The Best Attractions in North Wales | United Kingdom

Situated on its own peninsula on the coast of Snowdonia is the village of Portmeirion. The slightly eccentric Sir Clough Williams-Ellis built it over fifty years ago, some say his inspiration was the town of Portofino in Italy. Visitors can wander around the streets that have featured in some cult television programmes. Portmeirion has been a firm favourite with celebrities such as Ingrid Bergman, Paul McCartney and Gregory Peck. Jools Holland was so enthused by his visit to the village; he used it as his inspiration when building his recording studio at home.

Portmeirion fountain by William Warby

Twenty-five miles further north is Llanberis, home to the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Four miles of track wends its way from the station to the summit allowing for breath taking views of the scenery. The journey stops along the way so visitors can dismount and walk up to the peak or descend the gentler slopes. In high season the train completes the whole journey in two and half hours, in winter it only goes three quarters of the way up to Clogwyn. The visitor centre, Hafod Eryri offers passengers the opportunity to view a free film about the mountain and the history of the railway as well as refreshments and souvenirs.

Fantastic feats of engineering

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was built in the early 19th century to carry the Llangollen canal across the Valley of the River Dee. It was opened in 1805 at a cost of £42,000, which would equate to just under £3,000,000 in today’s money. Visitors can marvel at the aqueduct by either walking the span of the bridge along the towpath or travelling in style in a narrow boat. Young visitors can explore The Darkie, which is a tunnel under the bridge that lives up to its name and a torch is essential. It is no wonder that the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was given World Heritage Site by UNESCO, as it is a truly fantastic example of engineering from the Industrial Revolution.

Caernarfon Castle by Jandy Stone

Caernarfon Castle is a must see for young and old alike. Construction was started in the 13th Century by Edward I and is one of the most impressive medieval castles in the world. This is recognised by UNESCO that conferred World Heritage Status on it in 1986. Though never finished the construction is truly impressive. The castle has many towers and the most impressive of these has to be the Eagle Tower. It is hexagonal in shape and constructed with differing coloured stones to produce bands of decoration.

Fun for young and old

A fantastic place to visit for younger visitors is Anglesey Sea Zoo. It is privately owned and puts a great emphasis on conversation. The exhibits are divided into specialist areas such as the Kelp Forest that is teaming with sea life from around the coastal waters of Great Britain. After exploring the wonders of marine life, youngsters can expel their youthful energy outside. There is an enormous bouncy castle and a Pirates Playground. Adults and kids can compete to master Captain Jack’s Crazy Golf course or enjoy local ice cream from the area whilst admiring the views.

This guest post has been provided by Saul Malpass on behalf of the world heritage site, Pontycysyllte-aqueduct.

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Category: United Kingdom