Welcome to Wales

Farming communities are the very heartland of Wales, where old traditions live on and Welsh is still spoken in many homes. From the gentle greenery of mid Wales to the distinctive landscapes of the National Parks, the Welsh countryside brings a choice of scenery - and outdoor activities - and right to the farmhouse door.

The Snowdonia National Park, with its peaks, waterfalls and clear mountain streams takes its name from Mount Snowdon, whose 3000ft summit is scaled by a breathtaking railway.

Other highlights of the park include picture-postcard Betws-y-Coed, Blaenau Ffestiniog - home of another scenic railway - and Harlech with its mighty castle, just one of 400 in Wales! Coastal attractions here in North Wales range from enchanting Portmeirion, a private village of architectural follies created by Clough Williams Ellis to Llandudno, complete with donkeys on the beach or the mystic Isle of Anglesey, beckoning from across the Menai Bridge.

There’s more magic in the coastline of Pembrokeshire’s National Park, with its superb beaches and cliffs, coastal walks and tiny islands like Caldey, with its monastery, or Skomer - alive with seals, puffins and other seabirds.

Popular towns here include picturesque Fishguard, walled Tenby and St David’s, whose 12th-century cathedral lies concealed in a hollow to hide it from predatory eyes.

To the south, the Brecon Beacons National Park brings variety and there are attractive little towns like nearby Hay-on-Wye, a world-famous centre for second-hand books.