2017 visitwales.com This is Wales. 02–03 This is Wales Wales. visitwales.com Year of Legends 2017 04–37 38–81 82–91 This is Wales. Travel Handbook. Useful Information. This is Wales. In 2017 we’re celebrating our epic But where to begin? To get you started, By this point in the magazine you’re past, present and future like never here are 20 places to visit in Wales in completely sold on Wales, right? 04 Land of Legends before, with attractions, events 2017. Think of it as a taster-menu of So you’re going to need some advice 08 Epic Thinking and activities at legendary locations towns and cities, and their surrounding on how to get here and finding your 12 Major Events across Wales. We’re immersing visitors areas, ranging from the wonderful Isle way around. Here’s all the essential 14 Castle Country in our epic story, and making new of Anglesey to the buzz and bustle info about our 13 distinct holiday areas, 16 Coast legendary experiences. This is our of Cardiff, Europe’s youngest capital travelling to / around Wales, and how 20 Time Travel Year of Legends. And while we’re city. In between, there’s enough coast, to make sure you’re booking the best 24 Big Country a land of castles and King Arthur, countryside and mountain to keep you accommodation. We’ll give you a crash 28 Food & Drink we’re also pretty nifty at high adventure exploring for... well, forever. course in our lovely Welsh language, 32 Events Diary and global events. Above all, Wales is We’ve suggested places to eat, and explain what all those names a great place to enjoy here and now. drink, play and stay, but there are many on the signposts actually mean. This year we’re creating new legends. others. Handily, they’re all on our website: And finally, you’ll be needing a map. Travel Handbook. Come and find yours. visitwales.com. Sorted. This magazine is also available in Welsh and German. 38 Where to start... Visit Wales cannot guarantee the accuracy or reliability of the information in this publication and hereby 40 Betws-y-Coed disclaim any responsibility for any error, omission 42 Beaumaris or misrepresentation. To the fullest extent permitted 44 Conwy by law all liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on the information 46 Blaenau Ffestiniog contained in this guide is excluded. You are advised 48 Abersoch to check all details and information with the business concerned before confirming a reservation. 50 Denbigh All rights reserved. Material in this publication must 52 Machynlleth not be reproduced in any form without permission 54 Aberystwyth from the copyright owners – please contact Visit Wales. Opinions expressed in This is Wales are not necessarily 56 Llandrindod Wells those of Visit Wales. 58 Cardigan This is Wales is published by Visit Wales, the Tourism 60 St Davids and Marketing division of the Welsh Government 2016. 62 Tenby Visit Wales, Welsh Government, QED Centre, Main Avenue, 64 Laugharne Treforest Industrial Estate, Treforest, Pontypridd CF37 5YR. 66 Llandeilo Print ISBN: 978-1-4734-7822-0 68 Brecon Digital ISBN: 978-1-4734-7821-3 Managing Editor: Iestyn George. 70 Abergavenny Editor: Charles Williams. 72 Merthyr Tydfil Contributors: Caroline Davies, Ben Miller, 74 Swansea Ceri Cunnington, Iwan Edwards, Rachel Atherton, Julia Horton-Powdrill, Luke Hemfrey, Anand George. 76 Cowbridge Designed by Departures. 78 Cardiff Printed by Deltor Communications Ltd. Photography: Crown copyright (2016) Visit Wales. Other photographic sources are credited throughout. Cover illustration: Tamer Koseli. Useful Information. We want people to have amazing experiences in Wales. If you’re heading for the hills, read up on local advice. 82 Meet our holiday areas If you’re hitting the beach, check the tides. If you’re clipping onto a 100mph (161km/h) zip wire, take advice from the 84 Getting to Wales instructors. They know their stuff. It’s common sense, really. 86 Getting around Wales So come and enjoy, stay safe… and #FindYourEpic. 88 Further information and FAQs 90 Map of Wales This publication is also available in Braille, large-format print, and / or audio from Visit Wales. [email protected] Miner’s Track beside Llyn Llydaw, WG30055 Crown copyright 2017, Welsh Government Crib Goch, Snowdonia 04–05 This is Wales Wales. Yes, it’s is an ancient landscape, with history visitwales.com and myth wherever you look. It’s a land of majestic mountains and mighty skies, fringed with a famously beautiful coastline. We speak a language that’s a living link with King Arthur. But it’s also a land of epic thinking and high adventure. Everywhere you go, there are bright new ideas, in very old places. Land of Legends. Blue Lagoon, Abereiddy Image courtesy of Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. 06–07 This is Wales visitwales.com Land of Legends 01 Legends old and new. There are historical stories associated with just about every lake, rock and hill in Wales. There are modern Welsh legends too – people who have 03 enriched the world with invention and creativity. Here are just a few of our favourites. The red dragon Carn Ingli It’s everywhere you look in Wales: the red The ‘mountain of angels’ has panoramic dragon has been a symbol of Wales for views of both the Pembrokeshire coast and 2,000 years, the banner of Celtic tribes, Preseli Hills, from where the bluestones Welsh princes and Tudor kings. Legend that helped to build Stonehenge came. speaks of an epic battle between a red and white dragon beneath a castle, while Principality Stadium historians point to the Romans. Either way, it’s a very pretty flag. Okay, the stadium has been rebuilt. But THE RED 04 this is still the hallowed ground on which St Dwynwen Gareth Edwards scored THAT try for the DRAGON Barbarians against New Zealand in 1973, Princess Dwynwen was unlucky in and where Welsh football legend Ian Rush HAS BEEN A love, so became a nun and prayed for scored his iconic goal in 1991 when Wales young lovers to have better luck than beat World Champions Germany. she did. And so St Dwynwen became SYMBOL OF the Welsh patron saint of lovers, whose Modern greats day we honour every year on 25 January. WALES FOR Llanddwyn Island on Anglesey is Welsh men and women have made a magical spot where you can visit the a big impact on world culture. Actors 2,000 YEARS. beautiful ruins of Llanddwyn Church. like Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones, singers St David Sir Tom Jones and Dame Shirley Bassey, and Paralympic legend Dame Tanni St David’s Day, 1 March, is a big deal in Grey-Thompson. Literary giants Dylan Wales, and we celebrate our patron saint Thomas and Roald Dahl, fashion icon in school eisteddfodau, concerts and Laura Ashley, the philosopher Bertrand street parades. St David was a 5th-century Russell – and 16 signatories of the US bishop who founded the present-day Declaration of Independence were 02 05 cathedral in Pembrokeshire and several of Welsh descent. monasteries in Wales and Brittany. Legends in the making King Arthur A new generation of Welsh men and Legend has it that Arthur was a British women have taken to the global stage. warrior who fought the invading Saxons Actors Michael Sheen, Matthew Rhys, around AD500. Within a few hundred Ioan Gruffudd, Iwan Rheon and Erin years, he was being celebrated in Welsh Richards. Bryn Terfel, the finest bass poems and folk legends, acquiring a baritone of the modern era. Sports stars Owain Glyndŵr led a major supernatural sidekick, Merlin the wizard. like Gareth Bale, Jade Jones and Sir Dave rebellion in 1400–1415. Brailsford. The designer Bethan Gray Owain Glyndŵr and CERN physicist Lyn Evans. Experts in their field, every one. The warrior prince, immortalised in 01 Caerphilly Castle Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1, led the 02 Llanddwyn Island 03 Dame Shirley Bassey last major rebellion against the English 04 Designer Bethan Gray in the early 1400s, before mysteriously 05 Principality Stadium, Cardiff vanishing. Dame Shirley Bassey by Popperfoto / Getty Images. 08–09 This is Wales visitwales.com Take a piece of Wales, add a splash of imagination, and make something amazing. Where nature has given us mountains, cliffs and forests, we’ve made adventure playgrounds. There are ancient mazes, woodland music festivals, races up (and down) our tallest mountains… Our ideas get bigger and bolder every year. Now, people from all over the world come to fly along the world’s fastest zip wire over an old slate quarry and ride perfect waves down a Welsh valley. Here is a taster of the countless E pic adventures you can enjoy in Wales. Thinking. 01— 04— Zip World Bounce Below Ex-Royal Marine Commando Sean Taylor In a cathedral-sized slate cavern in and his team have created 11 adventures North Wales, three layers of bouncy in three wonderful locations in North cargo nets are connected by slides Wales, including the world’s fastest zip and ladders. It’s a magical experience. wire, which is also suitable for wheelchair zipworld.co.uk users by prior arrangement. zipworld.co.uk 05— Cardiff International White Water 02— Yes, we’ve got rapids on our rivers. Surf Snowdonia But these Olympic-standard ones Every minute, a perfect 6ft-high (2m) roar and tumble through the man-made wave barrels down a valley in Snowdonia. course in Cardiff Bay, which is ideal This used to be an old aluminium factory; for rafting and kayak adventures.