Destination overview

The spirit of the Welsh people is the country’s defining feature. For its entire history, Wales has struggled against waves of invaders who have sought to conquer its people; but, as the invaders found out, it’s a country that just won’t lie down. Today the spirit of Wales is stronger than ever. Welsh arts, film and rock music have taken the world by storm. The new Wales is a vibrant place where history is alive and Welsh culture finds new forms of expression and where the mix of defiant tradition and new world sophistication is one of Wales’ greatest assets.

The male voice choirs may still keep a welcome place in the valleys, but an alternative culture flourishes in urban hubs, like in Cardiff where a healthy dose of hedonism oozes from gourmet kitchens and hip hotels and a strong motif of environmental awareness underpins the country’s forward-looking perspective. Wales remains a superb outdoors location, so grab your hiking boots or a mountain bike and head to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park with its stunning scenery and coastal trail, or lose yourself in the pounding surf, sweeping beaches and limestone cliffs of the Gower Peninsula.

You can tour villages with tongue-twisting names before settling down in a cosy pub with a pint of local ale in Brecon Beacons, or join the adrenaline junkies in a quest for the ultimate adventure in Llandudno – all done Welsh style.

Wales is a place that welcomes its visitors back year after year with its friendly locals, fine food, remarkable landscapes, white-knuckle adventures and admirably green credentials.

Cardiff

Cardiff is a city proud of its culture, history and language that has undergone a fascinating journey over the last 2,000 years. You can discover Cardiff's progress from a small settlement, to the world's busiest port, to the modern capital city it is today.

Cardiff is a city of attractions, sport, culture and entertainment. Within the few square miles of the city centre alone, you'll find a wealth of things to do, whatever your tastes, and in the surrounding areas, you'll find everything from abseiling to whisky tasting.

With world-class attractions which draw people from all over the United Kingdom and overseas, you'll be spoilt for choice in Cardiff. Choose from historic houses and castles or wildlife and water sports. As a host of Olympic football during the 2012 games, Cardiff has notched up a fine reputation as a sporting capital thanks to the quality of the events and facilities.

You'll find a lively entertainment scene in and around Cardiff which features opera, ballet, musicals and live music from world-class acts. From traditional to the ground-breaking modern venues seating thousands to cosy intimate spaces, Cardiff can satisfy every taste.

Swansea

Dylan Thomas called Swansea an “ugly, lovely town” and that remains a fair description today. Wales’ second-largest city enjoys a stunning setting on the 5-mile sweep of Swansea Bay, but its town centre is not what you might expect, the result of unimaginative rebuilding after WWII bombing. In the National Waterfront Museum, the city has one of the most exciting museum developments in Britain, as well as a superb Dylan Tho¬mas Centre, a long seafront stretching down to the picturesque suburb of the Mumbles, and the glorious Gower Peninsula on its doorstep.

Bangor

Bangor is one of the campus centres of the University of Wales and the town’s population practically doubles during term time when an influx of 12, 000-plus students make this one of the most important centres of learning in Wales.

Bangor is a major transport hub, however, with a raft of onward connections to Anglesey and Snowdonia, making it a useful place to break your journey before continuing onwards. The first settlement of Bangor was probably a monastery established in 525AD by St Deiniol, and the small, lopsided, proud cathedral named after him is the town’s main attraction today. Bangor was also a popular destination in Victorian times and retains lots of solid red brick buildings from that period, particularly on the waterside bluffs, where a fanciful pier – wrought-iron, turreted and long, stretches out into the Menai Strait.

Llandudno

Llandudno is Wales’ largest, thriving seaside resort. The twin humps of the ancient mountains, the Great Orme and Little Orme, loom over the graceful Victorian wedding-cake architecture of the seafront buildings that line the sweeping prom for a full mile. The town seethes with tourists of all ages in summer and is now increasingly attracting a new generation of adventure seekers throughout the year with the West Shore developing as a centre for extreme sports. The town also makes a good base for walkers, as it is only 27 miles from Llandudno to Llanberis at the foot of Mt Snowdon.

Developed as an upmarket Victorian holiday town, it has retained much of its 19th Century atmosphere. In the town itself, a host of new restaurants have helped to bolster Llandudno’s upmarket aspirations.

Brecon

The handsome stone market town of Brecon stands at the meeting of the River Usk and the River Honddu and today it’s the main transport hub for the National Park and a natural base for exploring the surrounding countryside.

An Iron Age hill fort on Pen-y-Crug, north-west of town, and the remains of a Roman camp at Y Gaer, to the west, testifies to the site’s antiquity. After the Romans, the area was ruled by the Irish-born King Brychan who married into a Welsh royal house in the 5th Century. The town takes its name from him, and his kingdom, Brycheiniog (anglicised to Brecknock), gave its name to the old county of Brecknockshire.

Brecon Beacons National Park

The grassy, heather-clad mountains of the Brecon Beacons National Park have been moulded by nearly eight millennia of human activity. Today, this is a fantastic place for an activity holiday, with superb walking, mountain biking and horse riding trails, caves, forests and a historic canal, plus characterful towns, pubs, farmers markets and Michelin-starred restaurants. And, it’s less than 30 miles from Cardiff and 100 miles from Birmingham.
From the depths of its limestone caves to the grandeur of Pen y Fan and Cribyn, its highest peaks, there’s plenty to explore in this gem of a National Park.
Other attractions that you won’t want to miss on your visit to Wales include a tour of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales’ national stadium and the third largest stadium in Britain; and Cardiff Castle which is home to 2,000 years of history and sits right in the middle of the capital city.

Snowdonia National Park is the largest National Park in Wales where you can experience the best of the Welsh countryside. With 100 lakes, 37 miles of pristine coastline and beaches, moors and wetlands and 90 mountain peaks, including Mount Snowdon, the tallest mountain in Wales, there’s plenty to do.

St David is the patron saint of Wales, and St David’s Cathedral is one of the great historic shrines of Christendom. It’s here that St David’s remains are buried and it has become a popular place of pilgrimage. It is situated in the city of St Davids in the county of Pembrokeshire.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct towers 126 feet above the River Dee and is a 200 year-old engineering marvel as well as Britain’s newest World Heritage Site. Hop on a traditional narrow boat on the Llangollen Canal and you’ll soon find yourself taking in some of the best views in Wales as you cross the aqueduct.

Walking Pembrokeshire Coast Path is another must-do with its 186 miles of coastline to discover, and don’t forget to go surfing on the Gower Peninsula, whose intricate coastline produces a wave in all tides and winds.

With so much to do in Wales, and with its easy accessibility to England, there’s no excuse not to visit this interesting, historic and inspiring country.