfon Castle
dominates the waters of the River Seiont and the Menai Strait on one side
and is protected by a moat on the other. Its royal heritage continues to this
day, and in 1969, it was the scene of Prince Charles's investiture as Prince of
Wales.

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4. Wales by Rail

Wales was once famous for its mining operations, in particular the
mining of slate used for the roofing still so common here. While the
majority of these mines and quarries have closed, the narrow-gauge
railways used to shift goods (and later, Victorian-era tourists) around the
country have been restored and now provide scenic excursions. More than
10 heritage railway lines reach some of the most popular landmarks,
including mountains, seaside towns, and castles, simply by jumping on a
steam train. Many of the bigger lines, such as the 14 mile-long Ffestiniog
Railway running through Snowdonia National Park, offer unique train
driving courses and volunteer opportunities to add to the experience.

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3. Devil's Bridge and the Hafod Estate

Located 12 miles from the seaside town of Aberystwyth, Devil's Bridge is

actually three bridges spectacularly stacked atop each other, with the oldest
dating from the 11th century and the newest built in 1901. They span the
Rheidol Gorge, where the River Mynach plunges 300 feet into the valley
far below. Follow the Falls Nature Trail to the bottom. It's a bit of a climb
back up - especially those steep, slippery steps of Jacob's Ladder, the
segment leading to the oldest bridge - but the views are incredible.

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2. Brecon Beacons National Park

Brecon Beacons National Park encompasses one of the most beautiful

parts of Wales. This hiker's paradise is bordered by two quite different sets
of Black Mountains. The first, to the west, is the source of the River Usk,
while to the east is the range famous for its wild ponies. Most of the
mountains in this 520-square-mile park are higher than 1,000 feet, many in
excess of 2,000 feet, and are named after the red sandstone that causes them
to resemble the beacons of light once used to warn of invaders. Be sure to
explore the park's many caves and waterfalls, especially Henrhyd Falls at
Coelbren. Just outside the park, near Abergavenny, you can tour a coal mine
at Big Pit National Coal Museum.

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 1. Snowdonia

The smallest of mainland Britain's component countries, Wales offers

many wonderful reasons to visit. The south includes cosmopolitan Cardiff,
a good base from which to begin exploring the rest of the country. With its
splendid castle, arcades, and historic buildings, it's a city with plenty of
places to visit and things to do. When you're ready to venture further afield,
you'll find an abundance of attractions, including more than 400 castles and
fortifications, gardens, breathtaking scenery, and heritage railways.
However you decide to spend your time in Wales, rest assured you're in
good hands; the Welsh are some of the most interesting, easygoing people
you'll find anywhere.

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