Tourist Attractions & Monuments Wales

Built on the foundations of a 13th century fortified house, this Edwardian castle with its four round towers and imposing battlements, built by Sir John Wogan, was occupied by the same family for over 700 years. Picton Castle is one of the most important historic houses in Wales. It is surrounded by sixteen hectares of magnificent wooded and flowered gardens with a beautiful collection of rhododendrons. For information, the castle can only be visited by guided tours. Possibility to visit the gardens (for a fee) every day, all year round.

To the north of the village, a 13th century medieval castle - now private property - built by the de Vale family, the descendants of a knight who had accompanied Martin de Tours, the invader from North Pembrokeshire. This castle was one of Henri Tudor's first captures with 4,000 men and 55 ships. Then Henri Tudor will head east, crossing Wales towards England. From there, on August 22nd, he defeated Richard III of England before being crowned king and becoming Henry VII.

Trefriw's extraordinary location has led to the creation of 8 hiking routes from the village. These have really been designed to let you discover the most beautiful aspects of the surrounding nature.

A one-hour tour takes you along the Conwy River. Another one takes you in 30 minutes to the river Crafnant. You can also reach the lake of the same name, reputed to be one of the most beautiful in the area, in 3 hours of walking. One of the routes also leads to the Snowdonia Park and offers splendid views of the valley.

Three miles of sandy beach. The promenade along the dunes sometimes seems a little haunted by the long row of rather gloomy buildings that line it. Numerous opportunities for water sports: canoeing, sailing, fishing, jet-skiing and windsurfing, or simply swimming, there's something for everyone. Hotels and campsites all along the seafront welcome you to make the most of this pleasant beach. We recommend that you visit in fine weather, as most of the nearby establishments are closed in winter.

Beautiful church. The main tower dates from the 6th century and was built by the Normans, while the rest of the building dates from the 15th century. Celtic chiefs and priests were of equal status and it was customary for the chief to give the priest a piece of land with a stream or other watercourse as a boundary, to build a church on. It's the case at Nevern.

In the church is the "Vitalianus Stone" (a tablet dating from the ^5th century with inscriptions in Ogham, an old Celtic alphabet of Irish origin, and in Latin)

Magnificent marine reserve, a refuge for thousands of wading. One of the largest bogs in Britain. Possibility to walk in the dunes and bathe in the estuary. Three paths with information panels are offered. During the summer, volunteers organize different guided walks.

Opened in 1896 to take tourists to the Luna Park amusement park, which was located at the top of the hill, the funicular now leads to a giant optical instrument, the camera obscura, accessible to the public, to the Y Consti restaurant and above all to a magnificent panorama. This 237-metre funicular line is one of the longest in the British Isles. Clearly an must if you are visiting Aberystwyth or nearby! Frequent departures but remember to check the dates and schedules carefully, especially in winter.

Andrew Logan's sculptures live, sing, dance and shine. Andrew Logan, who lives in London, draws inspiration from his travels around the world to compose his very eccentric works, which one does not expect to see in this small village. His famous jewellery (worn in the American Sex in the City series) can be purchased in the museum shop. During the summer, workshops for adults and children: creation of jewellery, stickers, T-shirts..

Walks along the Severn River, bordered by parks and valleys. You can walk along the Montgomery Canal to Welshpool. We pass the picturesque villages of Berriew and Abermule where it is possible to take a coffee break or jump on the bus or train to save some time or return. Alternatively, you can go as far as Llanidloes, through green valleys dotted with small farms. From this village, which can be reached by bus from Newtown, another tour begins that leads to Severn-Break-its-Neck Falls, a picturesque waterfall.

Overlooking the beach, this former restaurant has been a museum since 1995. It shows models of ships and photographs relating to the city's maritime past. In particular, about the 1,000 or so shipwrecks that have occurred in the surrounding area. The museum also retraces, through panels and artefacts, the history of the site since its occupation by the Romans. It has also taken advantage of its location, ideal for creating a pleasant terrace from which one can contemplate the sea while having a drink on a sunny day.

A Visitor Center has been opened to provide information on walks along the canal. Maps and suggested walks are available. The center also organizes boat cruises and provides information on the flora and fauna through educational displays. For example, the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Walk - a circular tour - takes you along the picturesque route of a former railroad line. Allow around 2 or 3 hours.

Lligwy Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age tomb, dominated by a massive stone estimated at 25 tons, on a small path leading out of the village.

A little further on is Din Lligwy, the ruins of an ancient village dating from the Roman Empire. The walls of the huts are still visible. In the field next door, Capel Lligwy is still standing: chapel from the first half of the 12th century. The tomb is not a visit in itself, there is not much to see but it is a very nice walk that awaits you, where you can discover these ruins.

Caernarfon Castle was built between 1283 and 1330 by Edward I to consolidate his military advance. He wanted to make the castle a mixture of styles, combining the walls of Constantinople, hence its unusual polygonal towers, and Roman grandeur.

Classified by UNESCO in 1985, Caernarfon is one of the best preserved castles in the country, but also one of the largest medieval castles in the world!

A strategic and political location, it was here in 1969 that the nomination of the candidate for the crown, Charles, son of Elizabeth II, as Prince of Wales, took place. Since 1282, when the English defeated Llywelyn the Last, the last "Welsh" prince, the title of Prince of Wales has become that of the aspirant to the British Crown. This custom and title can be traced back to Edward I of England, who promised the Welsh that he would give them a prince who was born in Wales and did not speak English. Edward II, born in Caernarfon, spoke neither English nor Welsh. It was not until 1911 that Lloyd George, the Welsh Prime Minister, demanded that the nomination be held in Wales, in Caernarfon. In the castle is exposed the throne specially designed for the occasion, as well as a specimen of a chair and everything that was made for the ceremony.

Giant playground, the castle of Caernarfon can be discovered through towers and underground passages, cul-de-sacs, ramparts, spiral staircases? Also don't miss the Castle Museum and the Royal Wales Rifle Museum.

It is the most impressive Norman fortress ruin in the valley and the first stone castle built in the United Kingdom. Following the victory of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, became King of England and organized the defence of his new territory. Hereford County was entrusted to William Fitz-Osbern, who had the first building of Chepstow Castle built to counter the Welsh attacks: the Great Tower, now at the centre of the overall structure. In 1189, the building passed into the hands of William Marshal. This knight, renowned for his military knowledge, had defensive walls added on either side of the Great Tower, which corresponded to the castle's current enclosure. The entrance was built under his reign, flanked by round towers, a revolutionary detail at a time when the towers were square. The impressive oak doors, also built by Marshal, are the oldest castle doors in Europe!

The Marten's Tower was added between 1285 and 1293, under the reign of Roger Bigod. The castle houses a museum that reconstructs the entire history of the building, particularly through its constant architectural improvements, from a defensive point of view. It is considered by specialists as exemplary in this respect, having always known how to adapt to new attack techniques and often in an innovative way. Aesthetically, it is a pleasure to walk through the impressive volumes of the fortress and contemplate the river.

One of the three Cistercian abbeys of the country and which has inspired many artists. William Wordsworth wrote in Lines Composed A Few Miles above Tintern Abbey: "Five years have passed; five summers as long / Only five endless winters! And again I hear / These waters that roll from the springs of the mountains / With a soft earthly murmur. - Again / I can admire these high escarpments / Which in this wild and almost deserted place give birth / The idea of greater solitude, and unite / The landscape to the peace of heaven. - The Day / It came for me to calm down again."

The abbey was built in 1131 by the Cistercian order and was, until 1536, the place of retreat for monks. The site, surrounded by wooded valleys and on the other by the river, proved to be favourable to their desire to return to the monastic precepts of Saint Benedict, isolating themselves to reject all forms of material temptation and seek spiritual peace.

Today, we drive under majestic arches in the open air, in a superb natural setting, to the delight of the eyes. Tintern is one of the few abbeys to have been preserved during the war led by Edward II. Today, the abbey still has the 72-metre-long Gothic church, the ruins of the domestic quarters and the novice hall. The abbots were often buried in the church, some tombstones still remain. Although in ruins, Tintern remains the best preserved medieval abbey in the country and is worth a visit.

The National Museum of the Roman Legion is located inside the remains of the fortress, built in 75 AD and which protected the region for more than 200 years. Caerleon was then known as "Isca". We discover the history of the powerful Roman Empire through reconstructions and the exhibition of objects resulting from archaeological excavations, bringing together weapons and domestic objects. An interesting and free visit!

The origins of this architectural treasure lie in a Roman fort built over 2,000 years ago. The Romans had erected fortifications to make Cardiff a naval base and trading post. In the ^11th century, the Normans used the Roman walls as foundations to build their own fortress. And finally, after several changes of ownership, in the ^18th century Cardiff Castle became the property of Wales' best-known family, the Bute family. At the end of the ^19th century, the third Marquess of Bute, reputed to be the richest man in Europe at the time, reinvented Cardiff Castle with the help of architect William Burges (1827-1881). The combination of these two men, a young polyglot with a passion for the natural sciences and an extravagant architect with a love of the Middle Ages, led to the creation of a castle unlike any other in the area. The style is marked by medieval characteristics, with an abundance of gold, raspberry and duck blue, a mix of genres and inscriptions in Greek, Hebrew and Latin. The nursery, whose tiled walls illustrate thirty children's stories, from Robin Hood to Sleeping Beauty, is a marvel. Each room has a different style; from the patio, a pale copy of Pompeii, to the winter salon, the only constant is the repetition of images and paintings of parrots, Burges' favorite animal. Discover these wonders on a guided tour, which we strongly recommend you take.

The ironworks opened its doors in 1789, for another revolution... It is now one of the best preserved forges in Europe. We visit its huge furnaces that were powered by coal. It is also a whole living environment that we discover: an information centre houses models that provide an overview of the site's structure and internal organization. Photographs and press clippings from the period also provide information on the fate of these pioneers of the industrial revolution.

Built for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, on the site of the old Arms Park sports arena, this is a mythical stadium for the Welsh! Imposing and modern, it is the second largest stadium in the world to feature a fully retractable roof. Since January^1, 2016, and for the next ten years, the Millennium Stadium has been renamed Principality Stadium, after the Cardiff-based Principality Building Society. The Welsh rugby union has signed a naming contract (a kind of sponsorship) worth £15 million. This huge modern saucer can accommodate up to 74,500 spectators!
Rugby matches are the most impressive international events. You've got to see Cardiff on the day of a national rugby team match! You can feel the Welsh fervor in the streets as the day progresses. There are also soccer matches, motorcycle rallies, car races and concerts that attract huge crowds. The program is extensive and exhaustive. It is published on the stadium's website.

Visit Principality Stadium: home of the "Red Devils". It's possible (and highly recommended!) to explore this magnificent stadium, one of the most impressive icons of modern Wales, with a visit to the press conference room, VIP lounge, changing rooms, players' tunnel to the "sacred turf"... Impressive!

Owned by the National Trust, Mwnt is often considered one of the ten most beautiful hidden beaches in Europe. Even off the beaten track, this family-friendly beach can be packed with visitors in summer. It's also a destination where you can take a cliff walk along the signposted Foel y Mwnt path, overlooking the sheltered sandy cove, and visit a ^13th-century church. Out of season, when there's no one around, the beach is extremely pleasant and offers a very relaxing atmosphere in which to contemplate the ocean.