Travel Guide Portmeirion

Portmeirion, with its papier-mâché appearance, is a masterpiece by Welsh artist Sir Clough Williams Ellis, who wanted to realize his ideal village on a romantic coastline and prove that "developing a naturally beautiful site does not necessarily mean destroying it". In the ancient kingdom of his ancestors, he transformed the Aber Lâ peninsula into an Italian village, a life's work that took him half a century to complete (1926-1976). The result is an unreal village in a region of myths and legends. In addition to the architecture, Sir Clough took great pains to recreate the Mediterranean flora. If, in winter, the snow and immaculate silence of the Italian village are perhaps even more marvellous, in summer the bushes are adorned with flowers in shades of white and pink, from bright to pastel. In May and June, hundreds of rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias encircle secret paths that seem to wander off. At the end of the quay, on the Traeth Bach estuary, a stone boat christened "Les Amis Réunis".But Portmeirion is also the setting for one of the most enigmatic soap operas in British TV history. For those who don't know the words "Bonjour chez vous!" and "Je ne suis pas un numéro!" - in other words, for all those who haven't seen any of the seventeen episodes of the cult series The Prisoner- Portmeirion will remain a decidedly curious destination: a village born of the mad dream of a visionary architect, the masterpiece of a journeyman town planner, and the challenge of a builder learning to adapt to nature while at the same time adapting it to him. For other fans, an excursion across the Traeth Bach estuary on Tremadog Bay is a veritable pilgrimage. Here, loudspeakers play the show's eerie music over and over again, while in the Town Hall, episodes are broadcast and scenes such as the "chess game" - with human pieces - are faithfully recreated. At the traditional August gathering, a fan is entrusted with the role of "Number 6" (played in the soap opera by its writer and director Patrick Mac Gohan): the reconstituted village can thus come back to life, because as enthusiasts know, only the presence of Number 6 ensures the cohesion of this micro-society and the survival of the village. The village is renowned for its luxury hotel, but also for its fine porcelain; Sir Clough's daughter began production in 1960. The pieces are no longer made in the village, but continue to bear his name. Enjoy your visit to this jewel of whimsical architecture!