WalesViewWalesView

Get the most out of the coast: 870 miles of great things to doLiving history: Dan Snow’s expert guide to WalesOn your bike: Wales on two wheels by Dave Brailsford & Rob PennA family affair: from farm stays to treetop adventures

Plus travel and holiday information –– visitwales.co.uk

Welcome to the 2013 edition of Wales View magazine. We hope you’ll like it here. This issue is something of a love affair – we’re not going to pretend otherwise. It echoes with great stories from people who have lost a little piece of their heart to Wales.

Take Giles Coren, one of Britain’s best-loved newspaper columnists and food writers; or author and comedian Charlie Higson. Then there’s respected historian Dan Snow. And the man behind British cycling’s golden age, Dave Brailsford. Each one speaks with overwhelming affection about their favourite places, people and experiences in Wales. And they’re by no means alone.

Wales is a country with dramatic landscapes, rich heritage and a fascinating, diverse culture. It’s also a forward-thinking nation, represented by the amazing 870-mile Wales Coast Path – the first of its kind in the world.

We like a party, as you can see from the variety of music festivals that take place in Wales each year. On that basis, the 100th anniversary celebrations of the birth of Welsh literary giant Dylan Thomas in 2014 should really be something to behold.

Step in

2–7

Wales Coast Path What to see along 870 miles of fabulous coastline, including tips from Bryn Terfel and Charlie Higson, among others.

8–11

A taste of the country Writer Giles Coren celebrates the food of Wales.

12–15

Carmarthenshire The lush Welsh county that has it all.

16–19

Down on the farm Writer Sali Hughes and family take a holiday with a difference.

20–21

Family holidays Child-friendly ideas that are big fun for little people.

22–25

Magical history tour Historian Dan Snow can’t get enough of the history and culture of Wales.

26–27

Living historyWales is looking great for its age. Come and have a closer look for yourself.

28–31

Fest is best Wales hosts many of the UK’s best-loved music events.

32–33

Arts for all A comprehensive guide to the vibrant performing arts in Wales.

34–41

Events diary Book your trip around one of the many great events taking place in 2013.

42–49

Wales on two wheels In the company of Team Sky and GB Olympic cycling boss Dave Brailsford and acclaimed writer Rob Penn.

50–53

Getting away with it Actress and singer Connie Fisher takes a romantic break in Wales.

54–55

Love, actuallyThe perfect romantic weekends.

56–61

Dylan Thomas Centenary celebrations of Wales’s best-known literary figure.

62–67

Essential information Tour operators, travel information and area guides to Wales.

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Wales map

Visit Wales cannot guarantee the accuracy or reliability of the information in this publication and hereby disclaim any responsibility for any error, omission or misrepresentation. To the fullest extent permitted by law all liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on the information contained in this guide is excluded. You are advised to check all details and information with the business concerned before confirming a reservation. All rights reserved. Material in this publication must not be reproduced in any form without permission from the copyright owners – please contact Visit Wales. Opinions expressed in Wales View are not necessarily those of Visit Wales.

This page Llynnau Cregennen, Snowdonia

Front cover Criccieth, Llyn Peninsula

Wales View is published by Visit Wales, the Tourism and Marketing division of the Welsh Government ©2012. Visit Wales, Welsh Government, QED Centre, Main Avenue, Treforest Industrial Estate, Treforest, Pontypridd CF37 5YR

(WG16194)

Managing Editors Iestyn George and Charles Williams

Designed by celf-art.com Printed by Westdale Press

ISBN: 978 0 7504 7919 6

Crown copyright (2012) Visit Wales

Photography: Crown copyright (2012) Visit Wales.

Additional Photography: BBC Worldwide, Eddie C (MBWales Flickr Group), Phil O’Connor Photography, Kiran Ridley, TeamSky.com, Emyr Young

This publication is also available in Braille, large-format print, and/or audio from Visit Wales. info@visitwales.co.uk

Printed on recycled paper

Contents

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In Wales, nobody lives more than an hour from the coast, tops. We love

our coastline, every bit of it, especially now that it’s all been joined up into one stunning Wales Coast Path, the whole 870-mile shebang. This is the longest continuous coastal path around any country in the world, and we make no apologies for being ridiculously proud of it.

The Welsh Coast is gloriously diverse, from the fenlands of the south to the dizzying cliffs of the north and west, slashed by those heron-priested estuaries and dotted with pastel-cottaged harbours.

We’ve all got our favourite bits. In fact, every one of its 870 miles is someone’s favourite bit.

It depends on your mood, really. Feel like scrambling along wave-washed rocks? We invented coasteering and the Welsh coast is still the best place to do it, along with other adrenaline sports like kite-surfing and scuba-diving. And if you can’t stand surfing (or just can’t surf standing) we can heartily recommend bodyboarding, which is stupendous fun

for anyone who can negotiate a wetsuit (while holding a towel, naturally).

Then there are the wonders of the natural world: the dolphins and porpoises, the grey seals, the screaming seabird colonies, all of which you can see from flower-carpeted clifftop walks.

Or check out the chalkboard in the local pub, where today’s catch includes freshly landed lobster, crab and seabass. Or if you prefer, there’s the pick-your-own pleasure of gathering mussels and samphire, or taking a mackerel boat from the harbour to catch your own supper – and eating it barbecued on the beach, ideally.

Horse riding on the beach? Fast-boating around the Bristol Channel? Mooching around a marina? A round of golf where the water hazard is Cardigan Bay? The swim of a lifetime in a deserted cove? Like we say, it depends on your mood.

Sometimes, though, the best thing to do is absolutely nothing. Just sit on a rock as the tide comes in, watching it slowly devour the shore, as the sun sinks below the horizon. Amazing.

If there’s a British national dance, it’s the little jig of changing out of your wet bathers and into your pants, while holding a towel. We’re experts at it. We are an island people, and the rituals of the seaside holiday are soaked deep into our national soul.

The perfect coast

Main Surfing, West Dale, Pembrokeshire

Top Rock climbing, near St David’s, Pembrokeshire

Bottom Porth Dinllaen, Llyn Peninsula

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‘ What a wonderful thing: to walk the entire length of a country’s coastline, to trace its every nook, cranny, cliff-face, indent and estuary. How better to truly appreciate the shape – and soul – of a nation? Well, Wales has become the only country in the world where you can do just that.’

Lonely Planet, who rated the Wales Coast Path number one in their Top Ten Regions for 2012.

The Wales Coast Path is split into eight sections, and during its 870-mile course it takes in a Geopark, a Marine Nature Reserve, two National Parks, three Areas of Outstanding National Beauty, 11 National Nature Reserves, 14 marinas, 14 stretches of Heritage Coast, 23 Historic Landscape sites, and 43 Blue Flag beaches.

It all begins – or ends – on the Dee Estuary, strides along through the resorts of the North Wales coast, does a lap of Anglesey, then around the Llyn Peninsula and down past Snowdonia. Next, it sweeps down Cardigan Bay and around the rugged cliffs of Pembrokeshire, before leaping across Carmarthenshire’s endless sands and great three-pronged estuary to the stunning beaches of Gower.

Swansea Bay leads on to the layer-cake cliffs of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, past Barry and Cardiff Bay, and races through the Gwent Levels to the finish line at Chepstow.

It’s not the end of the story, though: over time, the Wales Coast Path will lead to the creation of circular coastal routes to link the inland towns and villages.

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My idea of heaven

‘Barry Island was the Las Vegas of my life between the ages of five and ten. I used to think, “What could possibly be better in life than this?”

‘My family were involved in shipping – the family firm was called Bowles Sand & Gravel. There used to be a dry dock next to where the Wales Millennium Centre is now, and I spent a lot of time at the bottom of it with my dad, watching the ships being repaired, so I feel very connected to Cardiff docks, and I still love going down there.

‘The Wales Coast Path is such an achievement. It’s not an easy thing to have done. A lot of coastline is privately owned, but they’ve got through all of it, and it makes me so proud of Wales for having done that.’

Lynn Bowles BBC radio broadcaster

Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan

‘The area of Swansea Bay where Blackpill Lido sits is my favourite section of Welsh coastline. Living a few hundred yards from there and having a road that was dusted with sand has left me feeling lost whenever I’m not close to the sea.

‘My gran has a caravan in Horton, on the Gower Peninsula. I took some friends there for Easter a few years ago. One went in the sea every day. Another one pulled me in and I found it so cold I had a panic attack.

‘Another said, as we sat on the top of the Worm’s Head after a pre-lunch climb across: “I didn’t know what to expect but this holiday is amazing.”

‘That’s the power of Gower.’

Nadia Kamil Comedian, writer and actor

Worm’s Head, Gower Peninsula

Everyone falls in love with our coastline. But don’t take our word for it. The Welsh coast goes down famously with these star travellers, who reveal their dream destinations.

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‘A few years ago I rode horseback the length of Wales for charity, so two of my favourite stretches of the Wales Coast Path have to be the starting and end points of this adventure.

‘One is Talacre beach with the Point of Ayr lighthouse in the north, and the other is Porthcawl to Ogmore with its beautiful dunes in the south.

‘I think if I were forced to make a choice, however, I’d have to say that the part of the Wales Coast Path which is most dear to my heart would have to be along the breathtaking Pembrokeshire cliffs.

‘From Abereiddi beach car park, up over the hill and past the Blue Lagoon with an opportunity for heartstopping dives off its ledges, and on to Porthgain with its dramatic sense of history as a slate exporting harbour.

‘I’ll never tire of it…’

Steffan Rhodri Actor

Blue Lagoon, Abereiddi, Pembrokeshire

‘I love the coastline around Cardigan. My wife’s family have a little cottage there, which is pretty idyllic. It’s in the middle of fields, with not even a road to it. My children have great memories of being able to go down there and have the freedom to run around safely.

‘There’s also a very good Iron Age village just down the road at Castell Henllys, which is very evocative, and we’ve had some great times there.

‘The beach we go to most is Mwnt. It’s the perfect, classic, old-fashioned British holiday beach, the kind you remember from childhood. It’s a fantastic sheltered cove, with dolphins swimming in it, a little mountain above it, and a good ice cream place. But the main thing is that it’s got a nice clean stream running down to it, which is where our kids spent most of their childhood: damming the stream and then unblocking it.

‘There’s a whole string of beautiful little bays around Cardigan and some amazing walks along the cliffs and out onto these peninsulas where there’s a real wildness.

‘When the sun is out it’s the most beautiful place in the world. Some of our sunniest holidays have been in the spring. We go there for Easter, and it always seems to be lovely and sunny and warm at that time of year.’

Charlie Higson Author, actor and comedian

The beach at Mwnt, Ceredigion

‘My favourite piece of coastline is in Anglesey, around Llanddwyn Island. The name Llanddwyn means “The church of St Dwynwen”, who is the Welsh patron saint of lovers. It isn’t really an island, though: it’s attached to the mainland at all but the highest tides.

‘Bardsey, an extraordinary island two miles off the tip of the Llyn Peninsula, is a totally different prospect. You have to cross a treacherous stretch of sea to get there. It’s tiny, but truly magical. They say 20,000 saints are buried there, which I’m sure is true, because I’ve never known such spirituality. I’d always wanted to sing in the little chapel, which is the spiritual heart of the island, so I took a grand piano over by boat to record Schubert’s Litany for the Feast of All Souls, which seemed appropriate. As we arrived on the island, a welcoming committee of seals sang us into the bay. I love golf, but I hope that no-one will ever have the idea of building a golf course there. In the midst of those seas, with the seals and the Manx shearwaters, you would definitely be put off your putts.

‘I come from Snowdonia, but the fact that I only got round to walking Snowdon three years ago just goes to show that you don’t take advantage of some of the amazing scenery that is right on your doorstep.’

Bryn Terfel Opera singer

Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey

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BeachesWe’ve got some of the most picturesque and unspoilt beaches in the whole of Europe. Ask anyone in Wales and they’ll tell you their favourite – or more likely, give you a shortlist.

It depends on your mood, really. For sheer gobsmacking beauty, it’s places like Barafundle, Three Cliffs, and Llanddwyn that always come up. Surfers speak reverently of Porth Neigwl, Freshwater West or Llangennith, while sailors may opt for Abersoch or Dale. Then there are the unique pleasures of Mwnt with its chapel, the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddi, the waterfall at Tresaith, the whistling sands of Porth Oer, and the stepping stones at Ogmore.

Or it could simply be that deserted, nameless cove you chance upon while walking the Wales Coast Path, and decide to drop down onto the beach for a swim. Perfect.

WildlifeIt’s no coincidence that the BBC’s Springwatch was based at the RSPB Ynys-hir reserve on the Dyfi Estuary.

The Welsh coast and islands are famed for their wealth of wildlife, with internationally important populations of birds and marine mammals.

Cardigan Bay has the UK’s largest resident population of bottlenose dolphins, which you can visit on boat trips. Grey seals and porpoises are often seen here, while in Pembrokeshire’s protected waters you may also be lucky enough to spot basking sharks, orcas, fin whales, blue sharks, sunfish and turtles. The coastal skies are filled with birds: the nature reserves at Anglesey’s South Stack and Pembrokeshire’s Skomer Island are a good place to start, and you can cycle or walk (and even canoe in the summer) around the National Wetland Centre near Llanelli.

ThrillsAbseiling, white-water rafting, kite-surfing, paragliding – the Welsh coast is the ideal place for adrenaline sports, with a huge range of year-round outdoor activities.

The UK’s best sea-cliff rock climbing is in Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire.

The Llyn Peninsula beaches offer kite buggies and kite-surfing, while its sheltered beaches are a favourite with water-skiers and wake-boarders. Abersoch majors in watersports of all kinds: there’s expert tuition at Plas Menai, and the new Pwllheli National Sailing Academy opens in 2013.

Pembrokeshire’s ideal for surfers, sailors, windsurfers, and kayakers. Experienced divers can explore the Marine Nature Reserve around Skomer (novices can start at the National Diving & Activity Centre near Chepstow), while anyone can have a bash at the fabulous home-grown sport of coasteering.

Cardiff International White Water offers rapids in the capital, and you can take a high-speed fastboat ride around Cardiff Bay and out to explore islands in the Bristol Channel.

EscapeWith so much coast to go round, you’ll never have a problem finding a spot to yourself. Even in high summer, you can walk for miles along some stretches

of coast and not see another soul. This is true even in the populated south-east corner, where you can walk the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, with its spectacular multi-layered cliffs, or the fenland of the Gwent Levels, in perfect peace. You can go a step further and follow in the footsteps of the pilgrims to Bardsey Island – the island of 20,000 saints – off the coast of the Llyn Peninsula, or to the seabird metropolis of Skomer, or to Flat Holm in the Bristol Channel. The islands are perfect for day-trips, but they’ve also got cottages and bunkhouses if you really want to experience some truly splendid isolation.

There are some special places that reveal themselves only at certain times of day – the sea lagoons and tidal islands. Standing on Worm’s Head, looking back across the causeway at Rhossili... it’s an experience you’ll never forget.

FoodYou can find local delicacies all along the Wales Coast Path or at one of the many food festivals that take place

This coast was made for walking, but there’s so much else to see and do along the Wales Coast Path. So what do you love doing? Because the Welsh coast has a place where you’ll love doing it.

If you love…

Nash Point, Glamorgan Heritage CoastKite-surfing at Porthcawl

Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Peninsula

RSPB Ynys-hir Reserve, near Machynlleth

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Cardiff International White Water

throughout the year. The Conwy Feast every October attracts celebrity chefs, while the Anglesey Oyster Festival shows off all kinds of home-grown produce, such as Menai oysters and mussels, Aberdaron crab and fresh fish. Ceredigion celebrates local foods with the Cardigan Bay Seafood Festival, Aberystwyth Food Festival and regular farmers’ markets in this seaside town.

Pembrokeshire is another natural larder and the whole county joins in to celebrate Fish Week at the end of June/early July. Swansea and the Gower Peninsula produce a miscellany of good things, including salt marsh lamb, samphire, Welsh Black beef, laverbread, fresh fish and shellfish – most notably cockles.

Something differentFor a small country, Wales really packs in the weirdly, wonderfully different. The fantasy village of Portmeirion brings a startling splash of Italy to the Welsh coast. August heralds the annual Coracle Races on the River Teifi at Cilgerran, where local fishermen show off their salmon and sea-trout fishing skills from these ancient craft. Every September, the lovely fishing village of Aberaeron celebrates its Mackerel Fiesta: stalls, bands and a parade – led by a 20-foot fish. No, really.

If you’re in Tenby for Christmas, you can join 600 swimmers for a dip on Boxing Day. Or try a dirty weekend with a difference at the Festival of Mud at the National Wetland Centre near Llanelli. Oh, and do be sure to join thousands of Elvis fans in Porthcawl for the Elvis Festival, a celebration of The King that includes The Elvies, the world’s leading awards for Elvis tribute artists.

HorsesWales’s many coastal riding centres cater for riders of all ages and abilities, whether you’re up for a steady ride over bridleways or an exhilarating canter along a beach. Talacre Beach provides nearly 5 miles of safe riding along the sands, while at Morfa Conwy Beach there is riding and parking for horseboxes. Llangrannog has its own equine centre, and the Forestry Commission has designated riding areas in Pembrey Forest. On the beautiful Gower Peninsula, nearly all beaches are accessible by bridleway – Pennard and Cefn Bryn are popular destinations – and there’s excellent riding among the spectacular dunes around Ogmore.

Family funHappy children make for happy holidays. It’s on page one of the Parenting Rule Book. The North Wales coast is awash with family attractions: old-school

funfairs, tramways and cable cars, the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay, and the Rhyl Sun Centre, with its water slides, tropical storms and a surf pool. There are waterparks at Swansea and Cardiff, which also have the big-city attractions of shops and child-friendly museums like the gloriously hands-on Techniquest science centre. Then you have aquariums at Rhyl, Tenby, and Brynsiencyn, steam railways, boat trips, castles to clamber over – and a few hundred great beaches.

Easy accessWe want everyone to enjoy the Wales Coast Path, so wherever possible, sections have been designed with mobility in mind. For instance, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park now has 70 Easier Access routes that cover more than 30 miles of path, and they provide beach wheelchairs. Many attractions, like the Newport Wetlands and the National Wetland Centre, provide mobility scooters. The flat 6-mile path around Cardiff Bay is perfect for wheelchair users, as is the 12-mile Millennium Coastal Park at Llanelli.

MarinasHello, sailors. With 40,000 square miles of cruising waters, supported by 14 modern marinas, and many coves, inlets, and estuaries offering alternative moorings, Wales is perfect

for cruising. While the waters are teeming with wildlife, the harbour towns are pretty lively, too, with around 150 annual regattas, festivals and other events along the coast. Wales is also growing in popularity as a cruise destination for bigger ships. We now welcome 20,000-plus passengers through our six cruise ports: Cardiff, Fishguard, Holyhead, Milford Haven, Newport, and Swansea.

GolfOf the 200 or so golf courses in Wales, almost half of them come with sea views. Many of the best ones actually hug the coastline, offering some of the finest links golf in Britain or – let’s not be bashful here – anywhere in the world.

We’re not even going to attempt to say which is best. Royal Porthcawl or Royal St David’s in Harlech? They’re both world-class. Is the clifftop 13th at Nefyn more stunning than the 7th at Pennard, whose distractions include a Norman castle and Three Cliffs Bay? Are Machynys’s many man-made water hazards any less enchanting than those of Aberdovey, which has just one? (It is Cardigan Bay, mind…).

Walking above Llangrannog Abersoch, Lly n Peninsula Royal St David’s

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‘As a food writer and critic, I should know plenty about food already. But when I go to Wales I find myself filling in the gaps.’

Feed Me ’Til I Want No More…

The Welsh connectionI have a personal connection with Wales. My wife’s mother is from Ceredigion. She grew up literally barefoot on a farm, living on a Welsh hillside, farming sheep. She’s urbanised and Londonised now, but she still has a photo of her great-great-great-grandfather, who was a drover called Daniel Jones. It’s an amazing thing to think that I am faintly related to this extraordinary landscape.

There is a sweetly elegiac tone to life in the Welsh countryside. I once went out into the fields with a farmer, and he was singing a beautiful, mournful song in Welsh. There was a period when the Welsh language seemed to be dying out, and you’d think, ‘It’s so sad, listening to this man with his beautiful folk songs that are dying out’.

But the language is coming back. It’s almost as if it skipped a generation. My mother-in-law’s first language is Welsh, and she speaks it fluently. Her daughters don’t, but now her grandchildren do. So there is a culture that calls on its past but can also look forward to the future.

Play the wild drover My job takes me all around the UK, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit Wales regularly. I’ve taken boat journeys, car journeys, train journeys, but in North Wales I was privileged to follow the droving routes that the old farmers used.

The cattle grew up in ones or twos on Welsh smallholdings, and these animals would then go off into the herd and the drovers would drive them all the way to Oswestry, Hereford or London. In those days only a small number of wealthy landowners got to chow down on that tasty beef; the families who raised the cattle wouldn’t get a hint of it! But the money would come back, and that’s how the economy was fuelled.

We walked in the drovers’ footsteps, and it was a lovely way of seeing that beautiful part of North Wales, starting out up in Anglesey and then heading east down towards Oswestry. It gives you a fantastic sense of the symbiosis that used to exist between man and the animals – and in Wales, it still does.

Local food is a way of lifeAs a food writer and critic, I should know plenty about food already. But when I go to Wales I find myself filling in the gaps. In urban restaurants these days, everyone pays lip-service to the idea of ‘local, seasonal food’, but out there in the Welsh countryside, they’ve been eating seasonally and locally for ever.

Nowadays Wales is crammed with gastropubs where young British chefs are working hard, and they have good relations with local farm suppliers, buying local meat, vegetables and fish.

Out in the countryside there are people who still farm properly. And there are people who care about food and are prepared to spend a tiny bit more on food that has a relationship with its land and its history. I spent time with a Welsh farmer and his methods were beautiful. His relationship with his cattle is great, they’re all called Myfanwy and Brenda and Gwen.

Food in Wales is simply a way of life, not a fashion, and that’s the way it always has been.

Giles Coren is a writer, broadcaster and food critic for The Times newspaper. ‘I love the Welsh. When I grow up I want to be an old Welsh geezer,’ he once tweeted. Here is a man who knows good food when he sees it, and he’s convinced that Wales has it all wrapped up. Interview by Kirstie McCrum

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Clockwise from top left Hill farm, Brecon Beacons, near Llanfrynach Brian Webb, Chef/proprietor Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo Chestnut Tree Gastro Pub, Talardy Hotel, St Asaph Y Polyn, Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire

Main Cwtch, St David’s, Pembrokeshire

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Bodnant Welsh FoodTal-y-cafn, Conwy bodnant-welshfood.co.uk

If you’re into food, then this new £6.5m centre is unmissable – a culinary centre of excellence, set in old stone farm buildings on the Bodnant Estate, showcasing the very best artisan food that Wales has to offer. There’s a farm shop, tea room, restaurant, dairy, bakery and a cookery school – and they all use cracking home-grown produce from the estate itself, local farms, and from around Wales.

Elsewhere on the estate there are luxury cottages and farmsteads to rent, and a range of country pursuits to try. bodnant-estate.co.uk

Made in Wales Whenever you travel around Wales, it’s worth looking for the True Taste logo, which guarantees that what you’re eating (or drinking) is the finest quality. The ‘Wales the True Taste’ brand has been running for more than a decade, and now covers a feast of producers, shops, hotels and restaurants. The website – walesthetruetaste.co.uk – has lots of info about the people who make Welsh food and drink what it is today, where to buy it, and how you can get the best from Welsh produce, with recipes from top chefs making the most of locally sourced, seasonal food.

Here are some of our local specialities:

Salt marsh lamb We couldn’t honestly say we prefer salt marsh to mountain lamb. They’re both fantastic, but they are quite different. Try a taste test for yourself.

Welsh Black Surviving (and thriving) where less rock-hard cattle wouldn’t, this hardy breed produces the tenderest, tastiest beef.

Carmarthen Ham The Rees family swear the Romans nicked the recipe for Parma Ham from their own home-cured version… carmarthenham.co.uk

Welsh cakes The ubiquitous tea-time treat, traditionally cooked on a cast-iron ‘planc’ and eaten as freshly cooked as possible.

Welsh whisky Wales always had a distilling tradition – Jack Daniels and Jim Beam bourbons have Welsh roots – which the Penderyn distillery has successfully revived. welsh-whisky.co.uk

Cockles & laverbread The key ingredients of the hungry West Walian’s traditional breakfast. They’re widely available, but Swansea is still their spiritual home. swanseaindoormarket.co.uk

Golden Cenarth We could have picked any of dozens of artisan Welsh cheeses, but this one, which comes from the same producer as Perl Wen and Perl Las, is outstanding. cawscenarth.co.uk

Halen Môn The magical crystals of Anglesey sea salt are found on the smartest tables all over the world. halenmon.com

Clockwise top left Roast Welsh Black with laver pudding Penderyn whisky Golden Cenarth cheese Wales True Taste brand Halen Môn sea salt Welsh cockles Welsh cakes

A Taste Of The CountrySmall country, big flavour. That pretty much sums up the food of Wales. Wherever you go there is great locally sourced grub to satisfy everyone’s tastes. The meat and fish doesn’t have far to travel to the plate and the dairy products are acclaimed all over the world. Best of all there are as many neat regional variations as there are twists and turns in our roads. What follows is a selection of mouth-watering appetisers…

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Shining starsTo be honest, we’re not that bothered about winning awards. It’s more about serving up great ingredients, honestly prepared with love and skill. But as a happy result, the stars and rosettes just keep piling up.

Welsh restaurants and pubs feature heavily in all the major guides, and here are six of the best:

The Crown at WhitebrookThis luscious Monmouthshire restaurant-with-rooms is currently the top place in Wales, according to the major guide books. crownatwhitebrook.co.uk

The Walnut TreeSean Hill’s sublime cookery has returned this Abergavenny favourite to the top of the culinary tree. thewalnuttreeinn.com

Ynyshir HallThis country house hotel (see page 50) in Powys comes with a restaurant to match its sumptuous setting. ynyshirhall.co.uk

Tyddyn LlanChef Bryan Webb’s restaurant-with-rooms is set splendidly in the Clwydian hills. tyddynllan.co.uk

Y PolynRelaxed service and simply great food from top-notch local ingredients make this Carmarthen venue the perfect gastropub. ypolynrestaurant.co.uk

CwtchThe lovely, cosy Cwtch in St David’s is the deserved winner of Wales the True Taste Restaurant of the Year 2011/12. cwtchrestaurant.co.uk

Food & drink festivalsYour friendly local food festival is the place to taste all the best seasonal, regional flavours, fresh from the kitchen, made by people with a real passion and talent.

Here are some of the events planned for 2013:

MayLlyn Land and Seafood Festival, Pwllheli llynlandandseafoodfestival.co.uk

West Wales Food Festival, nr Carmarthen westwalesfoodfestival.com

JuneGreat Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, Cardiff gwbcf.org.uk

Hay-on-Wye Food Festival hay-on-wye.co.uk

Llandysul Food Festival llandysulfood.co.uk

Newcastle Emlyn Food Festival gwylfwydcastellnewydd.com

Pembrokeshire Fish Week pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk

Welsh Perry & Cider Festival welshcider.co.uk

JulyCardiff International Food & Drink Festival cardiff-festival.com

Cardigan Bay Seafood Festival aberaeron.info

Lampeter Food Festival lampeterfoodfestival.org.uk

Really Wild Festival, St David’s reallywildfestival.co.uk

AugustCardigan River and Food Festival cardigan-food-festival.co.uk

Swansea Bay Beer Festival swanseacamra.org.uk

SeptemberAbergavenny Food Festival abergavennyfoodfestival.com

Aberystwyth Food & Drink Festival visitmidwales.co.uk

Great British Cheese Festival, Cardiff greatbritishcheesefestival.co.uk

Mold Food Festival moldfoodfestival.co.uk

Narberth Food Festival narberthfoodfestival.com

Welsh Food Festival, nr Welshpool welshfoodfestival.co.uk

OctoberAnglesey Oyster & Welsh Produce Festival angleseyoysterfestival.com

Brecon Beacons Food Festival, Brecon brecon-beacons.com

Cowbridge Food & Drink Festival cowbridgefoodanddrink.org

Feastival – Wales Alternative Food Festival, Bridgend walesalternativefoodfestival.com

Gwledd Conwy Feast gwleddconwyfeast.co.uk

Llangollen Food Festival llangollenfoodfestival.com

Neath Food Festival neathfoodfestival.co.uk

Market forcesYou can’t beat buying produce direct from the person who grew it – or brewed it, or baked it, or bottled it. Markets have been a feature of Welsh life since the year dot, and there are covered and/or street markets in most towns.

The farmers’ market phenomenon has really taken off here, too: to find the nearest, see the Farmers’ Markets in Wales website, fmiw.co.uk

Brecon Food Festival

Neath Food & Drink Festival

Cwtch, St David’s, Pembrokeshire

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The locals always knew that Carmarthenshire was something special, and now a growing number of visitors are discovering that there’s even more to West Wales’s green heartland than gorgeous countryside sprinkled with fairy-tale castles.

Charles Williams takes a tour of his homeland’s favourite places and shares a few local secrets.

lushAdjective 1: abounding in lavish growth; luxurious or opulent. Slang 2: Wales highly pleasing or enjoyable.

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Favourite castlesLet’s start at the top: specifically, the top of a glowering limestone crag in the Brecon Beacons, on which broods the utterly stunning Carreg Cennen Castle. It’s the first place we take visitors to our home county, and they’re always wowed. The weird thing is, so are we locals, every single time. Perhaps it’s something to do with the spectacular clifftop location and 60-mile panoramic views.

Just four miles away at Dinefwr you get two great castles for the price of one: the National Trust-run ‘new’ castle (actually, it’s 17th century) and a short wooded walk away, the 12th century original, which was a proud medieval royal capital of Wales. And don’t forget nearby Dryslwyn, which doesn’t look much from down on the valley floor, but when you climb up there’s a whole medieval village layout, and wondrous views of the Towy Valley.

Favourite viewsThe very best panorama of Carmarthenshire is from a hot air balloon ride down the Towy Valley, but you really don’t need to leave the ground to get stunning views. Follow the Towy upstream to Ystradffin and you’ll find the RSPB Dinas reserve, where there’s a glorious walk along the wooded river banks, with an optional scramble up to Twm Siôn Cati’s cave, the supposed hideout of a roguish Welsh folk hero. The spot where two fast-flowing young rivers meet underneath a towering hill is, say some locals, the single loveliest place on earth.

Then there are the Carmarthen Fans, the westernmost range in the Brecon Beacons, whose plunging escarpments are like a big Roman nose on Carmarthenshire’s face. They’re much less travelled than the eastern Beacons, so you’re often the only person around to appreciate the view down into the depths of Llyn y Fan Fach, home of the legendarily fickle Lady of the Lake.

Talking of water hazards, there’s also the view up the 16th fairway at Machynys, the Nicklaus-designed golf course in Llanelli – and also the splendid sight of your first pint being poured at its excellent clubhouse.

Favourite journeysThe Heart of Wales railway line from Swansea to Shrewsbury is arguably the most scenic in Britain.

It’s also a great place to appreciate how the landscape of Carmarthenshire changes from its estuarine beginnings around Llanelli, up through the Amman Valley coalfields, into the classic farming country of the Towy Valley, finally plunging into a mountain tunnel by the Sugar Loaf, and onward to Powys.

If you’re driving, it’s worth taking a detour on the A4069 between Llangadog and Brynaman. This classic switchback mountain road has become known locally as ‘the Top Gear road’ ever since presenter Jeremy Clarkson was filmed swanning around it in something expensively German.

lushTop left RSPB Dinas Reserve Cynghordy Viaduct

Above Carreg Cennen Castle

Main Towy Valley from Dryslwyn Castle

Adjective 1: abounding in lavish growth; luxurious or opulent. Slang 2: Wales highly pleasing or enjoyable.

1 2

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Favourite beachIt’s better known for cows ’n’ castles than coast, but Carmarthenshire’s 55 seafront miles include two of the biggest beaches in Wales.

The seven-mile Pendine Sands were famous for world land speed record sands attempts, and it’s still occasionally used for record bids, most recently by an 86mph lawnmower (really).

Bigger still is the massive eight-mile expanse of Cefn Sidan sands, beloved of surfers, students and – sorry to mention them again – those Top Gear scallywags, who once landed an RAF Hercules transport plane on it, leading to a flurry of 999 calls from worried locals.

Favourite attractionsNature has kind of crafted Carmarthenshire into one big garden, but they’ve gone a step further at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, where the world’s biggest single-span glasshouse looks rather like an alien mothership has crash-landed into the middle of some rural idyll (but in a good way).

Then there’s nearby Aberglasney, whose gardens date back to the 1400s, and probably even earlier. They were rescued from near-oblivion in the mid-1990s by a bunch of heroic local enthusiasts and a generous dose of American philanthropy. The result is wonderful: a perfect set of restored gardens – and as a bonus, an excellent waterside café.

For family romps, it’s hard to beat Pembrey Country Park, which has loads of adventure activities, including mini golf and a dry ski slope, in 500 acres next to Cefn Sidan’s vast sands. If you like cycling (but not hills, especially) then I’d heartily recommend the flat 14-mile stretch of Millennium Coastal Park in Llanelli, which includes the National Wetland Centre.

Best adventuresQuite apart from all those mountains to walk up and rivers to swim/fish/paddle in, recently there’s been a huge boom in adrenaline sports that are making the most of the landscape. Mountain bikers are blazing trails into the Brechfa Forest, where a series of runs – following the ski resort system of green, blue, red and black routes – have been created. Down on those big coastal sands you’ve got horse riding and kite-buggying onshore, and kite-surfing offshore. There’s sailing on the Towy Estuary, white water canoeing up at Llandysul – notably during the annual Teifi Tour, held every autumn – and the UK’s best sewin fishing on the Towy, Teifi and Cothi.

Favourite townsWhen the London press started calling Llandeilo ‘the cool capital of Carmarthenshire’, we did smirk a bit. But we love it, and it is cool, but it’s also the opposite: warm, somehow. Just go and spend some time in the Cawdor hotel, or poking around the galleries and shops.

Go during one of the town’s burgeoning festivals. Have a pint of Llandeilo-brewed Evan Evans. You’ll see what we mean.

If you like market towns, then Llandovery and Carmarthen itself are also worth a visit, as are Llandysul and Newcastle Emlyn up on the border with Ceredigion. Ammanford and Llanelli have shaken off their post-industrial slumber, and as for Laugharne – well, when Dylan Thomas called it ‘the strangest town in Wales’ he meant it kindly, and he was dead right. It’s marvellous.

Favourite food Molecular gastronomy is all well and good, but eventually it’s dawned on diners that the best food in the world is a first-rate bit of meat or fish or veg, grown with skill, cooked with love, and with as little mucking around as possible. This is where Carmarthenshire comes up trumps. The beef, the lamb, the pork, are, at their best, unbeatable. Cockles and laverbread. Caws Cenarth cheese. Carmarthen Ham. Heavenly ice cream – they’re all world-class.

And we’ve got a crack squad of local food heroes who you’ll find at places like Wright’s Food Emporium in Nantgaredig, or in one-off restaurants like Y Polyn, or Cors, or Sosban, or Yr Hen Dafarn. Occasionally a food critic beams down from London and declares one of them to be some kind of local artisan genius. But then, in our heart of hearts, we locals knew that all along.

Outdoor market, Carmarthen

Top to bottom Pendine Sands National Botanic Garden of Wales Aberglasney Gardens

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Carmarthenshire has a fantastic choice of accommodation, from luxury hotels to cool camping. Here are just 10 ideas – for many more, see:

discovercarmarthenshire.com

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Places to stay3

9. Larkhill TipisCwmduad larkhilltipis.co.ukFive nomadic camping experiences on an eco-friendly smallholding.

10. Argoed Meadow Camping & Caravan Park Cenarth cenarthcampsite.co.ukYear-round facilities at this pretty village with its famous falls on the River Teifi.

5. Glynhir EstateLlandybie theglynhirestate.comIdyllic 17th-century estate with mansion, cottages and home-cooked food from the kitchen garden.

6. Caeiago Riding CentreLlanwrda horseridingholidaysgb.co.ukHorse riding holidays in the Cambrian mountains, for riders of all abilities.

7. Cennen CottagesCarmarthenshire cennencottages.co.ukA cluster of six luxurious cottages dotted in the upper Towy Valley. Each cottage is a 19th-century barn conversion.

8. Llanerchindda FarmCynghordy cambrianway.comGuest house and self-catering, plus a full menu of activities to enjoy in these sparsely populated wilds.

1. The CawdorLlandeilo thecawdor.comThe handsome heart of the town, this landmark Georgian town is the county’s favourite boutique hotel.

2. Jabajak Vineyard Restaurant with Rooms

Whitland jabajak.co.ukLuxury accommodation and dining in seven acres of gardens and vineyard.

3. Cwmcrwth Farm CottagesBroadoak, nr Llandeilo cwmcrwthfarmcottages.co.ukAward-winning self-catering cottages on a rare-breeds farm which produces its own bacon, and has a menagerie of cute animals for children to pet.

4. FronlasLlandeilo fronlas.comSleek, chic B&B in a fabulously renovated townhouse overlooking the Towy Valley.

Llandeilo

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Clockwise from top left Cyril Jones of Hardwick Farm, Abergavenny

Feeding time at Hardwick Farm

Market day at Abergavenny

Everyone’s fed and happy!

Sali Hughes ‘en famille’

Market day at Abergavenny

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There is great excitement. The news is important enough for us to interrupt

our morning fry-up and run as quietly as we can while pulling wellies over our pyjamas. We get to the maternity pen at Hardwick Farm just in time to see a cow deliver twin calves into the world.

It’s a magical experience for all of us and one that our children recount endlessly in the weeks that follow. This might well be another day in the life of a working farm, but it’s one of the most memorable breakfast interruptions in the lives of our kids. It’s also an instantly appealing aspect of a Farm Stay holiday in Wales.

When I was a child, we never, ever went anywhere as a family. So coming to Monmouthshire en famille (I have two small sons) was uncharted territory, and strangely daunting. It occurred to me that at 37 years old I still don’t really know what on earth ‘family holidays’ entail.

My children’s idea of a holiday is chaos – demented, noisy, joyful running around, stopping only to gorge on the kind of nutritionally unsound dinners they’d be denied at home (more of that later). And going to bed at stupid o’clock. My idea of a holiday is sitting with a glass of wine and a good friend, with no constantly pinging laptop, relaxing in the knowledge that my children are safe and happy.

On that basis it makes perfect sense to head for Monmouthshire, South Wales. The journey of 200-odd miles from my Brighton home is thoroughly painless. Short, direct, travel; no language barrier, no jabs, the knowledge that you’re only ever a few miles away from whatever action you and yours happen to be keen to experience on any given day.

Castles and ancient history? Of course. Family-friendly strolling along the coastline? Yep. Market stalls heaving with wonderful home-made fare? Naturally.

Even if you want to journey hundreds of feet underground you can do that too. But more of that later…

I urged my oldest friend, Rachel, and her three kids, Molly (10), Lola (7) and Alfie (5) to join my two boys, Marvin (7) and Arthur (5), and me. Rachel’s family is one of the only ones that I could possibly travel with. Firstly, she is a pro, having spent her early twenties travelling the world; and every year since, taking her three children on annual long-haul trips. Genuinely, Rachel’s favourite sound in life is the in-flight safety message (complete with whistle blowing and raft inflating demo), so she more than compensates for what I lack in travelling know-how. Also, crucially, with any family holiday, her children, whom I adore, are about the same ‘level of naughty’ as mine, so neither one of us need feel mortified when any of them inevitably plays up. And she drinks wine and is extremely gluttonous, so hooray to that.

The Guardian’s beauty expert Sali Hughes isn’t sure she knows how to do family holidays, but a stay on a farm in Wales certainly gave her an appetite – and not just for the food and drink…

Calf Term Break

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We arrive at Hardwick Farm to be greeted by Mark Poppins in wellies. Carol Jones has been deservedly put up for ‘Friendliest Landlady of the Year’ awards, and is extremely warm, helpful and no-nonsense.

She shows us around her cosy, spotlessly clean farmhouse, which is sweet, roomy and reassuringly functional. Hardwick is a working dairy farm – no affected ‘shabby chic’ nonsense here, just proper dirty wellies, two adorable working dogs, and hundreds of beautifully cared-for cows. Proprietor Cyril has to get up at 5am to begin milking, not that it interrupts a second of sleep during our entire stay. Our collective children dorm-out in two bedrooms, while Rach and I share another.

Tuesday is market day in Abergavenny and for greedy swine like us, a holiday highlight. We spend three hours ransacking the stalls for home-made pies, tarts and old-fashioned sweeties, as well as rummaging through the second-hand bric-a-brac and pocket-money toy stalls, which our children love.

A rainy Wednesday might be written off in another rural community, but we enjoy a highly successful excursion to Big Pit, the popular mining museum in nearby Blaenavon. Back in the days of the industrial revolution, Wales fuelled the world with its coal. At its peak in 1913, a staggering 57 million tons of coal were dug out of the hills by 232,000 men (and boys) working in 620 mines.

Although it’s Wales’s National Coal Museum, Big Pit is much more than a

museum piece, having been a working mine for 120 years until 1980. The guides are all ex-miners, which is a bit like having Indiana Jones showing you around the British Museum. All of us are handed miners’ hats before being taken down the pit for a tour that manages to be as brilliantly fun, noisy and exciting for the kids as it is fascinating for the adults – and, amazingly, I didn’t find it at all claustrophobic down there. But even if you can’t face the journey underground, Big Pit holds regular – and free – screenings of children’s films in their own cinema, as well as many other kids’ activities above ground.

On Thursday, we visit Raglan Castle, built between the 15th and 17th centuries and regarded as the most luxurious medieval castle in Britain. Raglan is a particularly appropriate place to visit as its rise in significance coincided with the fortune made from the importation of wine by its owners, the Herbert family. Rachel and I spend our visit discussing the fine details of this visionary business plan, while the kids play exuberant games of Ben 10 in the spacious grounds. Everybody’s happy.

From Raglan we head off for the historical town of Monmouth, a quaint, pretty daytrip destination with lots of inexpensive eateries (both independent and the usual child-friendly chains), gift shops, and a lovely little playground where our kids run themselves ragged. This is where we buy supplies for a children’s midnight feast back at Hardwick Farm.

Friday starts gently enough, with the kind of home-cooked farmhouse

‘We arrive at Hardwick Farm to be greeted by Mary Poppins in wellies.’

Raglan Castle

Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenavon

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breakfast that you can never quite re-create in an urban semi: locally cured bacon, fresh eggs, and the most perfect, plumpest, porkiest sausages. But even these are temporarily abandoned when Carol brings even more exciting fare: the calves are about to be born.

We gather in hushed awe on the straw-scattered floor of the calving shed, feeling a bit like the Three Wise Men and the shepherds might have felt if they’d got the time wrong and turned up a bit early. The cow doesn’t seem to mind. She’s busy bringing a pair of Friesian calves into the world. ‘Bless her – I know just how she feels’, whispers Rachel, as the cow moos deeply through the contractions. The children are equally transfixed by the miracle of birth. ‘Why is she pooing a big cow?’ asks Arthur. Everyone laughs. Even the cow.

It’s at this moment I have a revelation. This is how memories are made. It’s these simple, funny, entirely innocent observations that end up staying with you forever. It’s just one of the hundreds of thousands of collective experiences that a family has – but one that none of us will ever forget. I guess this is why people go on holidays, right?

After the drama we enjoy a day of parental meandering while the children hurtle energetically around the farm. On our last evening we treat ourselves to a family supper at The Angel Hotel, an elegant venue in the centre of Abergavenny. We are slightly worried that it is too elegant, and the site of five giddy children will annoy our fellow diners and exasperate waiters. We couldn’t have been more wrong.

We’re simply blown away by The Angel. Our children are greeted warmly and with a menu full of proper things for them to eat – authentic, fluffy omelettes, real, pulpy tomato pasta sauce and proper home-made chicken goujons that they (including the unimaginably picky Marv) scoff like Hardwick Farm heifers presented with a trough of cake. Rachel and I, meanwhile, are blissfully preoccupied with perfectly dressed, intelligently conceived salads (Rachel went mad for the beetroot, fig and goats cheese); honest, top-quality burgers and steaks, wonderful wines, hearty pasta and delicate, well seasoned sauces that had never been near a packet or jar. We had to double-check the £80 food and wine bill for missing items, so astonishingly low was it for the mountains we consumed. We will return to The Angel whenever we can.

For the first time ever, I’ve been on a family holiday and unusually, I feel sad it’s ending. I generally take Philip Larkin’s view of travel – ‘I wouldn’t mind seeing China if I could come back the same day’ – and tend to begin anticipating my homecoming within a few hours of arriving anywhere. But here that doesn’t apply. Both Hardwick Farm and Monmouthshire already feel so much like home that I don’t feel the same disquiet. As we sit in the car back to Brighton, it occurs to me that every member of my family is relaxed, happy and to my relief, finally in possession of those perfect holiday anecdotes other families tell with such fondness.

Monnow medieval bridge, Monmouth

For a proper holiday in the Welsh countryside with a warm farm welcome, visit the Farm Stay Wales website. farmstay.co.uk/wales

Farm Stay WalesSali Hughes and her family stayed at Hardwick Farm, a working dairy farm near Abergavenny, and a member of Farm Stay Wales. hardwickfarm.co.uk

It’s the perfect antidote to the urban grind: escape to the country, staying in a lovely old farmhouse or cosily converted cowshed, with friendly, knowledgeable rural families as your hosts.

There are over 100 members of Farm Stay Wales, who open their homes to provide top quality B&B with superb traditional Welsh farmhouse breakfasts. They also have lots of self-catering options in barn conversions, bunkhouses, and camping and caravan sites, all inspected and quality assessed.

There’ll often be seasonal farm activities going on, such as haymaking, sheep dipping, shoeing horses and milking. Farms are also a great base for cycling, horse riding and touring the country.

visitwales.co.uk/horse-riding visitwales.co.uk/cycling

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Go for a rideDid you remember to bring your horse? No? It’s perfectly possible in Wales, though, with a network of horse-friendly B&Bs along the mountain trails. There are also plenty of trekking and riding centres offering lessons and rides for the whole family, from complete beginners to experts, and anything from a couple of hours’ gentle pony-trekking to an epic 12-day tour across the spine of Wales (free-rein.co.uk). For more information, see ridingwales.com

Go campingWe’re not short of fields with stunning views and great camping facilities. We also do the glamping thing rather splendidly, with a full array of tipis, yurts, and Romany caravans (see visitwales.co.uk for details). And you know how kids love camper vans? Well so do we, and to prove it, we’ve got lots of places where you can hire one (including beaconscampers.com, pembrokeshireclassiccampers.co.uk, gobongo.co.uk and scampervanhire.co.uk).

Get wetCanyoning, or gorge walking, is just about the most fun you can have in a helmet and a wetsuit, scrambling through the white water, exploring behind the waterfalls and leaping into plunge-pools (under the strict supervision of experts, happily). It happens all over Wales – most notably at Bala, Llangollen, Llandysul and the Brecon Beacons.

There’s also plenty of white water rafting on offer: try the National White Water Centre on the River Tryweryn near Bala (ukrafting.co.uk) or on the fabulous purpose-built rapids at Cardiff International White Water (ciww.com).

You’re never far from a beach in Wales – see pages 2 to 7 for lots of coastal ideas – but there’s plenty of family fun to be found inland, too. Quite apart from all the fab stuff nature has laid on – walking the mountains, boating the lakes, roaming the forests, and so on – there are dozens of family-friendly museums, market towns and cities to explore, and plenty of great activities.

Here are just a few ideas:

Three Cliffs Bay, Gower PeninsulaCoasteering, Pembrokeshire

National Showcave Centre for Wales, near Swansea

White water rafting, near BalaTree Top Adventure, Betws-y-Coed

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Go undergroundWhen the miners finished digging out all those precious metals and minerals, they left something behind. Holes. Big ones. You can take tours of some of the most spectacular at Sygun Copper Mine near Beddgelert (syguncoppermine.co.uk), the old Llechwedd slate mines near Blaenau Ffestiniog (llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk) and at the Big Pit: National Coal Museum near Blaenavon (museumwales.ac.uk/bigpit). Or if you prefer your caves au naturel, head for the National Showcave Centre for Wales at Dan yr Ogof near Swansea (showcaves.co.uk), the grandest of the hundreds of miles of natural limestone caves in – or rather, under – Wales.

Take the trainHow about a family train trip? As well as the 14 narrow-gauge and steam railways in Wales, the National Rail network comes up trumps with three of the UK’s prettiest rail routes. The Cambrian Line’s stretch along Cardigan Bay is a beauty, and they’ve thoughtfully provided lots of extras for family travellers, like MP3 audio guides, between-station walks, and links with the narrow-gauge trains that steam inland from the coast. The Heart of Wales Line runs for 121 lovely miles

between Swansea and Shrewsbury, while the Conwy Valley line treks from Llandudno through Betws-y-Coed into the slate-mining heart of Snowdonia (greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk).

Family attractionsWhere to begin? Oakwood (oakwoodthemepark.co.uk) is a proper full-on theme park with properly scary rollercoasters and rides. There are family fun parks at Snowdonia’s Greenwood Forest Park (greenwoodforestpark.co.uk) and at Heatherton in Pembrokeshire (heatherton.co.uk). Young scientists love the hands-on exhibits at Techniquest (techniquest.org), while junior historians adore the Iron Age village at Castell Henllys (castellhenllys.com). The Centre for Alternative Technology is a genuine one-off gem, set magically on a hillside in a former slate mine (cat.org.uk). The Welsh Mountain Zoo has dozens of exotic species in Colwyn Bay (welshmountainzoo.org) while Folly Farm has the full monty of cuddlesome farm animals, as well as several species you wouldn’t expect to find roaming the Welsh countryside – like giraffes, for instance (folly-farm.co.uk).

And finally, a warning to children: if you are in Cardiff Bay, do beware of Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans. They may have escaped from the new Doctor Who Experience (doctorwhoexperience.com).

Out on a limbThe family holiday experience now extends to the parts of Wales usually reserved for squirrels. High up in the forest canopies, you’ll find an adventure paradise of rope bridges strung between trees, with ingenious obstacles to work around, and a zip wire to finish. Go Ape (goape.co.uk) has sites near Swansea and Dolgellau. Tree Top Adventure (ttadventure.co.uk) is at Betws-y-Coed in the heart of Snowdonia, while Tree Tops Adventure Trail (treetopstrail.com) is based at Heatherton near Tenby.

The Celtic Manor Resort near Newport has high and low rope courses (forestjump.co.uk), plus the UK’s longest zip wire, soaring for a kilometre above the Usk Valley and Ryder Cup golf course, reaching speeds of up to 50mph (celtic-manor.com).

Vale of Rheidol Railway Centre for Alternative Techology, near Machynlleth

Castell Henllys, Pembrokeshire Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenavon Techniquest, Cardiff

Oakwood Park, Pembrokeshire Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay

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Be my Gest My earliest memories? Just walking out of my nain’s house – nain is the name for grandmother in North Wales – and onto the footpath and across the fields and up into the hills. I remember so clearly going with my great uncle, who is a sheep farmer in those hills. There’s one called Moel y Gest just east of Criccieth, which I remember from my childhood as being a towering mountain. It’s not quite that big, but it’s still the place that’s most special to me. Whenever we went up there for the weekend, that was the first thing we’d do every Saturday morning: climb Moel y Gest. I went back just the other day, and all those memories came surging back. I still remember every tiny twist and turn of the track going up there.

I realised right from the beginning that Wales was somehow different. It’s partly because the people, and the village life, couldn’t have been more different from London where I grew up. But it’s also because all my family were totally obsessed by history. So while we were climbing up those hills, the thing we were talking about was the history, the language and the culture that surrounded us. Gwynedd is such a magical corner of Europe, it feels completely unique.

The Magical History Tour

The historian Dan Snow grew up steeped in Welsh history. In fact, he was christened in Wales, which technically means he’s been visiting the country since he was zero years old. Dan is a descendant of the great politician David Lloyd George and has inherited a passionate love of the Welsh landscape, people … and its ice cream.

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Left Statue of David Lloyd George, Llanystumdwy, Llyn Peninsula

Main Criccieth Castle

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Liberal valuesI’ve got a very personal connection with Welsh history: David Lloyd George, the British prime minister from 1916–22, was my great-great-taid (grandfather in North-Walian dialect). I think one thing we inherited from him was that the whole family put a huge emphasis on education and self-improvement, which came directly from that old non-conformist Welsh attitude. It’s what allowed so many of those people to do so many extraordinary things.

There was another side to Lloyd George, apart from the great statesman and social reformer, of course. We know that he could be a bit naughty, and we talked about all that in the family. There was certainly no blind ancestor worship at all! In fact, being a family of journalists and historians, we all enjoyed debating his career and legacy, the good and not-so-good. Although we were proud of what he achieved, we sometimes laughed about him as much as we praised him.

In the end, David Lloyd George chose not to be buried in Westminster Abbey, and instead lies by the River Dwyfor. We used to go there to visit his grave and the blacksmith’s cottage he grew up in. The Dwyfor is such a beautiful place, and he’s got an wonderful resting place.

Great strides One of my biggest passions is walking, and Wales is simply one of the best places to do it in the world. To choose my favourite Welsh walks seems ridiculous, when just about every single square mile has got a great walk.

North Wales was where we spent most of our time, so I’ve done a lot of miles up there. Recently I walked from Conwy Castle, heading due south up the valley and right up into the hills, and it was absolutely superb. The other day I was on the Llyn Peninsula, which is also glorious.

I didn’t get to the Brecon Beacons until I was about 20. The Beacons are wonderful, and I’ve done some amazing walks there. Then there’s Pembrokeshire, where I’ve walked a lot of the coast, including that whole stretch from St David’s Head, all the way up to Newport. That bit of coast path is just gorgeous.

I’d never been to Gower until quite recently, to my shame. Gower took my breath away. Worm’s Head is an incredible promontory that is cut off at high tide.. It really is something else.

Above, top to bottom

Grave of David Lloyd George, Llanystumdwy

Porth Dinllaen, Llyn Peninsula

St David’s Head, Pembrokeshire

Conwy Castle

‘ Come to think of it, I’m never happier than when I’m in Wales, eating and drinking. It’s heaven.’

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Past mastersAs a historian, you can’t help but look at the world differently. When I walk around Wales, I see a landscape completely shaped by its past. People think that what you see is a beautiful natural landscape, but it’s not. Beautiful it may very well be, but it’s a landscape that’s been deforested by our ancient ancestors, and shaped by industrial farming. I look around and see the struggles of hill farmers across the generations on what is often quite marginal land. I see evidence of 18th-century enclosure, of industrial revolution. And, of course, there are the castles…

You can’t walk around Wales without seeing a castle. What that tells me as a historian is very simple: you’re walking across a landscape that was at one stage militarised and heavily contested. When you see the castles in Wales, they may look romantic now, but they’re an indication of terrible violence, bloodshed, and hatred. Wales has been fought over by so many different groups in its history. Wales itself was divided into different little statelets, which fought against each other, and of course they fought against the English. It’s a remarkable, wild landscape, one that took the English hundreds of years to try and tame, so these castles are a vivid reminder of that period.

What about the industrial heritage? Wales was the first region on earth where more people had industrial jobs than agricultural jobs, and there are so many fascinating memorials to this. When you visit places like Big Pit – which is the most amazing museum in Europe, by the way – and see its pit head and go underground with a real ex-miner, it reminds you of the extraordinary changes that have taken place, just in the last 200 years. When you add that to the last 5,000 years of history – well, it’s almost overwhelming.

Living historyThere’s a definite sense in Wales that history is very much alive. I see lots of Neolithic and prehistoric remains here, which reminds me that there’s been civilisation and culture in this place long before writing emerged – longer than we can even understand. Wales feels like a very ancient land.

The Welsh language is a great example of this. It’s descended from what people spoke when Julius Caesar arrived in Kent, a language that was being spoken from the southern corner of England, all the way to Anglesey. I find that fascinating. Long before Latin or French or German arrived in these islands, this was the British tongue as it was spoken then. And it’s thrilling that this oral tradition is still alive in the Welsh language. There’s a great continuity in Wales, stretching back thousands of years, all the way to the present day, including my own family: my great uncle and all his kids speak Welsh.

Heaven on earthWhether I come to Wales for work or pleasure, it’s always a pleasure to eat and drink here. I love the local ingredients, like world-beating Welsh lamb, and Cadwallader’s ice cream – which comes from Criccieth – is obviously the best in the world! I’ve got a soft spot for all the stuff that appears in the afternoons, the Welsh cakes and bara brith and suchlike, which are fabulous. There also seem to be lots of new breweries popping up in Wales, and I’ve drunk a fair bit of very good ale there recently. Come to think of it, I’m never happier than when I’m in Wales, eating and drinking. It’s heaven.

Above, top to bottom

Pen y Fan, Brecon Beacons

Llandecwyn Church, Llyn Peninsula

A pint of Tomos Watkin, one of many of Wales’s new independent breweries

Graveside plaque, Llanystumdwy

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Industrial heritageThe Romans started it. Or at least, they heard about all those precious metals that were being mined here, and invaded Britain partly to get their hands on them: copper, iron, zinc, lead, silver – and of course gold. Welsh coal powered the Industrial Revolution, and Welsh slate put a roof over its head, and there are plenty of heritage sites to remind us of Wales’s rich industrial past.

Here’s a small selection:

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Near Llangollen pontcysyllte-aqueduct.co.uk

This should be on everyone’s bucket list: a trip on ‘the stream in the sky’, as the Llangollen Canal crosses the longest and highest cast-iron aqueduct in the world. 1,007 feet long and 126 feet high, with nothing between you and the River Dee far below except a great deal of fresh Welsh air.

Aberdulais Tin Works and WaterfallNear Neath nationaltrust.org.uk/aberdulais-tinworks-and-waterfall

The Vale of Neath is full of waterfalls, and they’re not just a pretty face. The falls at Aberdulais once powered a whole tinplate works. It still boasts the largest electricity-generating waterwheel in Europe.

Copper KingdomAmlwch copperkingdom.co.uk

The northernmost town in Wales was the hub of the copper industry, which has left some pretty impressive remains, notably at the stunning moonscape of Mynydd Parys.

Dolaucothi Gold MinesPumsaint nationaltrust.org.uk/dolaucothi-gold-mines

The Romans first mined here on an industrial scale 2,000 years ago. The mine eventually closed in the 1930s, but visitors can still take an underground tour and have a bash at panning for gold.

Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland RailwaysSnowdonia festrail.co.uk

Built to haul slate from Snowdonia’s mountains to the ports of Caernarfon and Porthmadog, these lovely railways now steam through the heart of some of Wales’s most stunning scenery.

Stately homesThere are grand mansions and stately homes all over Wales, evolved from ancient castles, or built on the proceeds of mining wealth, or simply because someone with enough money decided that this was a spot with a cracking view.

These five are in the care of the National Trust nationaltrust.org.uk:

Chirk Castlenationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle

Completed in 1310, this is the last Welsh castle from the reign of Edward I that’s still lived in today. The many splendours from its 700-year history are set in lovely gardens.

Plas NewyddLlanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyr- ndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch nationaltrust.org.uk/plas-newydd

An elegant house on the shores of the Menai Strait containing the largest collection of Rex Whistler’s works, a military museum, and a fine spring garden. We weren’t just looking for an excuse to print the town’s name, honest.

LlanerchaeronAberaeron nationaltrust.org.uk/llanerchaeron

A delightful 18th-century Welsh gentry estate with a spectacular walled garden and a passion for self-sufficient living (and a farm shop for any surplus goodies).

Penrhyn CastleBangor nationaltrust.org.uk/penrhyn-castle

This mock-Norman whopper cost the Pennant family the modern equivalent of £50m-plus to build. No expense was spared in any detail, including a one-ton slate bed built especially for Queen Victoria to kip in.

Above, top to bottom

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Llangollen Canal

Powis Castle, Welshpool

Caerphilly Castle, Caerphilly

National Waterfront Museum, Swansea

Living historyWales is not looking bad for its age. Come and have a closer look for yourself.

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Powis CastleWelshpool nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle

Many visitors are drawn by the gorgeous gardens, but the grand house, which started life as the fortress of a medieval Welsh prince, is full of treasures.

CastlesWe do a good castle, fair play. There are 641 of them in Wales, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and states of repair. Some have been lived in continuously for a thousand years. Others are tumbledown ruins in remote forests. Some were built to keep invaders out, others to keep us lot in check. There are castles on clifftops, castles with gardens, haunted castles, castles with museums, castles on beaches... You get the picture. Lots of castles. Here are just a few which are cared for by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation (cadw.wales.gov.uk):

BeaumarisThe last and largest of Edward I’s ‘ring of steel’ castles, built in the 1200s to control North Wales. It was never quite finished – the cash ran out – but its intricate design makes it the most technically perfect castle in Britain.

CaerphillyThis big cheese is the second-largest castle in Britain after Windsor. The mighty Norman fortress comes with an enormous moat, working siege engines, and a leaning tower that out-leans the one in Pisa.

ChepstowBuilt precariously on clifftops over the Wye, Chepstow’s spectacular castle guards an important river crossing from England to Wales. When its fighting days were over, it became an essential part of the ‘Wye Tour’, a favourite journey of 18th-century romantics.

Conwy What makes Conwy so special is that not only has its thumping great castle survived, but also the original 22-tower walled town that was built around it.

CilgerranThis striking 13th-century castle is perched over the spectacular Teifi Gorge and has inspired many artists, including Turner. The annual coracle races take place on the river here each August as part of the Cilgerran Festive Week.

National museumsWe’ve got a magnificent seven national museums, with world-class collections from Wales and around the globe – and what’s more, free admission for everyone (museumwales.ac.uk):

National Museum CardiffCardiff

One of Europe’s finest art collections takes a trip with dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, and hundreds of animal and plant species, on a journey from the Big Bang to the present day (that’s around 13 billion years, give or take).

St Fagans: National History MuseumCardiff

Wales’s most popular heritage attraction is this fabulous open-air museum, featuring 40 original buildings relocated to 100 woodland acres in the grounds of a 16th-century manor house.

National Waterfront MuseumSwansea

This hi-tech museum celebrates the mining, metal-working and transport technologies that changed the world during the Industrial Revolution, alongside big new ideas on how Welsh science is helping to shape the future.

National Slate MuseumLlanberis

The vast Dinorwig quarry closed in 1969, and now its Victorian workshops tell the gripping story of how slate mining changed the North Wales landscape and people. It’s largely staffed by ex-miners, who bring the whole story vividly to life.

Big Pit: National Coal MuseumBlaenavon

Dan Snow’s personal favourite is this living, breathing tribute to the coal industry and the people and society it created. There’s lots to explore in the old colliery buildings, and you can descend 90m underground with a real miner to see what life was like at the coalface.

National Wool MuseumDre-fach Felindre

There are three times as many sheep as people in Wales, and this friendly museum, set in the old Cambrian Mills in the Teifi Valley, tells the fascinating story of the Welsh wool industry from fleece to fabric.

National Roman Legion MuseumCaerleon

They came, they saw, they conquered. And in AD75, the Romans built a fortress at Caerleon that would guard the region for over 200 years. The ruins include the most complete amphitheatre in Britain and the only remains of a Roman Legionary barracks on view anywhere in Europe.

The oldest human remains found in Wales date back 230,000 years. Europe’s earliest known ceremonial burial – the so-called Red Lady of Paviland, although he was later found to be a chap who lived near what is now Swansea – is 33,000 years old.

The countryside is richly scattered with Neolithic tombs, standing stones and Iron Age forts. One such fort, Castell Henllys in Pembrokeshire, has been reconstructed so that visitors can have a fascinating hands-on experience of what life was like in an Iron Age roundhouse 2,400 years ago. castellhenllys.com

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With music events galore and new arts and literature events springing up with every year that passes, Wales has rightly reclaimed its position as the most cultured and creative corner of the UK, according to Robin Turner. As a respected figure in the music industry and one of the founders of the much-loved Caught By The River website, he’s in an ideal position to judge. caughtbytheriver.net

MUSIC FESTIVALSI

Ellie Goulding performing at Wakestock

Porthcawl Elvis Festival

Brecon Jazz

Green Man

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry Kaya Festival

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watersports exhibitions with familiar UK acts like Ed Sheeran and Calvin Harris has drawn capacity crowds to the dramatic coastline of the Llyn Peninsula for over a decade. A classic illustration that anything goes when it comes to festivals in Wales.

Brecon Jazz continues to book both the esoteric and the legendary to the heart of Powys. And the National Eisteddfod – that triumphant rolling revue of Welsh culture and heritage – offers a chance to hear how the native tongue has been set to music over countless generations.

There are myriad events celebrating the musical diversity of Wales – the Kaya world music festival, in Gwynedd, the Gregynog classical music festival in Mid Wales and the international storytelling festival Beyond The Border in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Before we turn this feature into an Oscars ceremony acceptance speech, I have to mention the globally-renowned Hay Festival in Mid Wales and the comparatively tiny Do Lectures, which punches well above its weight in attracting great speakers, thinkers and the occasional musical genius, to Cardigan.

My own involvement in the Welsh festival scene started out after two work colleagues and I founded Caught by the River – our online antidote to indifference – five years ago. Although originally conceived as somewhere to jot down thoughts from the bankside, it rapidly grew into a home for musings on films, books, nature and lots of music. We have found ourselves helping out at two nascent Welsh festivals – the Carmarthenshire literary gathering Dinefwr and Portmeirion’s end-of-summer blow-out Festival No.6.

It’s perpetually heart-warming to see how Wales has become home to many of the UK’s most loved musical celebrations. Festivals suit us. Music is in our blood. It always has been. And personally? To have been asked to get involved in music and more on Welsh soil… Well, it’s the ultimate sort of homecoming, isn’t it?

National Eisteddfod

I’m not really one for silence. Music has always been an inextricable part of my life.

It’s a constant, ticking, fizzing background noise; I’ve been seeking it out for as long as I can remember.

As a child, my obsession was confined to the living room watching Top of the Pops on TV, listening to the radio at all hours in my bedroom, or swapping well-worn cassettes with friends at school. Obsessive behaviour that happily earned me a reputation as the kid with his head permanently buried in the speakers. I’ve never been troubled to shake it off.

The misspent youth of the early ’80s led this Newport native away from his hometown. Back then, it really felt like music – certainly the kind I wanted to hear – happened anywhere but home.

I was always aware that the rich musical heritage of Wales ran deep within the soul of its people.

From Badfinger to Bullet for my Valentine, Datblygu to Duffy – this is a country that produces a bewildering variety of contemporary music.

This is also a welcoming place for musicians. It’s where Joe Strummer, the iconic singer of The Clash, first felt at home after moving to Newport in the 1970s. It’s where Led Zeppelin went to ‘get it together in the country’ and where one of the UK’s most infamous recording studios – Rockfield –played host to everyone from Queen to The Stone Roses. It was hardly as if musicians have been resistant to the obvious allure of Wales; but few music festivals to speak of. All very puzzling…

So I shuffled off to the smoke for a decade and a half. I worked for an independent record label called Heavenly Recordings. I lived the dream, working alongside Manic Street Preachers, the Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Saint Etienne and many others. No longer was I an innocent bystander.

Gifted with the chance to travel from country to country, I fell in love with the music festival. I stood in front of temporary towers of speaker stacks in Scotland, Sweden – Sydney even – and I discovered that true escapism was really just an easily-assembled tent and a well-packed bag of hand luggage away.

While I was away something extraordinary happened. Wales became festival country.

At this point, I feel I should refer to statistical evidence pointing out that Wales has more festivals per capita than any other country in Western Europe. I can’t, but that’s what it feels like these days.

There are music festivals, there are festivals for readers, writers, talkers, thinkers, druids, dancers, DJs, surfers and bog-snorkellers.

Food growers and devourers, cinema-goers and even Elvis impersonators have festivals they can call their very own.

Best of all, many festivals incorporate several of the elements in one wondrous package.

Wales knows a lot about creating a sense of community. Welsh landscape and historical tradition has meant that the country is made up of hundreds of small communities, each with their individual characteristics and peculiarities. It’s little wonder that Wales has embraced the idea of building annual communities-under-canvas.

But where to start?Green Man is a festival close to my heart. It started as a small event for 300 friends at the former Swansea Valley home of Australian opera singer Dame Adelina Patti. That spirit of closeness has carried on, even though it attracts over 30 times the original number of people.

Green Man is now held on the verdant Glanusk Estate, on the banks of the River Wye. It’s a magnet for many of the most acclaimed alternative music acts in the US and a haven for lovers of acoustic, folk-tinged music. Then just to prove things don’t have to make sense to work, Green Man also excels in attracting underground dance music artists and DJs. The musical co-existence is perfectly harmonious, with film, literature, comedy and communal bonfires thrown in for good measure.

Elsewhere, BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens’s SWN festival proves that it’s not one-size-fits-all in Wales. SWN takes place across a seemingly inexhaustible number of live music venues across Cardiff and it vies with similar events in London, Brighton and Austin, Texas for showcasing the future leaders of the alternative music scene.

At the other end of the country, Wakestock is the largest wakeboarding and music festival in Europe. Mixing adventurous

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The Do LecturesCardigan (March)

The only event in this feature that takes place in a chicken shed near Cardigan. The Do Lectures was dreamt up by Clare and David Hieatt, founders of the Howies clothing brand. Speakers are invited to come and inspire attendees across a huge range of topics, from global warming to bread making. dolectures.com

Hay FestivalHay-on-Wye (May/June)

Writers, broadcasters, comedians, musicians and the occasional US President gather for this week-long festival of literature in the lovely Mid Wales market town of Hay-on-Wye. There are various music events throughout the week, adding to the vibrant, friendly atmosphere of one of Britain’s most treasured festival weeks. hayfestival.com

Kaya FestivalBangor (June)

A three-day celebration of mainly African and Caribbean music located on the picturesque Vaynol Estate in North Wales. Acts who performed in 2012 included dub reggae legend Lee Scratch Perry and king of Afrobeat Tony Allen. kayafestival.co.uk

BBC Cardiff Singer of theWorld Cardiff (June)

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2013, the competition attracts the finest emerging vocal talent in opera and classical recital to Cardiff’s St David’s Hall. Previous competitors include US soprano Nicole Cabell, China’s Shenyang and Wales’s own Bryn Terfel. bbc.co.uk/wales/cardiffsinger

Gregynog FestivalNewtown (June/July)

A nine-day opera and classical music event in Mid Wales. The festival was established in 1933 by avid patrons of the arts the Davies Sisters and was supported by legendary classical music figures including Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams. More recently it was named one of the top 12 music festivals in Britain by VisitBritain. gregynogfestival.org

Dinefwr Literature FestivalLlandeilo (June/July)

It really is all go in this cultural hotbed of West Wales. The Dinefwr Festival is a bilingual celebration of music and literature taking place at the splendid 17th-century Dinefwr Castle country house on the outskirts of town. Anticipate some puzzled onlookers in the shape of the rare herd of white park long-horned cattle patrolling the estate. dinefwrliteraturefestival.co.uk

Beyond The BorderVale of Glamorgan (June/July)

Billed as an International Storytelling Festival, it’s a three-day event, featuring a host of storytellers and musicians from Wales and further afield. The venue is St Donat’s Castle in the picturesque Vale of Glamorgan, near Cardiff, and the next event takes place in 2014. beyondtheborder.com

WakestockAbersoch (July)

What started as an impromptu party in a car park now boasts of being the largest festival of its kind in Europe. Abersoch on the Llyn Peninsula has long been a Mecca for water sports fanatics and Wakestock came about when its founder, Mark Durston, hit upon the idea of combining three days of

THE FEST IS YET To CoME

Maybe it’s because of the incredible beauty of its Black Mountain location, the passion for music which draws musicians and music lovers back each year, or that it’s never strayed from its independent anti-corporate stance which has made Green Man such a unique experience. Whatever the reason, expect the unexpected, and a very warm welcome, friendliness and humour that can only be found in Wales.

Fiona Stewart, Green Man Festival

Green Man

If you’re looking for music, literature and dance then you’ve come to the right place. From chamber orchestras to superstar DJs, crazy weekends of adventure sports to peaceful weeks of contemplation. It’s all here and plenty more besides.

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Hay Festival Green Man Merthyr Rock

wakeboarding competitions and exhibitions with a music festival to complement the tastes of the legion of rockin’, dubsteppin’ surf punks who now make their way here in their tens of thousands each year. wakestock.co.uk

Llangollen InternationalEisteddfodLlangollen (July)

Llangollen is a great place to visit at any time of the year. It gets an added burst of vibrancy during six days of friendly competition between singers and dancers from all over the world. international-eisteddfod.co.uk

Cardiff Multicultural MelaCardiff (July)

The waterfront in Cardiff has been transformed over the past decade. Dramatic architectural statements like the Wales Millennium Centre and the National Assembly for Wales co-exist with the grandeur of the past. A perfect location for 30,000 people to gather for this celebration of contemporary Asian culture in Wales. cardiffmela.com

The National Eisteddfodof WalesDenbigh (August)

A nomadic festival, which moves location every summer, this celebration of Welsh Language culture attracts 150,000 people each year. Yes, there is close-harmony singing and yes, there are druids. In fact, SWN Festival founder and BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens was made a druid in 2012. But there’s a whole lot besides, including an acclaimed contemporary art exhibition and a week of alternative music gigs.

eisteddfod.org.uk

Brecon JazzBrecon (August)

Three days of live music across the breadth of the jazz landscape, from vocal legend Dionne Warwick to saxophone experimentalist Andy Sheppard. Located at various venues around town, you can’t really get any better than a great jazz concert in Brecon Cathedral, can you? breconjazz/hayfestival.com

Green ManCrickhowell (August)

In relative terms, Green Man is still in its infancy. It celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2013 and has grown organically to become one of the most respected events in the UK. Set in the picturesque Glanusk Estate, it’s a Mecca for fans of US alternative rock, but there’s plenty more besides. greenman.net

Merthyr RockRhondda Valley (August/September)

Brought to you by the people behind the Hay Festival, what might appear a curious creative diversion reflects the simple fact that Wales loves to rock. Always has, always will. Recent growth in the popularity of alternative rock and metal bands from Wales has given this event an added boost. hayfestival.com/merthyrrock

North Wales InternationalMusic FestivalSt Asaph (September)

A week-long celebration of classical music, combining a variety of recitals, workshops and talks during the day with a series of concerts in the evenings. Held at St Asaph Cathedral, it culminates in a performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. northwalesmusicfestival.co.uk

North Wales Choral FestivalLlandudno (October)

Choirs from all over Britain, Ireland and mainland Europe travel to compete at Llandudno’s Venue Cymru. The event celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2012 and continues to grow in popularity each year. northwaleschoralfestival.co.uk

SWN FestivalCardiff (October)

Predicting four days of mayhem might not appear all that inviting. But once you’re bitten by the SWN bug, you’ll find yourself enthusiastically hurtling from venue to venue in the heart of Cardiff, witnessing 150 of the best new bands on the planet – all for the price of one ticket. You probably will need a bit of a lie down afterwards, though. swnfest.com

WoMEXCardiff (October)

The World Music Expo is to music as the Cannes Festival is to film, and this year Cardiff has won the honour of hosting the biggest gathering of musicians from the worlds of folk, roots, ethnic and traditional music. Alongside the trade fair, conferences and awards, there’ll be 60 concerts featuring 300-plus artists from around the globe. womex.com

Soundtrack Music & FilmFestivalCardiff and Newport (November)

A mix of film, music and, in some cases, both at the same time. Previous Soundtrack guests include film director and London 2012 visionary Danny Boyle, DJ and documentary-maker Don Letts and Velvet Underground founder member John Cale. soundtrackfilmfestival.com

For a comprehensive list of festivals taking place in Wales: visitwales.co.uk 31visitwales.co.uk

National Eisteddfod Madam Butterfly, Welsh National Opera

Doctor Who Experience, Cardiff Bay

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AN AFFAIR oF THE ARTSIn Wales, performing is as natural as kicking a football about – it’s just one of those things we do, pretty much from the moment we totter onto the stage of our first school eisteddfod, a tradition that dates back more than 800 years.

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The first Eisteddfod was held in 1176 at the court of the Lord Rhys in Cardigan, where poets and musicians gathered to show off their skills in a kind of medieval X Factor. The winner was awarded a seat at the Lord’s table, a tradition that continues today: the poet who writes the best verse in the strict metre known as cynghanedd is given a chair, while the best ‘free verse’ wins its author a crown.

These ceremonies – the Crowning and Chairing of the Bard – still form the solemn centrepiece of any big eisteddfod, but they’re just a small part of the whole picture, which sees hotly contested competitions for all kinds of arts, from choirs and dance troupes to recitation and rock. Above all, it’s just a lot of fun: communities getting together to show off their skills on stage, and having a good time into the bargain.

And it’s this sense of performance that pervades the whole of Welsh society, from the belting out of the national anthem before a rugby match, to the world-class performances of Welsh National Opera, to the new BBC drama village in Cardiff Bay, where major British TV series like Casualty and Upstairs Downstairs are made … and of course Dr Who, to which a new visitor centre is dedicated (doctorwhoexperience.com).

There’s open-air theatre, opera and classical concerts in castle courtyards and country gardens all over the country. Theatre also takes place on a grass-roots level: every town has its own choir and dramatic society, every hall and Scout hut hosts its own community events, and the sound of home-grown music leaks from the beer gardens and street corners. It’s just what we do.

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Llangollen International Eisteddfod

Let us entertain youHere are some of the world-class ensembles based in Wales:

BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales

Under the baton of Thomas Søndergård, the orchestra continues to have a very special role as both a national and broadcasting orchestra. As well as touring internationally, it’s in demand at major UK festivals and performs at the BBC Proms and the mighty BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. bbc.co.uk/orchestras/bbcnow

Hijinx Theatre

Hijinx brings top quality, professional, accessible and entertaining plays to small communities throughout Britain. hijinx.org.uk

National Dance Company Wales

One of Europe’s finest dance companies, founded in 1983 under the name Diversions, the company is renowned for its innovative choreography, performed by dancers with virtuosity, individuality and character. ndcwales.co.uk

National Theatre Wales

Bold, innovative, invigorating theatre in the English language, firmly rooted in Wales, but with a truly international reach. nationaltheatrewales.org

NoFit State Circus

This contemporary circus combines live music, dance, stage design, text and film with dazzling traditional skills. The result is utterly bewitching: dark, witty, strangely beautiful circus like you’ve never seen it done before. nofitstate.org

Urdd Gobaith Cymru

The Urdd organisation provides cultural and sporting activities for 53,000 young people in Wales, and their annual Urdd National Eisteddfod is the largest competitive youth festival in Europe, promoting youth arts and creativity with 15,000 finalists at a week-long summer celebration. urdd.org

Welsh National Opera

If there’s one Welsh arts organisation whose reputation is truly world-wide, then it’s WNO: the UK’s premier touring opera company, the most active in Europe, and whose every production comes with a guarantee of artistic excellence. wno.org.uk

Cultural capital

Wales Millennium Centre

Our flagship arts centre is home to musicals, opera, ballet, theatre and dance, as well as several arts organisations and some cracking restaurants and cafés. Locals supposedly call it ‘The Armadillo’ (we don’t really – it’s a media myth). wmc.org.uk

St David’s Hall

Music, dance and comedy are the main events at this city centre concert hall, renowned for its brilliant acoustics and comfy seats. stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff

This 5,000-seat arena is often where major artists stop off on the Welsh leg of their global tours. motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

The National Conservatoire of Wales is one of the UK’s most exciting training centres for the performing arts, and there are regular concerts by students and visiting virtuosi at its stunning new £22.5 million complex. wcmd.ac.uk

New Theatre

This lovely old theatre was ‘new’ in 1878, and is still the best place for drama and pantomime in the capital. newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

Sherman Theatre

New writing is at the core of this innovative theatre, which showcases the best new writing and acting talent. shermancymru.co.uk

Chapter Arts Centre

Radical art, edgy theatre, world cinema, late-night comedy, great chips, the best-kept beer in Canton … this much-loved suburban arts centre has something for everyone. chapter.org

Arts around WalesMining communities were famously rich in culture, with each colliery supporting its own male voice choir, dramatic society and silver band. Arts venues sprang up in every mining town, usually paid for by the men themselves, chipping in a few pence from their weekly wage.

Many of these venues are still thriving in Wales – places like the Stiwt Theatre in Wrexham (stiwt.co.uk), Blackwood Miners’ Institute (blackwoodminersinstitute.com), the Coliseum Theatre in Aberdare (coliseum.rct-arts.org) and The Park & Dare in Treorchy (parkdare.rct-arts.org) – are still the cultural focus of their communities, with lively programmes of music, cinema, dance and theatre.

They have certainly moved with the times: the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl (grandpavilion.co.uk) used to be known for its annual miners’ eisteddfod; nowadays it’s renowned as home to the stupendous Porthcawl Elvis Festival (elvies.co.uk).

At Llangollen (international-eisteddfod.co.uk) they’ve completely reinvented the eisteddfod concept, inviting more than 4,000 singers, dancers and instrumentalists from around 50 countries to perform, climaxing with the prestigious Choir of the World contest.

The mines have mostly closed, but new arts venues continue to open. Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon (brycheiniog.co.uk) is a great example. This stunning modern theatre, set prettily by the canal isn’t just a superb centre for the arts – its café is deservedly praised by the Good Food Guide. Now that’s music to our ears...

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Wales 2013Wales 2013

Crab-catching, town-crying and feasting. Stoneskimming, knitting and thinking. We’re not short of peculiarly delightful events in Wales.

This is also home to numerous events of world renown in literature, music and sport. There are events to entertain the relentlessly active and the positively passive; and the information featured over the next few pages is all you need to make sure you don’t miss the action on your visit.

Clockwise (from top left)

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Selection of beers from the Saturnalia Beer Festival & Chariot Race

St David’s Day Parade

Wales Millennium Centre, home to Classic FM Live In Wales

Dylan Thomas, inspiration for The Laugharne Weekend

Cardiff Castle, setting for the RHS Flower Show

Green Man Festival, Crickhowell

World Bog Snorkelling Championship, Llanwrtyd Wells

Events Diary

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Wales 201312th January

Saturnalia Beer Festival & Chariot Race, Llanwrtyd WellsSaturnalia was the major midwinter Roman festival. In this version, participants are encouraged to wear Roman dress, eat Roman food, quaff fine ales and party with friends. You could even compete in the World Mountain Bike Chariot Racing Championship. green-events.co.uk

2nd February

Wales v Ireland, CardiffThe Millennium Stadium hosts the first rugby union international of the Six Nations championship, as defending Grand Slam champions Wales take on Ireland. millenniumstadium.com

4th – 17th February

Quiltfest, LlangollenAnything and everything to do with quilt making: exhibitions, competition, demonstrations and workshops. quiltfest.org.uk

14th February

Classic FM Live in Wales, CardiffHeld at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Classic FM Live will combine the very best international performers with the very best talents in Welsh classical music. Presented in a high quality contemporary setting, making classical music accessible to a wide audience. classicfm.com

14th – 17th February

Model Railway Show, LlanberisA steam-filled spectacular at the National Slate Museum, Llanberis. Daily demos, talks, and various engines and layouts of all shapes and sizes. museumwales.ac.uk

1st March

St David’s Day ParadeTo celebrate our patron saint’s day, parades and events take place all over Wales. In bigger towns and cities look out for food festivals, concerts and street parties. stdavidsday.org

16th March

Wales v England, CardiffThe final day of the Six Nations rugby union championship, and the most eagerly awaited fixture of the year at the Millennium Stadium. millenniumstadium.com

16th – 29th March

Wales One World Film Festival, Cardiff & AberystwythOne World explores the edges of contemporary global cinema and gives audiences the chance to celebrate world cinema in all its richness and diversity.wowfilmfestival.com

5th – 7th April

The Laugharne Weekend, LaugharneA weekend of celebrations set in poet Dylan Thomas’s Carmarthenshire bolthole, showcasing the best in Welsh and international culture and literature (see page 58 for more). thelaugharneweekend.com

19th – 21st April

RHS Flower Show, CardiffHeld in magnificent Bute Park against the backdrop of Cardiff Castle, the show provides an inspirational display of vibrant gardening, floral delights and expert advice.rhs.org.uk

27th – 28th April

Wonderwool Wales, Builth WellsA fun and fibre-packed weekend that includes displays, workshops and demonstrations. wonderwoolwales.co.uk

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Wales 2013

Clockwise (from right)

Llandudno, home of the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza

Etape Eryri, Caernarfon

Llangollen International Eisteddfod

Drovers’ Walks, Llanwrtyd Wells

Pembrokeshire Fish Week

Man v Horse Marathon, Llanwrtyd Wells

British Speedway Grand Prix, Cardiff

Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye

Steam 150, Ffestiniog Railway

3rd – 5th May

Machynlleth Comedy Festival, MachynllethAn annual live comedy festival brings top comics to this lovely Mid Wales town.machcomedyfest.co.uk

3rd – 6th May

Steam 150, Ffestiniog RailwayCelebrate the 150th anniversary of the Ffestiniog Railway with special exhibitions and extra trains. festrail.co.uk

4th – 6th May

Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza, LlandudnoThis gracious seaside resort returns to its roots to celebrate its Victorian heritage. An event packed full of steam engines, Victorian musical organs, vintage cars, costumes, curiosities and side shows. victorian-extravaganza.co.uk

17th – 19th May

Beer Festival, Welsh Highland RailwayAn annual festival with many local ales and live music. whr.co.uk

19th May

Snowdonia Slateman Triathlon, LlanberisA triathlon to remember! The two race options will be the Full Slateman (1000m/51km/11km) or the Slateman Sprint (400m/20km/6km). snowdoniaslateman.com

23rd May – 2nd June

Hay Festival, Hay-on-WyeTen days, 900+ events, and arguably the world’s greatest gathering of international writers and thinkers. Unmissable. hayfestival.com

24th – 27th May

Welsh Perry and Cider FestivalHeld annually in the cider-producing southeast corner of Wales, it’s a festival of the taste buds, where you can combine some of Britain’s best cider and perry with great food. welshcider.co.uk

24th – 30th May

Beaumaris Arts Festival, AngleseyThis seaside town is the perfect setting for a week-long arts festival. Events include classical music and jazz performances, talks, theatrical events, poetry readings and art exhibitions. beaumarisfestival.com

26th May

Welsh Open Stoneskimming Championships, Llanwrtyd WellsStoneskimming is the ancient skill of how far you can bounce stones across water. You can enter the fray, or just enjoy other amusing stone-themed events. green-events.co.uk

27th May – 1st June

Urdd National Eisteddfod, PembrokeshireOne of the largest cultural youth festivals in Europe, celebrating the best talent in song, dance, drama and design. This year it’s held near Boncath. urdd.org/eisteddfod

1st June

British Speedway Grand Prix, CardiffThe Millennium Stadium hosts its 13th consecutive FIM British Speedway Grand Prix. speedwaygp.com

5th – 8th June

Three Castles Welsh Classic Trial, LlandudnoAttracting over 300 classic cars from the early 1900s through to today’s supercars. Stalls, children’s entertainments, refreshments and live jazz. three-castles.co.uk

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Wales 2013

From 6th June

ICC Champions Trophy, CardiffThe ICC Champions Trophy features the eight best one-day international teams in the world, in an 18-day tournament held in three UK stadiums. But it begins at Cardiff’s SWALEC Stadium, when India face South Africa on 6th June. Other fixtures at Cardiff: Sri Lanka v New Zealand (9th June), West Indies v South Africa (14th June), England v New Zealand (16th June), Semi-final (20th June). icc-cricket.com

8th June

Man v Horse Marathon, Llanwrtyd WellsA unique marathon of 22 miles through spectacular countryside where runners and horses compete against each other. The human runner has won just twice in the event’s 32-year history. green-events.co.uk

9th – 14th June

Llangollen International Eisteddfod, LlangollenAn extraordinary cultural celebration featuring 4,000 competitors from around the world in song, dance and music. international-eisteddfod.co.uk

14th – 16th June

Speedy Services Wales Senior Open, Royal PorthcawlA host of fine golfers take on one of the greatest links courses in the land. If the wind bites, watch these flinty competitors at their very best. royalporthcawl.com

16th June

Etape Eryri, CaernarfonA cycling event not to miss. The route could not be more spectacular, exploring the most breathtaking and scenic roads in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park. etapeeryri.com

16th – 23rd June

Cardiff Singer of the World, CardiffOne of the world’s most coveted music prizes celebrates its 30th anniversary, showcasing some immense vocal talent from across the globe. bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger

22nd June

Drovers’ Walks, Llanwrtyd WellsFollow in the footsteps of the drovers who herded their sheep, cattle, pigs and geese across the mountains of Wales to the market towns of England. There’s a choice of distances, all through beautiful countryside.green-events.co.uk

22nd – 30th June

Pembrokeshire Fish WeekThis whopper of a festival has more than 250 events celebrating the county’s great seafood and beautiful coastline. Learn to fly-fish, go crab-catching, tuck into the freshest seafood, get digging in a sandcastle challenge, and much more. pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk

25th – 30th June

Ruthin Festival, RuthinAn outstanding variety of non-stop music, from traditional folk to classical, as well as the best from the world of jazz and popular music. ruthinfestival.co.uk

4th – 7th July

North Wales Bluegrass Festival, ConwyA hoedown of traditional American folk music complete with banjos and double basses. northwalesbluegrass.co.uk

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5th – 7th July

Wakestock, AbersochEurope’s largest wakeboard music festival, with free-to-watch wakeboarding by day and music by night. wakestock.co.uk

12th – 27th July

Gower FestivalThe churches along Gower become intimate concert venues as this festival brings the very best in music to this beautiful peninsula. gowerfestival.org

20th July

International Snowdon Race, SnowdoniaOne of Europe’s toughest endurance challenges, this race involves running a steep five-mile track up and down the highest summit in Wales and England. snowdonrace.co.uk

21st – 28th July

Conwy River FestivalIf jaunty sailing boats with bright red sails are your thing, then this week of yacht racing and cruising is definitely for you. Even if it isn’t, there are plenty of shore-based activities to entertain you. Ever fancied dressing up as a pirate? conwyriverfestival.org

22nd – 25th July

Royal Welsh Show, Builth WellsThis huge agricultural show isn’t just about cows and combine harvesters. With live music, stunt displays, crafts stalls, great food and a host of other attractions, you don’t have to be a farmer (or Welsh) to love it. rwas.co.uk

23rd July – 26th August

Cardiff FestivalThe capital comes alive for a month of street theatre, live music, comedy, drama and funfairs. It’s all part of the UK’s largest free outdoor festival. cardiff-festival.com

24th – 27th July

North Wales Boat Show, ConwyA celebratory festival of all water-based activities. northwalesboatshow.com

26th – 28th July

Big Cheese Festival, CaerphillyA celebration of the history, heritage and culture of Caerphilly with an extravaganza of street entertainers, living history encampments, music, dance, falconry, fire eating and much more, all set around Caerphilly Castle, one of the largest in Europe.

thevalleys.co.uk/whats-on/the-big-cheese

27th – 28th July

Really Wild Food Festival, St David’sHeld within sight of the sea and the ancient cathedral, this festival is a celebration of food and countryside crafts originating from the wild. reallywildfestival.co.uk

3rd – 10th August

National Eisteddfod of Wales, DenbighThe highlight of the Welsh language cultural calendar is an eight-day festival of poetry, literature, music, dance, comedy, science and technology. Not only a festival for Welsh speakers, rather a friendly and vibrant festival for anyone interested in the culture and language of Wales. eisteddfod.org.uk

9th – 11th August

Brecon JazzWorld-famous jazz festival set in the beautiful Brecon Beacons, featuring major international names. The 2012 festival included performances from Dionne Warwick, Roy Ayers and Ginger Baker.breconjazz.com

13th – 14th August

Anglesey County ShowOne of Wales’s premier agricultural shows attracts competitors from across the UK and over 60,000 spectators. angleseyshow.org.uk

13th – 15th August

Pembrokeshire County ShowThe biggest county show in Wales is also one of the very best of its kind in Britain, whether your interest is cars, food, clothes or animals. pembsshow.org

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Wales 2013Clockwise (top left)

Conwy River Festival

Twenty Ten Clubhouse, Celtic Manor Resort

Merthyr Rock, Merthyr Tydfil

Extreme Sailing Series, Cardiff Bay

Mardi Gras, Cardiff

Big Cheese Festival, Caerphilly

Wakestock, Abersoch

Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells

15th – 18th August

Green Man Festival, CrickhowellThis wonderful family-friendly festival takes place on the Glanusk Estate in the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park, and features far more than just great music. greenman.net

17th August

Town Crier Festival, KnightonThe 10th anniversary of an event where dozens of loud-mouthed men and women travel the length and breadth of Britain for the chance to take part and be crowned the winner. visitknighton.co.uk/towncrierfestival.htm

23rd – 26th August

Extreme Sailing Series, CardiffOne of the most prestigious international competitions for sailing professionals, and one of the most exciting for spectators as Extreme 40 catamarans whizz around Cardiff Bay close to the crowds.

extremesailingseries.com

25th August

World Bog Snorkelling Championship, Llanwrtyd WellsDaring competitors battle it out in a 60-metre peat bog for the coveted title of World Champion Bog Snorkeller. This has to be the dirtiest water sport of the year! green-events.co.uk

29th August – 1st September

ISPS Handa Wales Open, Celtic Manor Resort, NewportA leading event on golf’s European Tour, attracting some of the world’s top golfers, played on the Twenty Ten course, designed for the 2010 Ryder Cup. celtic-manor.com

31st August – 1st September

Orchid Festival, National Botanic Garden of WalesFeaturing specialist nurseries from the UK and Europe, with talks and demonstrations from award-winning orchid growers. onebiggarden.com/events

August/September

Merthyr Rock, Merthyr TydfilOne of the UK’s best rock festivals in the heart of the Welsh Valleys. hayfestival.com/merthyrrock

September

Open Doors, across WalesSeptember is a month of bargains, thanks to the Open Doors Days scheme, run by the Civic Trust for Wales, which offers free access to a variety of buildings and heritage sites, as well as events of all kinds. opendoorsdays.org.uk

5th – 15th September

World Stage Design, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, CardiffHosted in Europe for the first time, this event attracts thousands of leading practitioners from the global theatre.The exhibition will feature a selection of the most innovative and ground breaking designs for performance from across the world. wsd2013.com

7th September

Mardi Gras, CardiffA week-long arts festival leads up to Wales’s biggest celebration of gay and lesbian life, held in Cooper’s Field. cardiffmardigras.co.uk

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Wales 2013

Clockwise (top left)

Elvis Festival, Porthcawl

Anglesey Oyster & Shellfish Festival

Snowdonia Walking Festival, Betws-y-Coed

Wales Stage, Tour of Britain

Cardiff Winter Wonderland

Ironman Wales, Pembrokeshire

Abergavenny Food Festival

Wales Rally GB

8th September

Ironman Wales, PembrokeshireA 2.4 mile (3.8km) swim, a 112 mile (180km) cycle, followed by a marathon, with only 17 hours to complete it all. Just an average Sunday really... ironmanwales.com

14th September

England v Australia, One Day International Cricket, CardiffEngland take on the Aussies for the 4th One Day International at the SWALEC Stadium.swalecstadium.co.uk

20th – 21st September

Abergavenny Food FestivalOne of the biggest events in the UK foodie calendar, with local produce and international delicacies, celebrity chefs, master classes, tastings and street stalls all on the menu. abergavennyfoodfestival.com

20th – 22nd September

Great British Cheese Festival, CardiffCardiff Castle is the splendid setting for Britain’s biggest cheese market, where you can sample sheep, cow, goat and even buffalo cheeses, along with artisan wine, cider, perry and beer. greatbritishcheesefestival.co.uk

21st – 22nd September

Mold Food and Drink FestivalShowcasing outstanding local produce, celebrity chef expertise and live music to create a fabulous foodie weekend for the whole family. moldfoodfestival.co.uk

27th – 29th September

Elvis Festival, PorthcawlElvis lives, thanks to the thousands of fans and the tribute artists who attend this annual gathering of blue suede shoes, Vegas jumpsuits, and whopping sideburns. elvies.co.uk

October

SW N Festival, CardiffBBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens is the co-founder and curator of this hip urban music festival, with cutting-edge bands playing venues across Cardiff. swnpresents.com

October

Snowdonia Walking Festival, Betws-y-CoedGuided walks taking in forests, lakes and mountains, from three-mile strolls to all-day treks for the more experienced mountain walker. snowdoniawalkingfestival.co.uk

October

Anglesey Oyster & Shellfish Festival, BeaumarisIt started as an informal event where locals would gather to eat oysters and get merry, but now attracts thousands of visitors each year. angleseyoysterfestival.com

4th – 5th October

Neath Food & Drink FestivalA celebration of local produce and Neath’s historic market town atmosphere. Lots going on for all the family including cookery demonstrations, children’s activities and live music. neathfoodfestival.co.uk

5th – 6th October

Erddig Apple Festival, WrexhamFeatures more varieties of apples than you could shake an orchard’s worth of sticks at, plus cider tasting to help celebrate the harvest. nationaltrust.org.uk

10th – 14th October

Iris Prize Festival, CardiffCardiff’s international gay and lesbian short film prize welcomes the best new filmmaking talent to the capital. irisprize.org

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Wales 2013

23rd – 27th October

Womex, CardiffCardiff hosts a major international fair that brings together professionals from the worlds of folk, roots, ethnic and traditional music, and includes concerts, conferences and documentary films. womex.com

26th October

Rugby League World Cup, CardiffThe Millennium Stadium hosts the World Cup’s Opening Ceremony and first games – England v Australia, and Wales v Italy. rlwc2013.com

26th – 27th October

Gwledd Conwy FeastThe Conwy Feast is one of the biggest and best food festivals Wales, with a myriad of choice from local food producers for you to try and buy, plus cooking demonstrations. conwyfeast.co.uk

27th October – 9th November

The Dylan Thomas Festival, SwanseaDylan Thomas’s home town pays annual homage to the great poet as it showcases talent from Wales and beyond, in this multiarts celebration of Swansea’s most famous son. dylanthomas.com

November

Wales Rally GBThe British leg of the FIA World Rally Championship has been based in Cardiff since 2000. Watch the world’s elite drivers take on the world’s toughest forestry tracks up in the Mid Wales mountains, and thrill the crowds at special stages. walesrallygb.com

16th – 24th November

Mid Wales Beer Festival, Llanwrtyd WellsThis 10-day beer-sampling event includes the Real Ale Wobble (on mountain bikes) and the Real Ale Ramble (on foot). green-events.co.uk

Mid November onwards

Cardiff Winter Wonderland & Swansea Waterfront WonderlandIce-skating and rides, mulled wine and roasted chestnuts ... feelgood festivities in Cardiff and Swansea’s Christmas villages. cardiffswinterwonderland.com and swanseachristmas.com

Throughout December

Santa Steam SpecialsFather Christmas is the VIP passenger on weekend rides on Wales’s narrow-gauge Great Little Trains. greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk

31st December

Nos Galan Road Races, Mountain AshThis annual race commemorates the 18th century Welsh runner Guto Nyth Brân (who was supposedly so quick, he could blow out his candle and be in bed before it was dark). There are races for all abilities, street entertainment, funfair, fabulous firework display and a mystery celebrity runner…nosgalan.co.uk

Events hosted in Wales in 2012 that we hope will return in 2013 include: The Tour of Britain, Red Bull Cliff Diving and Canoe Slalom World Cup. For more information: visitwales.co.uk

Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in this events listing. All dates and information were checked at the time of going to press. Visit Wales cannot be held accountable for any change to this information.

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SNOWDONIA GOLD RUSHBritish cycling has gone from a minority pastime to Britain’s most successful Olympic

sport. It’s largely thanks to Dave Brailsford CBE, the performance director of British Cycling and the Team Sky principal.

Under his guidance, a new generation of star British cyclists have become household names: Sir Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas, Jason Kenny, Victoria Pendleton, Mark Cavendish and Laura Trott. In 2010, Brailsford also became the manager of the new British-based professional team, Team Sky, and oversaw Bradley Wiggins’s victory in the 2012 Tour de France.

Llanberis Pass, Snowdonia

Bradley Wiggins, Team Sky Dave Brailsford and Team GB

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The mountains of Snowdonia must have been a greatplace to grow up…

The reason we moved to Wales in the first place was that my father was a very keen mountaineer. We moved down to Deiniolen, near the Llanberis Pass, so he could climb. He was an Alpine guide, and a lot of the social chat in our house revolved around mountains. My dad was a blacksmith as well. We had a forge around the back of our house where he used to shape ice axes and make crampons, so it was a constant hive of activity. We grew up with a great appreciation of the area we lived in.

Did you climb, too?

There was a period when all these English guys would come down and climb for the weekend in Llanberis, and disappear again. But then we local lads started to take a real active interest in mountaineering and rock climbing, and we really did appreciate the fact that we could ride our bikes to the foot of Snowdon and off we’d go, have a swim in the lake half

way up. We knew the area like the back of our hands. It was a brilliant environment to grow up in.

When did you first jump on a bike?

In my back garden, with my dad. He was also a keen cyclist, although it was very much a minority sport back then. I remember as a young teenager, reminding my dad that if he wanted to go out in his Lycra and look the way he did, that was his business, but whatever you do, don’t wave at me!

So what changed?

I grew up playing football, which is very much the heart of the village I grew up in. But then I got a serious knee injury, and the doctor said the best thing I could do was to ride my bike. I’d always ridden a bike, because when I was growing up it was a key means of transport between the local villages. But then I thought, I’ve got to take it more seriously, to try and get my knee right again. One thing led to another, and I started to really get a passion for cycling and racing.

SNOWDONIA GOLD RUSH

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Do you still ride for pleasure?

My mum still lives in North Wales, and whenever I visit I always take my bike and go for a ride around the roads I used to train on: out along the coast, up to Beddgelert, up the Nant Gwynant valley, down the Llanberis Pass, and back home again. It’s just stunningly beautiful. I travel the world riding bikes, and it’s hard to get a better area for cycling, and a more stunning part of the world. Part of the pleasure of cycling is an appreciation of the countryside and nature, as well as the challenges of the road and the hills, and the place where I grew up ticks all the boxes.

Does the quest for perfection spoil the pure pleasure of cycling?

No, not at all. I definitely use it as a means of getting fit and managing my weight, but I also enjoy it. I love it. Funnily enough, the busier I’ve got, the more challenging my life has become, and the less time I have, the more I treasure getting out my bike and having time on my own to reflect on things. It’s very useful time.

There are so many bikes on Welsh roads these days.How did cycling become so popular?

There’s not one single factor. The Olympics has raised the profile, and Bradley [Wiggins] being the first ever Briton to win the Tour [de France]. We’ve got a lot of male and female role models, and youngsters think, I can manage that, I’ll go and ride my bike. There’s something about freedom, and being outdoors, and the amount of distance that you can cover in a relatively short time on a bike, which is appealing. There’s a whole host of small elements happening, and it adds up to quite a big shift.

Hoy, Pendleton, Wiggins, Trott – what makes themdifferent from the rest of us?

Like all top athletes you have to have the natural talent, but talent alone isn’t enough. Every single person who ever gets on a podium at the Olympics, they’re highly committed people. There’s a difference between motivation, which can

ebb and flow, and an underlying deep-seated commitment that you will go out training today, whether you feel like it or not. The really top riders also have the ability to understand and identify a goal and, with the help of coaches, can break that goal into its component parts, and then totally dedicate themselves to it.

When you started, the only way was up. How does it feelto be at the top?

It’s different, for sure. The turning point was the advent of Lottery funding, which transformed the sporting landscape in this country. From that moment it was a voyage of discovery. We all start training, and all of a sudden we win something, and we think, wow that’s amazing. You keep on moving up, and you think, when’s this going to stop? This is brilliant! Eventually, you get to where you want to be: you win a gold medal or a world championship. You’re at the top of the pile … but now you have to go back and repeat it. That’s a whole different mind-set, and some people take time to recalibrate from being the hunter to the hunted.

Do you enjoy that – being the hunted?

Well, you do think, wow, we’ve set the bar high here and nothing less than equal or better is going to be acceptable. It puts you out of your comfort zone, but that’s a good thing. In order to be the best in the world, you need to be uncomfortable. If we allow ourselves to become comfortable then we become complacent and lethargic, in whatever we do in life. I genuinely believe that when we’re a little bit frightened, and think, blimey, how are we going to do that, it brings out the best in people.

Does the Welsh landscape make it especially good for cycling?

100%. Wales has some of the most unbelievably fantastic scenery and roads. Cyclists like quiet lanes, and cyclists like climbs. The climb is the challenge. When I go out on training rides, the real key to the enjoyment is the challenge when you get to the foot of that climb. So it’s the environment, the topography, the scenery, the lakes, the coast, the relatively

Snowdonia, near Nebo, above Conwy Valley

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Go the distance Wales has 1,200 miles of cycle paths on the National Cycle Network. They form long-distance National Cycle Trails which can be cycled in one go, or you can cherry-pick great day and weekend sections. Wales also has 331 miles of traffic-free rides, perfect for families with children. And for lovers of quiet lanes there are ‘holiday hubs’ to base an activity break or holiday around. sustrans.org.uk

The Celtic Trail 220 miles/354km, Fishguard to Chepstow

Undulating lanes to start, with a few climbs through Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. An optional off-road section between Neath and Pontypridd climbs to 600m. The final section from Trelewis to Chepstow is largely downhill or flat, on railway paths, towpaths and quiet lanes. Weekend tasters: 12/14 miles / 19/22km.

Lôn Las Cymru 250 miles/402km, Holyhead to Cardiff/Chepstow

Snowdonia National Park’s dramatic descents are one of the most spectacular sections of this diagonal epic through Wales. After Machynlleth comes woodland, superb wildlife and villages, then it’s up through the Brecon Beacons to finish either in Cardiff, or on through Abergavenny, Monmouthshire and Chepstow. Weekend tasters: 26/28 miles / 41/45km.

Lôn Cambria 113 miles/181km, Lôn Teifi, 98 miles/158km, Fishguard to Shrewsbury

Lôn Cambria crosses mid-Wales through Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury on country lanes, river valleys, trails and mountain roads. Lôn Teifi joins on, running from Aberystwyth to Fishguard through country lanes and minor roads along the Teifi Valley, through rural Tregaron, Lampeter, Newcastle Emlyn and Cardigan. Weekend tasters: 35 /74 miles / 56/119km.

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Rhayader

Refer to mountain bike trails on page 49

calm traffic – it all makes it just brilliant, one of the most untapped areas of enjoyable cycling.

Have you done any mountain biking?

I did when I was younger. There are so many routes and tracks here, which are looked after and maintained, and linked with a purpose-built centre. That’s something that Wales has done very, very well. You can go to a mountain biking centre where there are proper biking facilities and a café, and the cycling’s absolutely brilliant. Wales does it as well as anywhere in the world.

I want to get my family out cycling. Any tips?

First and foremost, ask what you want to get out of it. Is it just a bit of fun, do you want to improve your health and lose weight, is it just something to get the kids into? Then choose the mode of cycling which is most appropriate to that. If you’re brand new, go online to the British cycling website (britishcycling.org.uk) and look at the different programmes. Make sure you’ve got the right clothing on, and think a little bit about where you’re going to ride. I always like to hit a certain spot, stop and have a cup of coffee, have a laugh and a joke, and then ride back again. Having a destination or a purpose is way more fulfilling than just riding aimlessly.

What are your personal challenges for the coming years?

I’m going to stay with cycling. I want to continue to build Team Sky and its performance, and to contribute to all aspects of the growth of cycling as a sport. Rio [2016 Olympics] of course is very, very important. We’ve just had a brilliant London games, and we’re very lucky to have a new generation of young cyclists who have broken through. It’s so exciting. It gives you a lot of energy to see youngsters coming on to the world team and winning Olympic medals, and their journey’s just starting.

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Glaslyn Marshes, near Porthmadog

Coed y Brenin Mountain Biking Centre

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Mynydd Llangattock, Brecon Beacons

Click… click… the cleats on my shoes sink into the pedals, my fingers wrap round the leather handlebar tape and

my backside kisses the saddle: man and bicycle as one, rolling down a lane under a blue sky padded with cotton. This is my window on Wales.

There are a few questions – Where will I ride today? How are the legs feeling? How long before anyone notices I’ve gone? – before the conscious begins to fade. Layers of anxiety are peeled away and the distracting trivia of daily life dissipates, after an hour or so, to nothing. As the American poet Diane Ackerman wrote: ‘When I’m on a bicycle the world is breaking someone else’s heart.’ Nowhere is this truer for me than in Wales. Here, the bicycle seems to somehow sync perfectly with the landscape. Compact, diverse, layered in history, strong in character, Wales is a perfectly formed realm with the power of a spell. I wonder if there’s another country better suited to a bike ride.

I’ve been riding bikes for 38 years. I’ve ridden a bike most days of my adult life. In my late 20s, I gave up a career as a lawyer to cycle around the world. At the end of that journey, I came to live in Wales – not solely because of the cycling, but it was an influential factor. Today I ride a bike for many reasons: to get to work, sometimes for work, to keep fit, to bathe in air and sunshine, to escape, to savour the physical and emotional fellowship of riding with friends, to travel, to stay sane and to hear my kids laugh. Pedalling in Wales satisfies all of these needs.

The low traffic density, the chance encounters by the roadside, the ancient megaliths and Iron Age hill forts, the Roman roads and former railway lines, the home-made cakes and the welcome at the end of a long day in the saddle, all add up to a sense of elsewhere, even though I know the country well. I’ve ridden across Wales many times, from the Irish Sea to the English border, from top to bottom and from corner to corner and I still haven’t seen half of it. I can’t wait to see the rest.

Wales On Two WheelsRob Penn is the author of It’s All About the Bike, the story of his quest to build his dream bicycle, and a director of tour operator Bikecation, which runs cycle tours in the UK. Rob escaped the daily grind for the mountains of Wales, since when he’s revelled in riding in his adopted country.

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West WalesRecently, I had a bespoke racing bike made. Between my first visit to the frame makers and collecting the finished article, nine months passed. During that time, I often dreamt about my first ride on this steed. Sometimes the dream was like a TV car advert: I was on an empty coastal road barrelling downhill through tight, perfectly cambered corners. Bike, road and rider were one. The sea sparkled. The sun shone. All was Zen.

In the end, the first time I rode my dream machine, I stepped out of my back door in the Black Mountains, near Abergavenny to confront a world with no sky. I should have let the rain pass but I couldn’t wait. The bike, ready to do battle with all the winds yet unborn, couldn’t wait either. From home, I rode north through the great glacial ‘V’ of the Llanthony Valley, commanding the bike through the corners with the tiniest shifts in balance.

On the ascent to the head of the valley, I found a rhythm in the spinning pedals. Rhythm is happiness.

Past the exquisite church at Capel-y-ffin, the road gets steeper. The clouds had peeled back to reveal a canopy of powder blue. The hills shone and the air filled with promise. Climbing out of the saddle, the intensity of effort cast off the last vestiges of ennui. The bike felt eager in my hands.

At Gospel Pass, I slipped through the notch in the rock and the landscape fell away. The views into Mid Wales were magnificent. We began freewheeling slowly downhill, through Hay-on-Wye and west to Talgarth. From there, I pedalled back over the Black Mountains to Crickhowell and along the lanes home. The route is about 45 miles. I’ve ridden it numerous times since I christened my bespoke bike. It’s a ride that never fails to provide a moment of magic.

This ride from Haverfordwest to Laugharne via Pembroke and Tenby is part of National Cycle Network Route 4. It’s well signposted and follows a mix of quiet (sometimes silent) rural lanes and dedicated cycle paths. There are glorious sea views, but I love this ride most for the way the historical context is woven into the experience.

From Haverfordwest, you follow a former railway line: 150 years ago, this was the final section of Brunel’s remarkable engineering project, the Great Western Railway, from London to the terminus at Neyland. You pedal over Milford Haven, one of the finest inlets of deep water in the British Isles. A delightful section of the ride sweeps around the moat of Pembroke Castle, a fist of limestone and the birthplace of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty and the first Welshman to sit on the English throne.

From Pembroke to Penally, the route follows ‘the Ridgeway’, originally a Neolithic track. There are expansive views across farmland and the mouth of the Bristol Channel to Devon. Beyond the seaside town of Tenby, you pass the Inn at Wiseman’s Bridge, where Winston Churchill took tea in 1943 with General Eisenhower and General Montgomery, having watched 100,000 men storm the beaches between Pendine and Saundersfoot: it was a dress rehearsal for the D-Day Landings.

Soon you’re on the clifftops, high above the sea, with views across the sweep of Carmarthen Bay to Pembrey and the Gower Peninsula. There is a long descent to Laugharne, home for several years to Dylan Thomas, the sensual Welsh literary genius. The Boathouse ‘sea shaken on a breakneck of rocks,’ beside the ‘heron-priested’ River Taf, where Thomas lived with his family, is now a heritage centre and better organised than the poet himself ever was.

South Wales

Rob Penn’s favourite rides in Wales:

Milford Haven Pembroke CastleGospel PassCapel-y-ffin church

Tenby PembreyCrickhowellLlanthony Priory

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The north-west remains the most enigmatic corner of Wales. Independent over millennia, it is, perhaps, the last redoubt of the mercurial Cymric identity. It’s also a region of staggering natural beauty. To really appreciate it, and to soak it up, you have to travel slowly: by bicycle is ideal.

My favourite ride here is a loop from Criccieth, west to Aberdaron at the end of the Llyn Peninsula, back along the north coast to Caernarfon, round the Snowdon massif and over the Aberglaslyn Pass back to the sea again. It’s not an easy route – there are plenty of hills to deal with – but you get to see Snowdon, the pyramid-shaped peak of volcanic rock often shrouded in iridescent light, from every side, which is reward enough.

I’ve done the ride in all seasons and in every kind of weather. In fact, you can get every kind of weather while you’re doing the ride, especially in autumn, my favourite time of year in Snowdonia. The past feels close here and there is a sense of the region being the last Celtic domain. There are villages of whitewashed houses dug into the landscape, stone cottages looking out to sea, rocky coves, trees bent by the wind, small fields, Iron Age hill forts on promontories, castles, pristine beaches and hedgerows spilling over with fuchsia, honeysuckle, gorse and montbretia.

A lovely detour, off the bike, is taking the ferry to Bardsey Island, a place of pilgrimage for millennia, but there are many other reasons to take a breather – tea shops, holy wells, caves, beaches, bakeries and pubs. In fact, there are days when you could stop at all of the above.

I’ve ridden the 120 or so miles from Cardigan to Hay-on-Wye several times (including once, unforgettably, by moonlight). There’s something inherently appealing about pedalling the width of Wales, from the Irish Sea to the English border, yet this is one of my favourite routes because it was the first long ride I undertook with my son. He was ten years old then and, on the long descent to Rhayader he announced, ‘Dad, cycling is better than TV and Xbox combined.’

The route follows the Teifi Valley through Lampeter and Tregaron, up the Ystwyth Valley, over the Cambrian Mountains before turning south beside the River Wye, to reach the book town of Hay-on-Wye. It crosses some of the remotest and most beautiful countryside in southern Britain. The ride could be done in one long day, but that would be missing the point. Cycling is about being profligate with time and also, this is a place to linger.

Ernest Hemingway wrote: ‘It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them … you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through.’ That’s certainly true of this ride. There are breathless climbs and descents as the River Teifi passes through steep-sided gorges. A lovely singletrack road crosses the flat, treeless moorland-plateau on top of the Cambrian Mountains.

There is archaeological evidence of some sort of mining activity here from the Bronze Age until the last efforts to extract zinc ore were abandoned in the 19th century. Since then, communities in this part of Mid Wales have dwindled. Today, the region is home to a handful of people who have grown tired of the ‘real’ world and moved here, or refused ever to embrace it and never left. Perhaps because of this, the encounters by the roadside are often memorable.

North Wales

CaernarfonAberdaron

Elan Valley, near RhayaderBardsey IslandAberglaslyn Pass

Cardigan Island from Mwnt

Mid Wales

Teifi Valley Railway

Hay-on-Wye

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Kings of the mountain

We can’t claim to be the world’s top destination for every sport. But as for mountain biking, well, we’re the best in the world. And as the rest try to catch up, we’re building more routes and better facilities every year. Two completely new MTB centres are opening in 2013 alone.

Here are some perfect places for haring around the hills, or taking your first forays into this fabulous sport:

Antur Stiniog, Blaenau Ffestiniog

The slate capital of Snowdonia now has four brand-new, world-class downhill trails and jump site, carved from the slate-mining moonscape, together with a gentler 5.4 mile cross-country trail around Llyn Tanygrisiau. There’s also a visitor centre at Llechwedd with a café, showers and bike workshop. anturstiniog.com

Afan Forest Park, near Swansea

The Mecca of South Wales mountain biking: 60+ miles of singletrack out to wildnerness plateaux you’d never believe were there. Many flowing trails, plus excellent bike hire and café. The area is great for families too, and they’ve launched a new Rookie trail so total beginners can have a crack. afanforestpark.co.uk or cognation.co.uk

Brechfa Forest, Carmarthenshire

On the brink of the brooding Cambrian Mountains with views of the Towy Valley, this huge forest has all-weather surfaces and is perfect all year round. cognation.co.uk

Coed Llandegla, Wrexham

A proper dynamo of a centre, serving up anything from family trails to the huge swooping berms of the fast and loose Black Run, a pump track, skills area and free ride area. All tracks are completely enclosed within the forest, with no main roads to cross. A great quick hit for riders from the Midlands and North. coedllandegla.com

Coed Trallwm & Elan Valley

This centre lies in the mountains between the Irfon and Elan valleys, in the wilderness of ancient bridleways and drovers roads which cross the 250 square mile empty quarter between Rhayader, Tregaron and Cwmystwyth. It includes the spectacular Doethie Valley below the Llyn Brianne Reservoir. coedtrallwm.co.uk

Coed y Brenin, Snowdonia

The place where it all started, and still one of the ultimate MTB destinations. Head out from the brilliant new visitor centre onto 60+ miles of trails, ideal for everyone from novices to the National Champions who’ve been crowned here.

The trail network is constantly being expanded and improved too, with a new skills area for 2013. mbwales.com

Cwmcarn, near Newport

Just over the M4 River Severn crossing, this is the fastest way for southern riders to get their fix. It has panoramic views, free-ride play area, rollercoaster singletrack, and a super-technical downhill with an uplift. And they’ve just invested £1m in new trails here and at Afan. cognation.co.uk

Gethin Woods Bike Park, Merthyr Tydfil

This spanking new £1.5m bike park opens in autumn 2013 with downhill trails, uplift service, visitor centre and facilities. cognation.co.uk

Nant yr Arian, near Aberystwyth

Perched high on a ridge, it offers truly wild riding, out onto the deserted mountains and moors of the Syfydrin trail. Hard nuts can link north to Machynlleth, while non-riders can watch the red kites at the centre, or build sandcastles on the coast. mbwales.com

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Simply The Rest

Connie and Jeremy relaxing at Ynyshir HallAutumn scenery, near Machynlleth

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The journey over the mountain was breathtaking. The rugged terrain

had me on the edge of my seat, not just because of its panoramic beauty, but also because my husband seemed to morph into Lewis Hamilton as he tackled the mountain roads and hairpin bends.

Jeremy and I were heading west – rapidly – for a romantic break to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. If we made it that far, that is. By now, even the sat-nav couldn’t keep up. There was no doubt about it: we were lost. On the up-side, we were lost in the middle of the most beautiful scenery we’d ever seen: the greenest hills, scattered with cartoonish sheep and the occasional rambler. I consoled myself that at least we’d ventured to a new part of Wales that we’d never seen before, and we’d certainly done a great job of exploring its wild beauty.

‘Don’t worry, darling,’ said Jeremy. ‘You can navigate from here.’ Ah, the words every wife longs to hear. I thought, the only break we’re heading for is a break-up or a break-down.

Once I’d worked out which way up to hold the map and taken us down a few farm tracks and picturesque dead ends, even Jeremy slowed down to a more sedate pace to enjoy the views. Mercifully, the sat-nav started working

again, so I took the liberty of having a cheeky passenger nap. But not for long.

I was woken by a prod from Jeremy, who was wearing a look of complete disbelief on his face, tapping the sat-nav with confusion. As I opened my eyes I too thought we’d taken another wrong turn. We were driving up a country lane to a beautiful old country house that looked like something out of a movie. Could this really be it? At the edge of Wales, beyond those mountains? The most sumptuous, luxurious-looking hotel I’d ever seen in my life?

Ynyshir Hall is a Georgian manor set in 14 acres of glorious gardens. It has had many illustrious owners in its time, including Queen Victoria and William Hubert Mappin of royal jewellers Mappin & Webb. The present-day queen of Ynyshir is owner Joan Reen, who runs the hotel with her husband, the painter Rob Reen.

There’s a strong sense of artistry to the whole place, not least in its nine boutique rooms and suites, which are all named after famous artists. Joan showed us to the Renoir Room, stunningly decorated in pale yellow and Wedgwood blue, with en-suite bathroom, antique furniture and comfy sofa (always important), and a beautiful 19th-century bed, intricately carved in the style of Louis VIII.

Connie Fisher is a singer, an actress and a television presenter, exuding the kind of bright-eyed energy that makes you weary just watching her. How does she do it? By resting as hard as she plays. Where better to celebrate her wedding anniversary than at one of Wales’s best-loved places to stay…

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It was a room fit for royalty, and after taking the grand tour of the Hall and spotting the photo ‘wall of fame’ you could see why. Richard Gere, who certainly qualifies as Hollywood royalty, is among the many major stars who have stayed here. ‘God, I hope it was the Renoir,’ I exclaimed. Joan smiled knowingly, but despite my probing for gossip, she was extremely discreet. After all, it’s a luxurious getaway, hidden among the dominating hills of Machynlleth, and they wouldn’t suddenly want the world’s paparazzi hiding in the bushes. However, I did quiz some of the guests over dinner, and discovered that the lawn is often used as a helipad when A-listers arrive in style. (Note to Jeremy: next time, okay?)

It was while changing for dinner that Jeremy realised that perhaps he hadn’t packed quite as well as he could have. While my suitcase was mostly stuffed with combats, walking shoes and flip flops, I had thankfully included some more glamorous outfits. But as Jeremy pulled on the smartest thing he’d packed – a pair of stonewashed jeans – he wondered if they’d quite fit the bill at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant.

As it turned out, we were both pleasantly surprised (and in Jeremy’s case, relieved) at how relaxed Michelin-starred dining could be. Head chef Paul Croasdale and his team have created one of the best restaurants in Wales, using all those amazing local ingredients: succulent seafood from Cardigan Bay, wild salmon and sewin from the local rivers, venison and wild game, and of course superb Welsh lamb and beef. Their own kitchen garden produces wonderful fruit, veg, herbs and salads, and they even go foraging in the nearby woods and salt-marshes for mushrooms, samphire, wood sorrel and wild garlic.

We opted for the five-course dinner menu, and … wow! It was stunning in every way, from the presentation – I took a picture of every plate before I demolished it – to the incredible flavour combinations. Who would have dreamed that venison goes so well with chocolate and parsnip? Well, it does!

Every mouthful was an explosion of delicious flavour, matched perfectly with

the different wines that were selected for us to complement the meal. So good were they, in fact, I can’t really remember the tea and coffees, but vaguely remember something about eating eight of the nine chocolates.

The next morning, we rolled out of the comfiest bed ever down to breakfast and devoured a truly delicious and subtly Welsh breakfast. Jeremy declared it was the best black pudding he’d ever tasted, and insisted that his laverbread was so good, I just had to try it.

Now, I know seaweed is a traditional Welsh breakfast delicacy, but I admit I’d never tried it before.But then, I figured that if I was ever going to try it, a Michelin-starred restaurant was just about the best place. And after the taste test, I was kicking myself that I’d missed out on so many previous opportunities of eating it.

While chatting with Joan and Rob Reen after breakfast, we discovered that Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant is a regular visitor to Ynyshir, as he owns a house nearby in Machynlleth. In fact, it’s rumoured that he wrote ‘Stairway to Heaven’ about a little path that leads you up the nearby mountain. So with the words ringing in our ears – ‘There’s a feeling I get when I look to the west, And my spirit is crying for leaving’ – we set off in his footsteps. Before long, though, I was the one doing the crying as we ascended the steepest mountain I’d ever climbed – and I thought I’d ‘climbed every mountain’. It was worth it though; as we neared the summit Jeremy spotted two ospreys soaring high above the mountains. What a sight to behold. It turns out I’m not just married to Lewis Hamilton, but Bill Oddie too.

As we strolled back to Ynyshir Hall, downhill all the way, we yearned for a nice cup of tea and, as if reading our

minds, the friendly staff offered us a pot of tea. We chilled out for a while and admired the incredible art that adorns every wall, showcasing Rob Reen’s incredible artistic talent, capturing the rugged beauty of the area with contemporary panache.

We didn’t have too much time to stand and stare, though, as we had an afternoon appointment at the theatre. Well, you can take the girl out of the show, but you can’t take the show out of the girl. So we headed to Aberystwyth Arts Centre, which is less than half an hour away, to catch their production of Hairspray. What a show! It was joyous! The hills were certainly alive with the sound of music!

As they say, time flies when you’re having fun and Sunday was upon us in the blink of an eye. We had one last opportunity to enjoy the exquisite breakfast, and spent our last hour exploring the beautiful grounds in which Ynyshir Hall is set.

Queen Victoria loved these gardens and was responsible for planning many of the trees that stand here. The work continued under William Hubert Mappin, and when he died in 1966, 1,000 acres of the estate were sold to the RSPB to establish the bird reserve that still exists today, a fabulous wildlife haven where the recent BBC Springwatch series was filmed.

There were flowers like I’d never seen before, the occasional scurry of a shrew or leap of a frog, secret paths shaded by trees and a gravel path which leads up to the RSPB reserve.

We reluctantly said goodbye to the bullfinches and robins, then headed back to the Hall to gather our things. We’d had summer sunshine all weekend, and just as we were departing, a brief rain shower seemed to echo our sadness at leaving this tranquil haven. We left, revitalised and refreshed by our luxurious, romantic getaway, waved off by Joan and her loyal companion, Theo the Bernese Mountain Dog.

As we drove off I stared dreamily out at the expanse of gardens. We had been treated like royalty. Ynyshir Hall is certainly fit for a queen – especially a drama queen like me.

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Connie Fisher stayed as a guest of Ynyshir Hall – a member of the Relais & Chateaux group.

Ynyshir Hall, Eglwysfach, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8TA. ynyshirhall.co.uk

Ynyshir Hall, Eglwysfach, near Machynlleth

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Love, Actually

Southerndown, Glamorgan Heritage Coast Kidwelly Quay

Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo

West Usk Lighthouse, Newport

Portmeirion

Swallow Falls, Snowdonia Elan Valley, Powys

Rodin’s The Kiss, National Museum Cardiff

Portmeirion

Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey

Morgan Arcade, Cardiff

St Brides Hotel & Spa, Saundersfoot

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Boutique chicWhat could be more romantic than a luxury hotel in the country? (Answer: NOTHING). Picture this: the two of you snuggled on that big sofa in front of the fire. Or sat on the terrace beneath cascades of wisteria as the last rays of sun fall over some impossibly gorgeous view, the sheep on yonder hill as white as the crisp cotton sheets on your four-poster bed. And what if the restaurant served food as perfect as the surroundings? Would that be too much to hope for? Not if you’re somewhere like Plas Bodegroes, Tyddyn Llan, St Brides Spa Hotel, The Grove at Narberth, the Harbourmaster, the Felin Fach Griffin or ... you get the general idea. Really, we could go on and on, but we’re off to gaze urgently into our lover’s eyes and drink champagne from each other’s shoes.

bodegroes.co.uk tyddynllan.co.uk stbridesspahotel.com thegrove-narberth.co.uk harbour-master.com felinfachgriffin.co.uk

Love in the city Hello young lovers, and welcome to Cardiff, capital of Wales, and the perfect destination for a romantic city break. There is tons to see and do in its compact square-mile centre, and lots more down in Cardiff Bay. There are international concert halls, a world-class museum and gallery, one of the planet’s greatest sports venues slap-bang in the city centre, and pubs, clubs and restaurants galore. There are scores of places to stay, from five-star spas to one-off boutique hotels, and a glorious hinterland – including the beaches of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, and the mountains of the Brecon Beacons – on the doorstep. Oh, and did we mention the fantastic shopping? visitcardiff.com

Heavenly bodiesWe’ve got so used to living under orange streetlights, we’ve forgotten the magic that lies behind the sodium glow. The Brecon Beacons have some of the darkest skies in Britain, where the sparkling beauty of the night sky is fully revealed. You can see all the

constellations, the Milky Way, bright nebulas and – if you time it right – whole meteor showers: nature’s own romantic firework display, just for you. So come along and reach for the stars at one of the stargazing events held here throughout the year. breconbeacons.org

Sensual pleasuresDo you want to inject excitement into your relationship? A bit of adventure? A lot of screaming (in a good way)? Then head for the wild west of Pembrokeshire and an activity weekend of surfing, kayaking and that fabulous home-grown Welsh watersport, coasteering. After all, there’s no better bonding experience than jumping into the sea together off a 10-metre cliff, is there? Or try coasteering’s inland cousin, canyoning (or gorge walking), scrambling through the white water, exploring behind the waterfalls, and leaping into plunge-pools of the spectacular waterfall country around Neath.

activitypembrokeshire.com breconbeacons.org

Pleasure islandAnglesey’s Llanddwyn Island is a wildly, crazily romantic place, a tidal island with its own lighthouse and shrine to the Welsh patron saint of Welsh lovers, St Dwynwen. Not too far away is arguably the sexiest place to spend the night: the impossibly cute Italianate fantasy village of Portmeirion. If splendid isolation is what you’re after, you can spend the night on one of Wales’s offshore islands: Skomer, Bardsey, Flat Holm and Caldey each offer the ultimate get-away-from-it-all accommodation in truly inspirational surroundings.

visitanglesey.co.uk portmeirion-village.com welshwildlife.org, bardsey.org flatholmisland.com caldey-island.co.uk

Heightened sensationsHow about a romantic hand-in-hand stroll to take your relationship to new heights? Specifically, 1,085 metres up to the highest point in southern Britain? Snowdonia has

some of the most heartstopping scenery in Britain, with scores of lovely walks, including the biggie – up to the summit of Snowdon itself, from which, on a clear day, you can see England, Ireland, Scotland (and lots of Wales). Or just take the train up. We won’t tell anyone. eryri-npa.gov.uk

Take it easyLet’s take things nice and slowly, shall we? And with a maximum permitted speed of 4mph, the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is the perfect place not to rush things. This 35-mile waterway is one of Britain’s prettiest, with fabulous views of the Brecon Beacons National Park as it potters through lovely villages along the way. canalrivertrust.org.uk

Clean getawayThe Elan Valley reservoirs take a quiet pride in being in the middle of nowhere. Apart from a noisy spell during World War II when the Dambusters squadron trained there, it’s arguably the most peaceful spot in Wales – perfect for long walks and cycle rides, at the end of which you could take tea at the most remote farmhouse in Wales. This is red kite country, where the last few native birds survived near-extinction to become a spectacular draw for visitors: around 400 birds gather at feeding stations like Gigrin Farm near Rhayader. elanvalley.org.uk

Playing for keepsThere’s something wildly romantic about a castle. You can stay at several in Wales, ranging from original Norman fortresses like those at Ruthin and Roch (now both luxurious hotels) to mighty Victorian replicas like Castell Deudraeth and Ty’r Graig. Or for something deliciously different, take your loved one to The West Usk Lighthouse for a stunning getaway overlooking the Bristol Channel.

ruthincastle.co.uk retreatsgroup.com portmeirion-village.com tyrgraigcastle.co.uk westusklighthouse.co.uk

L’amour. Liebe. Cariad. Jiggy-jiggy. Whatever you call it, Wales has the perfect romantic weekend, just for you. And the one you love, obviously...

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‘... a legendary lazy little black magical bedlam by the sea’

Laugharne, Carmarthenshire

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Dylan Thomas 100 A Symphony of VoicesIn 2014 we’re celebrating the centenary of the birth of one of the English language’s most distinct voices, with a year-long celebration of Dylan Thomas’s life, his work and his legacy. A wide programme of events – large and small, international and local – is being planned, which means that wherever you travel in Wales during 2014, you’re bound to rub up against some of that Dylan magic. For more details, see dt100.info

The Dylan Thomas 100 logo has been inspired by the iconic photograph of Dylan, taken by Nora Summers (1892–1948). To find out more about the life and work of Nora Summers visit dt100.info

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So what is it about Laugharne?I thought I’d seen eccentric places in Wales, but Laugharne’s a total one-off. It’s completely other-worldly. The original name for Under Milk Wood was ‘The Town That Was Mad’ – and Laugharne still is, in the best possible way. The vibe is completely still here. The main street, the square, the castle – they haven’t changed at all. If Dylan Thomas came back today he’d instantly recognise it.

Why is Dylan still remembered so vividly?It’s partly the mystique of someone who dies quite young, and also the hoary myth of him being one of the great drinkers. But it’s also about the work Dylan left behind, of course. If any poet has one great poem, people remember it. Dylan Thomas left five or six that most people will have heard, and Under Milk Wood is a classic.

One of the tragedies about Dylan’s death is that there is so much he could have done. Everyone refers to him as a poet, but he was a lot more than that.

He wrote film scripts, he was a playwright, a great prose writer, and he was instrumental in performing his works, both on the radio and on all the tours he did in the United States.

What about the town’s other literary connections?The poet Edward Thomas lived here, as did the author Richard Hughes, who’s most famous for his novel High Wind in Jamaica. Kingsley Amis wrote much of his 1986 Booker Prize-winning novel The Old Devils while staying in Laugharne, and Margaret Atwood set a short story in the town. The great feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft lived here, and her daughter Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein, often visited. The town has also been painted by Constable, Turner and Augustus John, and there are also the historical connections: Owain Glyndwr’s rebellion more or less came to an end here in 1403, and the castle played an important role in the English Civil War.

How did the Laugharne Weekend come about?Very, very strangely! My uncle ran a pub in Laugharne from 1941 to 1967. He was a big friend of Dylan’s, and was one of his funeral bearers. I was at home one day with the TV on in the background, and during the adverts up popped the actor Neil Morrissey, who at the time had a few business interests in Laugharne. And I instantly thought, ‘Laugharne – that’s the perfect place to do a festival.’

How do you get such big stars in such small venues?To begin with, the Dylan Thomas myth was very important to get artists to come here, but when they see the town, they just fall in love with it. The one word that keeps coming up all the time is ‘friendly’. We deliberately keep the festival small, but there are a couple of things I have up my sleeve for 2013, which means we can get a few more people in. And in 2014, to celebrate the centenary of Dylan’s birth, we’re applying to do something very special, so watch this space. Put it like this, if there’s not something big in Laugharne, a lot of people will be very upset!

Dylan Thomas’s Boathouse overlooking the Taf estuary, Laugharne

If there’s a single person who sums up the Welsh creative

spirit, it’s Dylan Thomas. If there’s a place, it’s Laugharne. And if there’s one event that brings it all together, with leftfield literary and musical talent from around the world, then it’s the Laugharne Weekend. We talked to its founder, Richard Thomas, on how he created a wilfully different arts event...

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Walk in Dylan’s footsteps

This lovely two-mile walk is the setting for one of Dylan’s best loved works,

Poem in October, in which he vividly describes a stroll around Laugharne on his 30th birthday. There are information boards at all the best viewpoints of the ‘heron-priested shore’, which are full of information about Dylan’s life and work. As a bonus, if you do the walk on your own birthday (and can prove it), you can claim complimentary goodies at several local businesses. Free pint and a bag of chips, anyone? dylanthomasbirthdaywalk.co.uk

Dylan’s BoathouseFrom the moment Dylan and Caitlin arrived in Laugharne, they dreamed of living in the Boathouse, set idyllically on the Taf Estuary. It was finally bought for him by a wealthy benefactor, and he lived there with his family from 1949 to 1953, the last four years of his life. The Boathouse is now a museum, containing lots of Thomas memorabilia and much of the original furniture. Close to the main house is a clifftop garage that became his writing shed, which is furnished with his desk and writing materials, as if Dylan himself had just nipped off to the pub. dylanthomasboathouse.com

Browns HotelThere’s not a pub in Laugharne that can’t claim to have some Dylan Thomas connection (he was, ahem, generous with his patronage). But it was in the airy bay window of Browns Hotel that he spent many happy lost afternoons, drinking his pint of Buckley’s, writing, reading the papers, and bantering with his drinking companions. Now the hotel has been restored and reborn as a five-star boutique hotel and oozes a subtle 1940s/50s glamour. Dylan would still recognise the same wooden-floored bar, though – and might be pleasantly surprised by the Penderyn whisky. browns-hotel.co.uk

Something for the weekend

A day out in Laugharne

The Laugharne Weekend is one of Britain’s cult festivals, a small-but-perfectly-formed gathering of musical and literary one-offs, held every year in April.

It began in 2007 and has since featured acts like US singer-songwriter Patti Smith, Ray Davies of the Kinks, writers Will Self and Roddy Doyle, comic Alexei Sayle, Robin Ince and Simon Day, and actor Rhys Ifans.

What makes it special is its determination to stay relaxed, quirky and small, with the artists, audience and locals rubbing shoulders in the pubs. thelaugharneweekend.com

Browns Hotel, Laugharne

Dylan Thomas’s writing shed

Laugharne Castle

‘We wanted to see the artists wandering around the town with people, to break down that barrier; for the celebrities to forget they are celebrities, and the audiences not to know their place.’Richard Thomas, Organiser

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Dylan Thomas CentreHere’s as good a place to start as any: the Dylan Thomas Centre, housed in a beautiful Regency building in Swansea’s Maritime Quarter. There’s a permanent exhibition on the poet and his life, and the Centre is also home to many literary events throughout the year, including the annual Dylan Thomas Festival during October and November. In 2014, the Dylan Thomas Centre will be the focal point for a whole year’s worth of celebrations, with weekend events, high profile literary stars, new commissions, exhibitions and projects. The year will culminate in a special Dylan Thomas Festival, lasting from Dylan’s birthdate, 27 October, to the anniversary of his death on 9 November. dylanthomas.com

Poetry in motion Dylan Thomas’s work was influenced by many people and places throughout Wales. To find out what really made the poet tick, you can follow in his footsteps, using one of the routes devised by the Dylan Thomas Centre, whose trail guides are packed with anecdotes on his life. dylanthomas.com

Swansea City Centre TrailThis trail takes you around the Swansea of Dylan Thomas’s youth, from landmark buildings to the pubs in which he drank. It begins in the Dylan Thomas Centre on the banks of the River Tawe in Swansea’s Maritime Quarter, and tours old Swansea landmarks and characterful streets like Wind Street, where Dylan drank as a cub reporter, and the wonderfully named Salubrious Passage. Another highlight is Swansea’s magnificent market, the largest covered market in Wales, where cockles and laverbread are still sold as everyday staples.

Uplands TrailThe Uplands Trail really does, like Under Milk Wood ‘begin at the beginning’. It’s here that Dylan was born at

5 Cwmdonkin Drive, spent his formative years and wrote much of his most important work. The Uplands Hotel (now the Uplands Tavern) was where Dylan first tasted beer, which became a lifelong passion: ‘…its live white lather, its brass-bright depths, the sudden world through the wet brown walls of the glass, the tilted rush to the lips…’.

Mumbles and Gower TrailAlthough he was a self-confessed ‘townee’, the coastal villages out to the Gower Peninsula played a very important part in Dylan’s life. The trail begins in Mumbles, the village where Dylan’s lifelong friend, the musician Daniel Jones, lived. Dan’s local was the Newton Inn, which one of Swansea’s other major literary figures, Kingsley Amis, used in his Booker Prize-winning 1986 novel, The Old Devils (although Amis renamed the pub the ‘Bible and Crown’, and one of his characters, Brydan, is a wickedly satirical depiction of Dylan). The trail continues along the fabulous Gower coastline until it reaches Rhossili and the spectacular promontory of Worm’s Head.

West Wales TrailThe rural West was where Dylan’s ancestors lived, and where he escaped to find peace and refuge, to write and recuperate. This round-trip starts in Carmarthen, a very Welsh market town that Dylan often visited. From here it’s up through Llandysul and on to New Quay, where Dylan lived for a year during World War II. He didn’t escape the hostilities, though: one night his house was raked with machine-gun fire by a Commando officer whom Dylan had managed to offend (the incident was dramatised in the film The Edge of Love, starring Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller and Matthew Rhys). New Quay helped to inspire Under Milk Wood, and the 1972 film version, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, was filmed in nearby Fishguard. Then it’s onward to Tenby, home of Dylan’s friend the

Begin at the beginning

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artist Augustus John. It all ends up – as did Dylan himself – in Laugharne, which he described as ‘This timeless, beautiful, barmy (both spellings) town ... a legendary lazy little black magical bedlam by the sea.’ He is buried in the churchyard, his grave marked by a simple wooden cross.

No.5 Cwmdonkin DriveA modest Edwardian villa in Swansea’s Uplands has been lovingly restored to its original condition when it was bought as a new house by the Thomas family in 1914, just a few months before Dylan was born in the front bedroom. You can take guided tours of the house, enjoy an Edwardian dinner party in the family dining room, and even stay the night in the room in which Dylan was born. 5cwmdonkindrive.com

Portrait of a poet

Poetry • Fern Hill • Do not go gentle into that good night • Poem in October • And death shall have no dominion • The force that through the green fuse

drives the flower

Prose • A Child’s Christmas in Wales • Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog

Play • Under Milk Wood

Dylan Marlais Thomas was born on 27 October 1914 at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, in the Uplands area of Swansea, the son of an English teacher and a seam-stress. He grew up in the city, but paid regular summer visits to his aunt’s farm in Carmarthenshire, whose rural setting inspired much of his work.

Thomas left school at 16 to become a reporter for the local newspaper and was a regular at local pubs and coffee shops, notably the Kardomah Café, where he mixed with the bohemian group of writers, musicians and artists that became known as The Kardomah Gang.

On a trip to London in 1936 he met a dancer called Caitlin Macnamara, and drunkenly proposed to her on the spot. They married in 1937 and a year later the couple moved to Laugharne, where they raised three children.

Although widely admired as a poet, Thomas struggled to earn money. In the 1950s he set off on a series of lucrative lecture tours of the United States, where he became a great success, although his drinking and erratic behaviour worsened.

During his fourth trip to New York in 1953 Thomas became seriously ill and, after a prolonged drinking session, he fell into a coma. Thomas died on 9 November 1953. His body was returned to Wales where he was buried in the churchyard in Laugharne.

Left from top Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea

The Adelphi, Wind Street, Swansea

Swansea Market

Right from top New Quay, Ceredigion

Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea

Lower Fishguard, Pembrokeshire

Dylan Thomas statue, Swansea Marina

Essential reading

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The Valleys – Heart and Soul of Wales

The Valleys

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1 The Isle of Anglesey2/2A Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl & Prestatyn3 The North Wales Borderlands4 Snowdonia Mountains & Coast/Eryri Mynyddoedd a Môr5 Mid Wales & the Brecon Beacons6 Ceredigion – Cardigan Bay7 Pembrokeshire8 Carmarthenshire – Carmarthen Bay9 Swansea Bay – Mumbles, Gower, Afan andthe Vale of Neath10 The Valleys – Heart and Soul of Wales11 Cardiff, capital of Wales12 The Most Southerly Point In Wales – The Glamorgan Heritage Coast and Countryside13 Wye Valley & Vale of Usk

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Find out more by choosing some of the FREE regional guides featured on this page or download them from visitwales.co.uk/brochures. Alternatively, fill in and send back the tear-off reply card at the back of the magazine, or call +44 (0)8701 211256.

1 The Isle of Anglesey

2A 2B Llandudno & Colwyn Bay

2B 2B Rhyl & Prestatyn

3 The North Wales Borderlands

4 Snowdonia Mountains & Coast/Eryri Mynyddoedd a Môr

5 Mid Wales & the Brecon Beacons

6 Ceredigion – Cardigan Bay

7 Pembrokeshire – Britain’s Only Coastal National Park

8 Carmarthenshire – Carmarthen Bay

9 Swansea Bay – Mumbles, Gower, Afan & the Vale of Neath

10 The Valleys – Heart and Soul of Wales

11 Cardiff – Capital of Wales

12 The Glamorgan Heritage Coast and Countryside

13 The Wye Valley & Vale of Usk

1. The Isle of Anglesey

Anglesey offers unparalleled beauty, amazing adventures, serious solitude and a warm welcome. Easily accessible; this unique island, with its coastline, varied beaches and historical towns make it a superb base for all the family. Those that have visited need not be told. They just return…

+44 (0)1248 713177 anglesey@nwtic.com visitanglesey.co.uk facebook.com/visitanglesey

2A. Llandudno & Colwyn Bay

Vibrant Llandudno, the Victorian seaside gem with a history that goes back to the Bronze Age. World Heritage Conwy with its rich maritime past. Waterfront adventure in Colwyn Bay. Year round breaks, filled with family fun, good food, great walking, world-class theatre and a full calendar of exciting events. All within easy reach of Snowdonia.

+44 (0)1492 577577 llandudnotic@conwy.gov.uk visitllandudno.org.uk facebook.com/visitingllandudno

2B. Rhyl & Prestatyn

Among the best recognised British seaside resorts. Fabulous award-winning beaches with a range of family-friendly attractions, events and activities. Walk the Offa’s Dyke path in Prestatyn. An hour’s drive from Merseyside and the West Midlands.

+44 (0)1745 344515 +44 (0)1745 355068 rhyl.tic@denbighshire.gov.uk visitrhylandprestatyn.com

Wales is divided into 13 distinct areas, each with its own individual character. Allow us to introduce you.

Meet our holiday areas

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3. The North Wales Borderlands

Short journey: very different place. Less than 20 minutes from Chester, we’re just a short journey from the North West and the West Midlands. From the bustling shops and nightlife of Wrexham to the culinary delights of the Mold Food and Drink Festival to the world-famous Llangollen International Eisteddfod. One hundred per cent Wales on your doorstep!

+44 (0)1978 292015 tourism@wrexham.gov.uk www.northwalesborderlands.co.uk

4. Snowdonia Mountains & Coast

The outdoor adventure playground of North Wales that includes the Snowdonia National Park, Llyn Peninsula and Cambrian Coastline. A wide choice of quality accommodation, attractions and activities – castles, narrow-gauge railways, golf, cycling, walking, award-winning beaches, country parks, coastal path, World Heritage Site, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coast.

+44 (0)1341 281485 tourism@gwynedd.gov.uk visitsnowdonia.info facebook.com/visitingsnowdonia twitter.com/visit_snowdonia visitsnowdonia.wordpress.com

5. Mid Wales & the Brecon Beacons

Step into fabulous walking country right on your doorstep. Two National Trails and a National Park, charming spa and market towns and outdoor pursuits in outstanding scenery. Home to Hay Literary Festival and Brecon Jazz, events throughout the year make this a destination for all seasons.

+44 (0)1874 622485 tourism@powys.gov.uk exploremidwales.com

6. Ceredigion – Cardigan Bay & the Cambrian Mountains

Some of the UK’s best coast and countryside to explore on foot or horseback, by bike or boat.  Natural beauty from dolphins and red kites to waterfalls, woods and open moors. Enjoy good food, traditional festivals and unique events as well as award-winning beaches and resorts, including colourful Aberaeron harbour and Aberystwyth, the ‘cultural capital of Wales’.

+44 (0)1970 612125 brochure@ceredigion.gov.uk discoverceredigion.co.uk facebook: discoverceredigion

7. Pembrokeshire – Britain’s Only Coastal National Park

Rated by National Geographic magazine experts as the second best coastline in the world. With 186 miles of magnificent and varied coastline and over 50 beaches, there’s plenty of space for everyone. Choose between lively Tenby and Saundersfoot or peaceful St David’s and Newport. Perfect for outdoor activities or just relaxing.

+44 (0)844 888 5115 tourism@pembrokeshire.gov.uk visitpembrokeshire.com

8. Carmarthenshire – Carmarthen Bay

Stretching from Carmarthen Bay in the South to the Western Brecon Beacons in the North, discover Wales’s longest beaches, the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, the home of Merlin the magician plus Laugharne, Llandeilo, Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Pendine, Llandovery and the Teifi and Towy Valleys. Perfect fishing, cycling and walking.

+44 (0)1267 231557 marketing@carmarthenshire.gov.uk discovercarmarthenshire.com

9. Swansea Bay – Mumbles, Gower, Afan & the Vale of Neath

Unwind in the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, relax on award-winning beaches, and explore unspoilt countryside. Visit some of the UK’s best locations for walking, cycling, watersports and golf, together with Swansea, Wales’s Waterfront City, home to Wales’s first Premier League football team.

+44 (0)1792 468321 tourism@swansea.gov.uk visitswanseabay.com

10. The Valleys – Heart and Soul of Wales

A stunning landscape perfect for walking, cycling and many other outdoor activities. The Valleys has a unique history, including a World Heritage Site, Wales’s largest castle and Big Pit, the real coal mine attraction. For a true Welsh experience, visit The Valleys, the heart and soul of Wales.

+44 (0)29 2088 0011 tourism@caerphilly.gov.uk thevalleys.co.uk

11. Cardiff – Capital of Wales

The capital of Wales has unique attractions, top-class entertainment – and quality shopping with a difference. Cardiff Castle, the Millennium Stadium, National Museum Cardiff, the Wales Millennium Centre and brand new Doctor Who Experience combined with Cardiff Bay offer indoor and outdoor entertainment for everyone.

+44 (0)29 2087 3573 visitor@cardiff.gov.uk visitcardiff.com

12. The Glamorgan Heritage Coast and Countryside

The dramatic Heritage Coast and popular resorts of Barry Island and Porthcawl are fringed by lovely Vale and Bridgend countryside and green hills. Discover the special character of an area steeped in history – and it’s close to Cardiff, Wales’s cosmopolitan capital.

+44 (0)1446 704867 +44 (0)1656 786639 tourism@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk tourism@bridgend.gov.uk visitthevale.com bridgendbites.com

13. Wye Valley & Vale of Usk

Brecon Beacons, Wye Valley, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Blaenavon World Heritage Site. Explore formidable castles, Roman towns and magnificent gardens; then take in award-winning vineyards, bustling market towns and locally sourced pubs. With renowned Abergavenny and Newport Food Festivals, Michelin starred restaurants and artisan producers, discover why we’re the food capital of Wales.

To find out more about The Wye Valley & Vale of Usk:

+44 (0)1291 623772 visitwyevalley.com or email tourism@monmouthshire.gov.uk

Offa’s Dyke, near Gladestry

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GLASGOW

LIVERPOOL

Pembroke

Fishguard

EDINBURGH

Birmingham – Aberystwyth123 miles, 2hrs 44mins

Canterbury – Cardiff214 miles, 3hrs 51mins

Coventry – Barmouth138 miles, 2hrs 56mins

Exeter – Swansea144 miles, 2hrs 35mins

Leeds – Llandudno126 miles, 2hrs 31mins

London – Cardiff151 miles, 2hrs 53mins

London – Tenby238 miles, 4hrs 29mins

Manchester – Caernarfon105 miles, 2hrs 19mins

Nottingham – Swansea204 miles, 3hrs 41mins

Peterborough – Aberystwyth207 miles, 4hrs 22mins

Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Llandudno221 miles, 4hrs 20mins

Reading – Carmarthen172 miles, 3hrs 02mins

York – Welshpool152 miles, 3hrs 02mins

Edinburgh – Cardiff393 miles, 7hrs 03mins

Glasgow – Aberystwyth331 miles, 6hrs 04mins

Wales is easy to get to. It’s a big plus point. We’re just a few hours by road and rail from most of the UK’s main centres. And if you’re visiting us from Ireland, you have the choice of direct ferries to both North and South Wales or direct flights to Cardiff Airport.

Mileage/times supplied by theaa.com

Mileage and journey times by car

Getting to Wales

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Fishguard

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By road

National Express provides a nationwide network of express coach services linking major towns and cities in Wales as well as the UK’s principal destinations. nationalexpress.com

Megabus provides low cost intercity travel in the UK, with buses running from a number of major UK cities to Cwmbran, Newport and Cardiff. Prices from £1 plus 50p booking fee (one way). megabus.com

By rail

In the UK, fast and frequent rail services run between London Paddington and Cardiff, taking only two hours. There is a half-hourly departure to Cardiff Central, with an hourly continuation to Swansea and onward connections to West Wales. Direct trains to North Wales depart from London Euston. There’s also a rail service between London Marylebone, Shrewsbury and Wrexham. Hourly services also run from Manchester to the North Wales coast. For general rail enquiries:

+44 (0)8457 484950 +44 (0)871 244 1545 nationalrail.co.uk thetrainline.com

By sea

Irish Ferriesirishferries.com Dublin Port – Holyhead Journey time: 3hrs 15mins (cruise ferry)/ 1hr 49mins (fast ferry)

Rosslare – Pembroke Journey time: 4hrs

Stena Linestenaline.ie Dublin Port – Holyhead Journey time: 3hrs 15mins Dun Laoghaire – Holyhead Journey time: 2hrs

Rosslare – Fishguard Journey time: 3hrs 30mins

By air

Cardiff Airport+44 (0)1446 711111 tbicardiffairport.com

The airport is situated in Rhoose, 12 miles (20 km) south west of Cardiff. Buses, trains and taxis link the airport to the city centre. Taxis cost approximately £26, a booking office is located outside the arrivals hall.

Bus service X91 operates between Cardiff Central station and Cardiff Airport every two hours during the day, seven days a week. The journey takes approximately 35 minutes, with pick up and drop off points situated in front of the terminal building. A rail link connects the airport station to Cardiff Central and Bridgend. Trains run every hour from Monday to Saturday and every two hours on Sundays. A complimentary shuttle bus service is available between the terminal building and the station for passengers with a valid train ticket. Car hire is also available. A number of airlines offer direct flights to Cardiff from other parts of the UK and Ireland – check out their websites for details:

Aer LingusServing: Dublin aerlingus.com

Eastern AirwaysServing: Newcastle and Aberdeen easternairways.com

FlybeServing: Belfast (City), Edinburgh, Glasgow and Jersey flybe.com

Manx2Serving: Anglesey manx2.com

Travel within Wales

Rail services run through the regions of Wales – usually on highly scenic routes such as The Cambrian Coast, Conwy Valley and Heart of Wales lines. For more information: wnationalrail.co.uk arrivatrainswales.co.uk scenicwales.co.uk heart-of-wales.co.uk

For pure pleasure why not take a ride on some of our 14 narrow gauge and steam railways? Many are members of the Great Little Trains of Wales. greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk

There’s a good local bus service too, and a cross-country long distance network between North and South Wales. traveline-cymru.info

When you’re out and about in the National Parks, use the convenient park and ride bus services designed to cut down on traffic:

The Brecon Beacons National Park(Beacons Bus) travelbreconbeacons.info/beacons-bus

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park(Celtic Coaster, Coastal Cruiser, Poppit Rocket, Puffin Shuttle and Strumble Shuttle) pembrokeshire.gov.uk/coastbus

Snowdonia National Park(Snowdon Sherpa) snowdoniagreenkey.co.uk

The Explore Wales Pass offers unlimited travel on all mainline rail services in Wales plus most scheduled bus services. Holders will also benefit from free or discounted travel on some of the narrow gauge Great Little Trains of Wales and discounted entry to many of Wales’s tourist attractions. A number of ticket options are available – The Explore Wales Pass (£89) allows four days’ train and eight days’ bus travel and the Explore South Wales Pass and Explore North and Mid Wales Pass (£60 each) allow four days’ train and eight days’ bus travel within each regional area. www.explorewalespass.co.uk

For up-to-date and reliable public transport information including route planners use Traveline Cymru. traveline-cymru.info

Snowdon Sherpa

Severn Bridge, gateway to South Wales

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To make it really easy to book your holiday or short break in Wales you could use a tour operator. There are a number of UK and Irish companies who offer Wales based holidays. They often have specialist knowledge of particular products and will be happy to help you find the right holiday to suit your needs.

For a comprehensive list go to: visitwales.co.uk/operators

Travel agents and tour operators in the UK and Ireland

Escape Hotel, Llandudno

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Frequently asked questionsHow do I know I’m booking good quality accommodation?When choosing your holiday accommodation, look for the Cymru/Wales quality mark of Wales’s official, nationwide quality assessment scheme. Visit Wales and the AA are the only checking agents in Wales, checking out over 5,000 places. Both assess holiday accommodation to the same criteria and award one to five stars, based on the facilities and overall quality of the experience. Also look out for that extra-special property that has been awarded Visit Wales’s Gold Award, given for exceptional standards of hospitality, comfort and food in serviced accommodation. For more information on the Cymru/Wales Quality Assessment scheme, star ratings and to get direct access and links to all of Wales’s quality assessed accommodation go to: visitwales.co.uk/accommodation

Where can I find holiday information for people with special needs?Tourism for All is a free specialist information service promoting accessible tourism. It offers free guidance on travel planning, transport, accommodation and booking. tourismforall.org.uk

I’d like to learn Welsh before my visit – where do I start?Take a look at the following websites to pick up some basics: bbc.co.uk/wales/learnwelsh learnons4c.co.uk

If you’d like to learn Welsh in Wales, the Nant Gwrtheyrn Welsh Language & Heritage Centre specialises in residential courses for adults learning Welsh. nantgwrtheyrn.org

Where can I get local tourist information?One of the simplest and quickest ways of getting local information is by calling in to one of our Tourist Information Centres. The staff are highly trained, have an excellent knowledge of the area and will be delighted to help you with booking your accommodation, finding places to eat, things to do, routes to take, national and local events and obtaining maps, guides and books. Normally, offices are open between 10.00 and 17.00. For a list of Tourist Information Centres see: visitwales.co.uk/contact-visit-wales

Visit Wales websitesThere are a number of other really useful Visit Wales websites to get information on the different types of activities you can try on your holiday in Wales. Whether you want to hurtle down a mountain with your rear brakes burned out, throw yourself off rugged wave-lashed cliffs, fish for grayling on the River Wye, or play one of our championship golf courses – we have a website for you. So what are you waiting for?

For Adventure: visitwales.co.uk/active For Fishing: fishing.visitwales.com For Mountain Biking: mbwales.com For Walking: walking.visitwales.com For Golf: golfasitshouldbe.com

For up-to-date information on short breaks and proper holidays in Wales, go to the official website: visitwales.co.uk

Free brochures and FAQsFind out more about Wales by choosing some of the FREE guides available. Check them out, and order or download them from visitwales.co.uk/brochures. Regional brochures are also available by filling in and tearing off the reply card at the back of the magazine.

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Top Escape Hotel, Llandudno

Middle Tredegar House, Newport

Bottom Elan Valley, Mid Wales

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