Page 79 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

ENGLAND AND W ALES  77

Wales

Wales is a country of outstanding natural beauty, with varied
landscapes. Visitors come to climb dramatic mountain peaks,
walk in the forests, fish in the broad rivers, and enjoy the miles
of untainted coastline. The country’s many seaside towns have
long been popular with British vacationers. As well as outdoor
pursuits, there is the vibrancy of Welsh culture, with its strong
Celtic roots, to be experienced. The Welsh have their own
language, which has survived despite the
pervasive use of the English tongue.

marina and waterfront. Here,
the Pier Head Building,
constructed in 1896, is a
reminder of the city’s heyday. Snowdonia National Park, popular with
climbers and hikers
+ Cardiff Castle e Caernarfon
Castle St. Tel 029-2087 8100. Open
daily. Closed Jan 1, Dec 25–26. & 8 Gwynedd. * 10,000. @ n Castle St
- 7 limited. ∑ cardiffcastle.com (01286-672 232). ( Sat.

w Snowdonia One of the most famous castles
in Wales looms over this busy
Gwynedd. £ Betws-y-Coed. town, created after Edward I’s
n Station Road, Barmouth defeat of the last native Welsh
(01341-280 787). prince, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, in
1283. The town walls merge
Cardiff Castle’s clock tower, a 19th-century The scenery of Snowdonia with modern streets that spread
addition by architect William Burges National Park ranges from beyond the medieval center
q Cardiff rugged mountain country to and open into a market square.
Caernarfon Castle was built as
moors and beaches. The area is
Glamorgan. * 310,000. k £ @ well known as a destination for a seat of government for North
n The Hayes (029-2087 3573). _ hikers, and villages such as Wales. A UNESCO World Heritage
Cardiff Festival (Jul/Aug). Betws-y-Coed and Llanberis site, it contains several interesting
are busy hill-walking centers. displays, including the Royal
Cardiff was first occupied by the The main focus of this vast Welsh Fusiliers Museum and an
Romans, who built a fort here in area is Snowdon, which at exhibition tracing the history of
AD 75. In the 1830s, the town 1,085 m (3,560 ft) is the highest the Princes of Wales.
began to develop as a port, and peak in Wales. Hikers wishing to On the hill above the town
by 1913 it was the world’s explore Snowdonia’s peaks are the ruins of Segontium, a
leading coal exporter. should be wary of sudden Roman fort built around AD 78.
Confirmed as the Welsh capital weather changes. In summer,
in 1955, it is now devoted to less intrepid visitors can take the + Caernarfon Castle
commerce and administration. Snowdon Mountain Railway from Y Maes. Tel 01286-677 617. Open daily.
Cardiff Castle began as a Llanberis to Snowdon’s summit. Closed Jan 1, Dec 24–26. & 8
Roman fort. It was renovated in
the 19th century by William
Burges, who created an ornate
mansion rich in medieval
images and romantic detail.
Cardiff’s civic center is set
around Alexandra Gardens. The
Neoclassical City Hall (1905) is
dominated by its huge dome
and clock tower. Up on the first
floor, the Marble Hall is flush
with fine statues of prominent
Welsh figures.
To the south of the center, the
docklands have been trans-
formed by the creation of a Caernarfon Castle, one of the forbidding fortresses built by Edward I

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