Explore the Land of Saints and Songs
CREOSO Y CYMRU! As soon as you cross the border, you know you are welcome in Wales. Here, Celtic identity can be felt in the history, in the language, in the music and in the national soul. The “essential” Wales has many faces, from the early Celtic saints to the distinctive coal-mining heritage of The Valleys. Here are 10 destination-worthy adventures to experience those many faces.
1. ST. FAGANS NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM
This is where to get the overview of Wales. The award-winning open air museum gathers scores of buildings reconstructed from across the country, and millennia of history, to tell the story. Plan half a day at least immersed in Wales’ past.
2. ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL
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Visit Britain’s smallest cathedral city—not much more village with 1,500 souls. Wales’ patron saint, David, built his monastery here in the 6th century. Wales’ “spiritual home”, the Norman cathedral contains the saint’s remains. Next door, see the ruins of the once ornate 13th-century Bishop’s Palace.
3. VALE OF CONWY
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The valley and estuary of the River Conwy offer a rare concentration of riches. Visit mighty Conwy Castle and its ancient walled town, seaside resort Llandudno and the headland of Great Orme. Follow the river inland to Bodnant Gardens (among Britain’s most glorious), and into the mountains at Betws-y-Coed.
4. TINTERN ABBEY
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Tucked in the lower Wye Valley, the dramatic ruins of the wealthiest Cistercian abbey in Wales sit romantic and ethereal, as evocative now as they were to William Wordsworth two centuries ago. A few miles down the road, get the rest of the Why Valley story at Chepstow Castle.
5. RHONDDA HERITAGE PARK
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Most famous of the South Wales coal valleys, The Rhonda is the epitome of How Green Was My Valley. At the Lewis Merthyr Colliery just above Pontypridd, the Heritage Park not only “takes you down the pit,” but unpacks the Valleys’ history and way of life. Drive the valley and attend rehearsal of a Welsh Male Voice Choir.
6. VALE OF LLANGOLLEN
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Follow the A5 into the Cambrian Mountains the small market town of Llangollen, home of the annual International Eisteddfed. Take a boat ride on the Llangollen Canal to Pontcysyllte Aqusduct, longest in the world, or a scenic ride on the Llangollen Railway; visit Vale Crucis Abbey and Plas Newydd. Magical.
7. PORTMEIRION AND CAERNARFON CASTLE
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It’s Snowdonia; head for Porthmadog on the western coast. Visit (or stay at) the Italianate fantasy village of Portmeirion, and ride the narrow-gauge Ffestiniog railway into the slate valleys of Bleaneu Ffestioniog; prowl nearby Caernarfon Castle, where the Prince of Wales is invested.
8. CARDIFF CASTLE
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Climb the medieval keep for views of the Welsh capital, but it’s the Victorian fantasy palace of the Marquess of Bute that’s the real treasure—a unique and colorful blend of imagination expressed in interior design. Visit the National Museum and Cardiff Bay while you’re in the neighborhood.
9. HAY-ON-WYE
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The small Wye Valley town has gained a worldwide reputation for its books. Some three dozen secondhand bookstores, from small specialized shops to a huge converted cinema, fill the commercial streets. The rest of the pretty village is devoted to services for the hoards of visitors that materialize each day by the car and coach load.
10. CAERPHILLY CASTLE
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One of Britain’s largest castles and greatest castle visits, Caerphilly Castle dominates the south Wales market town near Cardiff. Go fishing in the moat, play with the massive medieval siege engines in the Outer Bailey, clamber the walls for views out over the town: Caerphilly’s got it all—including the famous local cheese.
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