WALES: RICH IN CASTLES, NATURAL WONDERS, & THE LIVELY CAPITAL OF CARDIFF
By Barbara Redding
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: From Castles and Roman City Walls to the lively capital city of Cardiff, Snowdonia National Park, and the Wales Coastal Path, travel writer Barbara Redding focuses on what you can experience in Wales. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the episode on Podbean.
The ancient walls, stone keeps, and secret dungeons of the castles in Wales are testaments to the tumultuous history of the Welsh people.
With 400-plus fortresses still standing, Wales has more castles per square mile than any European country. For castle enthusiasts, Wales is the place to climb dank staircases and walk medieval castle walls.
On a recent visit to Wales, I quickly discovered that this small country of 3.2 million people has more than fortresses to explore. Wales is rich in natural wonders, crescent beaches, coastal trails, vibrant cities with Michelin-recommended restaurants, and more sheep than Scotland.
Wales is part of the United Kingdom and shares the island of Great Britain with England and Scotland. Both are better known and larger than Wales, which is located on the windy west coast of the island, mainly along the Irish Sea.
Wales has its own distinct culture
What sets Wales apart from its neighbors is its distinctive culture. The prevalence of the Welsh language, from road signs to café menus, alongside English, is proof of the country’s enduring heritage.
Characteristic culinary experiences include leek soup, lamb, and seafood. Beer is dark and a bit sweet, while Welsh rarebit is more savory than grilled cheese. For breakfast, Welsh cakes—not scones—are preferred, with sweet currants.
During my 10-day visit, I immersed myself in the diverse experiences Wales offers. From walking castle walls to strolling the picturesque coastal path, from hiking craggy peaks in national parks to exploring the vibrant city of Cardiff, every day brought a new adventure.
London to North Wales
My visit began in London, where I rented a car to drive to North Wales. Trains provide regular service from London to most cities in Wales, while buses link smaller towns. Tours are also available.
Since I’m fascinated by fortresses, I headed first to Conwy, a town of 15,000 people in the castle-rich north coastal area of Wales.
English King Edward I built the cliff-top castle in Conwy in the 1200s as part of an “Iron Ring” of four castles designed to intimidate the Welsh. All four are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Conwy Castle is still visually daunting, with eight haunting towers and nearly a mile of medieval walls. I climbed a spiral staircase to the top of a tower for glorious water and mountain views.
From Conwy, it’s a short drive along the coast to Caernarfon, where the current King of England, Charles III, was crowned Prince of Wales in 1969. Long before Charles began his ascent to the throne, King Edward I’s son was born in the castle. He was named the first Prince of Wales, cementing English control over Wales.
Snowdonia National Park
Snowdonia National Park, the northernmost of three national parks, is a vast sanctuary for nature lovers and hikers. An open-air rail car takes visitors to the top of Snowdon, the country’s highest peak at 3,560 feet. Hikers get a closer look at the park’s craggy mountains, highland lakes, lush valleys, and cascading waterfalls. But the trek can take seven hours.
Anglesey Island in the northwest corner of Wales is awash in bucolic farmland that ends dramatically atop a cliff overlooking the Irish Sea. The South Stack Lighthouse, built in 1809, perches on a rocky inlet connected by a suspension bridge and 400 stone steps. The fog was so thick I observed its elusive profile from above.
Serious hikers can tackle all or sections of the 870-mile coastal path, the first and, so far, the only walking trail that wraps around the coast of an entire country. The trail passes through national parks and along estuaries, fishing villages, and busy urban areas.
From the North Coast, I drove to South Wales through the country’s fertile, hilly center. Two-lane roads dip and curve around the lush peaks and valleys of Brecon Beacons National Park before abruptly descending into bustling Cardiff on the River Taff.
Cardiff: Lively Capital
Wales’s coal-mining past melds with its future in Cardiff, one of Europe’s more progressive and environmentally conscious capital cities.
Cardiff’s docks exported more coal than any other port in the world during the Industrial Revolution. The 3rd Marquess of Bute amassed a fortune from black gold and
spent his money recreating his medieval fantasies in a must-see mansion within Cardiff Castle.
On my guided tour of the mansion, I learned that he was more affluent than the Queen of England in the mid-1800s. The Marquess was the first to install a toilet and bathtub in his bedroom.
Roman City Walls
The castle’s massive stone keep is actually medieval, erected by invading Normans in the 11th Century. A castle wall dating to the Roman occupation in the 1st Century was converted into a bomb shelter during World War II.
The castle is within strolling distance of numerous Victorian shopping arcades, which house coffee shops, restaurants, and retail stores. Nearby, Principality Stadium attracts boisterous fans for rugby games.
Once polluted and stinky, Cardiff Bay is a lovely freshwater lake crisscrossed by sailboats, thanks to the Cardiff Bay Barrage, completed in 2001. The harbor, known as Mermaid Quay, attracts crowds with trendy pubs, seafood restaurants, hotels, high-rise buildings, and a neon-lite Ferris wheel.
Now the center of attention in this city of 360,000 residents, the waterfront is also home to Senedd, the country’s parliament. The nation’s professional arts groups perform in another modern building, the Millennium Centre, whose copper dome beams with a poem written in Welsh and English.
Plan your trip to Wales at: https://www.visitwales.com/
Barbara Redding is a freelance travel writer based in Austin, Texas. A retired journalist, she loves to explore new destinations and revisit familiar places. She’s written about finding the largest statue of Jesus in Poland, a Hindu wedding in India, snorkeling in Cuba’s Bay of Pigs, and tiptoeing through tulips in Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands. An award-winning writer, Barbara’s travel stories appear in Travel Weekly, TravelWeekly.com, Food Wine Travel Magazine, Live in Italy Magazine, Rovology, and Travel By Vacation Rental. Read her articles on www.BarbaraRedding.com and social media sites Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.