North wales - Gales del Norte


North wales (in Welsh: Gogledd Cymru) is an unofficial region in the extreme north of Wales, bordered to the south by Central Wales and to the east by England.

Destinations

Counties

Regions of North Wales.
Anglesey
the largest island in England and Wales
Gwynedd
a land of picturesque mountains and coastline
Conwy
Gate to Snowdonia
Denbighshire
Hills and historic towns. It consists of the unitary authorities Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire.
Flintshire
Wrexham

Cities and towns

North Wales has many picturesque towns. Below is a list of the most notable ones. For others, see county-specific articles.

City

  • 1 Bangor (Gwynedd) Small city with a cathedral dating from the 6th century.

Towns

  • 2 Blaenau Ffestiniog (Gwynedd): Slate mining town where visitors can take a subway train at the Llechwedd Caverns. Also the northern terminus of the Ffestiniog narrow gauge railway.
  • 3 Caernarfon (Gwynedd) - dominated by its castle and medieval walls. A symbolic seat to represent English power in North Wales.
  • 4 Colwyn Bay (Welsh:Bae colwyn) (Conwy) - an old resort town that has a small zoo, a market twice a week, some antique shops and bookstores, a spectacular bay, and a ruined pier. It hosts international rugby for under 21s in a beautiful park.
  • 5 Conwy (Conwy): fortified medieval town with an impressive castle and quaint shops.
  • 6 Dolgellau (Gwynedd): a picturesque market town with gold in the surrounding hills and an annual World Music Festival.
  • 7 Denbigh (Welsh:Dinbych) (Clwyd): a pretty market town and one of the most historic towns in North Wales.
  • 8 Llandudno (Conwy): elegant Victorian seaside resort.
  • 9 Llanfairfechan (Conwy) - unspoilt seaside resort between Penmaenmawr and Bangor.
  • 10 Tywyn (Gwynedd): popular seaside resort with miles of sandy beach. Home of the famous Talyllyn Railroad.
  • 11 Wrexham (Welsh:Wrecsam) (Clwyd) - the largest settlement in North Wales; It is more than 5 times the size of the only city in the region, Bangor.

Other destinations

National Parks

  • 1 Snowdonia National Park (Welsh:Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri) - Great hiking territory, including the highest mountain in Wales. Eryri (Snowdonia in Welsh) is the second largest national park in England and Wales. This area has ties to the Arthurian legend. For example, the magician Merlin's dragons supposedly lived in Dinas Emrys, a place name that means "City of Emrys" ("Emrys" is an alternate Celtic name for Merlin).

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

  • 2 The Isle of Anglesey (Welsh:Ynys Môn): it is one of the most characteristic, attractive and varied landscapes of the British Isles. Anglesey was designated an Area of ​​Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966 to protect the aesthetic appeal and variety of the island's coastal landscape and habitats from improper development. The AONB is predominantly a coastal designation, covering most of the island's 125-mile coastline (including Ynys Llanddwyn, a tidal islet off the main island). It contains rocky headlands, golden beaches, dunes, heaths, and beautiful green landscapes. Some of the beaches are recognized among the best in Europe. The AONB supports an abundance of wildlife, such as choughs, gray seals, sea lavender, and silver-studded blue butterflies. There are also many areas protected for their nature conservation value, such as the Newborough Warren National Nature Reserve and several Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
  • Llŷn AONB (Welsh:Penrhyn Llŷn): the peninsula that juts out into the Irish Sea to the west, beyond Snowdonia, in the north-west of the country.
  • Clwydian Range AONB (Welsh:Bryniau Clwyd): a range of hills that runs south from the coast in Prestatyn to Landegla, in Denbighshire, in the north-east of the country, near the border with England. The highest and best known hill is Moel famau, and many of the hills are the sites of the Iron Age forts.

Talk

North Wales is bilingual. While almost 100% of the people you meet can speak and understand English, you are also very likely to hear Welsh spoken, especially if you travel further west in the region. According to the 2011 census, 65% of Gwynedd's population can speak Welsh. You are less likely to find Welsh speakers on the north shore east of Conwy.

Walk into

By train

Local train services within North Wales are run by Transport for Wales (TfW, Trafnidiaeth Cymru ), with some intercity services from England provided by Avanti west coast .

  • The main line of north to south wales links Cardiff with Shrewsbury, Wrexham and the North Wales coast, via Chester. Services are operated by TfW from Cardiff to Holyhead, with Avanti operating services from Wrexham to London Euston.
  • The north wales coastline links Manchester, Crewe and London (in England) with the northern resorts of Rhyl and Prestatyn, the town of Bangor, the Isle of Anglesey and the port of Holyhead. Tickets to Dublin (Ireland) are available, including the ferry from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire. Services are provided by TfW (from Manchester) and Avanti (from London and Crewe)
  • The beautiful Cambrian coastline (TfW) runs from Shrewsbury (in England), through Mid-Wales through Machynlleth, and through the coastal towns of Tywyn and Barmouth, through southern Snowdonia, Harlech and Porthmadog, and along from the southern coast of the Lleyn peninsula to Pwllheli.
  • The line Chester to Birmingham (TfW) and has hourly service from Chester to Birmingham via all mainline stations in Wrexham County.
  • The borderlands line (TfW) runs between Wrexham and Bidston (Birkenhead), linking several Flintshire towns and villages with Wirral and Wrexham.

Boat

  • Regular ferry services operate between Holyhead and Ireland (Dublin and Dun Laoghaire) and are provided by two companies. Stenaline and Irish Ferries offer multiple daily services between the two ports for passengers and vehicles. Reservations can be made through their respective websites.

By plane

There is an air service connecting RAF Valley on Anglesey to Cardiff International Airport in South Wales. For flights from other destinations, Manchester and Liverpool airports (across the border in England) are the closest bet, or Birmingham airport for the Cambrian Coast area.

By car

The main roads into North Wales from England are the A55 which runs along the north coast, connecting with the M56 and M53 near Chester, and the A5, which leaves the M54 at Shrewsbury and heads west towards Betws and Coed and then northwest towards Bangor.

From south and central Wales, the A470 runs south to north through the center of the country, from Cardiff to Llandudno via Dolgellau and Betws and Coed, while the A483 runs southwest to northeast, from Swansea to Wrexham and across the border. Chester. The A487 runs along the coast to Aberystwyth, Cardigan and St. Davids.

Please note that only the A55 is a motorway and overtaking is not always possible on the other A roads. If time is of the essence, it is generally a good idea to ride the A55 as far as possible. If not, the other roads are much more scenic.

By bus

  • National Express operates bus services to North Wales from across the UK. Services terminate at Wrexham and Holyhead.
  • Traws-Cymru services to through Wales come from Cardiff and Swansea in the south via Aberystwyth or Brecon

Move

By train

(See also Get in above for details of lines to and through North Wales)

  • The line Conwy Valley se It runs from Llandudno Junction along the Conwy Valley to Blaenau Ffestiniog, connecting with trains on both the North Wales Coast Line and the Ffestiniog Railway.

By bus

  • Traws Cymru services to across Wales they converge at Dolgellau, from Bangor in the northwest and Wrexham in the northeast.
  • Services operate out of Gwynedd, with longer distance services to Wrexham and Chester

Watch

Castles

There are a number of 12th and 13th century castles scattered across North Wales. These date back to the time of the Welsh princes of Gwynedd battling to resist the rule of King John, and more significantly, King Edward I of England. Most of the castles are under the care of Cadw , the historic environmental service of the Government of the Welsh Assembly.

  • Beaumaris : at the eastern end of Anglesey. The final part of Edward I's "Ring of Steel" around North Wales, provocatively located immediately across the Menai Strait from Garth celyn , the seat of the Princes of Gwynedd.
  • Caernarfon : planned seat of power of Edward I in Wales. Located in the city of Caernarfon
  • Castell and Bere : last bastion of the Welsh princes and its most impressive fortress. Stunning location on Bro Dysynni.
  • Chirk Built in 1295, this National Trust property is located in the Wrexham County District.
  • Conwy : built by Edward I to control the strategically important city and river of the same name.
  • Criccieth : castle built in Wales near the eastern tip of the Lleyn Peninsula
  • Dinas Bran - atmospheric ruin on a hill near Llangollen
  • Dolbadarn : Welsh-built castle located between the lakes Llyn peris Y Llyn padarn , near the town of Llanberis
  • Dolwyddelan : Welsh castle, in the village of the same name on the main road A470 between Betws-y-Coed and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Reputed birthplace of Prince Llywelyn the Great. The Disney Movie Dragonslayer was filmed here.
  • Flint : Edward I's first castle in Wales, in the extreme northeast, near the English border in Flintshire. Part of William Shakespeare's play Richard II takes place in Flint Castle.
  • Harlech - Another one of Edward I.'s "rings of steel". He looks menacingly across Tremadog Bay at Criccieth Castle.
  • Rhuddlan : in the small town of the same name, south of Rhyl. The remains of an ancient castle of Motte and Bailey , Twtil , can still be seen on the grounds of Rhuddlan Castle.

Stately homes

  • Plas Newydd - National Trust Property located at Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales
  • Erddig hall - National Trust property located on the outskirts of Wrexham

Heritage railways

For many visitors to North Wales the main draw is the number of historic steam railways in the area. Some, such as the Bala Lake Railway and Llangollen Railway, run on stretches of lines that were part of the national rail network until the infamous "Beeching cuts" closed many lines in the 1960s. Others, including the Talyllyn and Ffestiniog, were built by mine or quarry owners to transport their goods (usually slate) to a port or a main train station. Most railroads are owned and operated by societies of volunteer enthusiasts.

Standard gauge

  • Llangollen

Narrow track

  • Bala Lake Railway
  • Corris
  • Ffestiniog railway, runs from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog
  • Lake Llanberis Railway.
  • Snowdon Mountain Railway runs from Llanberis to the top of Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales.
  • Talyllyn Tywyn Railway. The world's first heritage railway and inspiration for the Ealing comedy film The Titfield Thunderbolt . Appears in the popular Serie children's books Railway Series from Rev. W Awdry as "Skarloey Railway".
  • Welsh Highland Railway Porthmadog - Caernarfon

Miniature railways

  • Conwy Valley Railroad Museum, Betws-y-Coed
  • Fairbourne Railway
  • Rhyl Miniature Railway, the oldest working miniature railway in the UK.
  • Gypsy Wood Park, Caernarfon - The UK's largest miniature G-scale garden railway.

Do

  • Local adventure activities . Why not enjoy the rugged natural environment by trying sea kayaking, rock rappelling, cliff jumping, traversing sea level, gorge climbing, or even mountain horseback riding? Some local instructors include Shaggy Sheep Wales Activities or ComeAndTry.com.
  • Gypsy wood park , Caernarfon: An outdoor attraction well worth a visit on a sunny day. It's a relaxing attraction, with the UK's largest miniature G-scale garden railway and a great family day out with kids who love animals.
  • Indoor Karting , Caernarfon - If the weather is not too good, you can always visit the Redline Indoor Karting center at Cibyn Industrial Estate.

To eat

The bell Wales the True Taste has been very successful in promoting the use of local ingredients, and even fairly low-key restaurants and pubs often have a sign telling you where all of their ingredients come from.

Perhaps the most prominent local ingredient is lamb, and it certainly won't be long in North Wales before you see your first sheep! Artisan cheeses abound, look for the Snowdonia Creamery range among others. Fresh local seafood can be excellent, especially at the Lleyn.

To drink

There are several independent breweries throughout North Wales, which brew a variety of traditional ales. It is worth taking a look at the microbrewery Purple moose ( Bragdy Mws Piws ) based in Porthmadog.

Wrexham Lager has been relaunched after more than a decade and the owners have reintroduced the much-loved recipe, which was discontinued when Carlsberg-Tetley took over the brewery. The owners of Wrexham Lager hope to bring back the original logo as soon as possible.

Go next

  • The wild mountains and moors of Mid Wales, and its spectacular west coast.
  • Liverpool and Manchester, two bustling cities in the North West of England, lie a short drive from North Wales.

Grades

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