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Wales
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For a further taste of adventure try Wales. A patchwork of
farmland, mountains and forest interspersed with market towns
and villages which brim with charm and character.
The lyrical Welsh language can be heard and seen throughout the
land. It’s a land where tales of King Arthur and medieval
warlords. |
Early Christian saints and heroic princes still ring loud and clear at
countless castles and historic sites. The hospitality as you’ll soon
discover is of truly legendary proportions.
In big, bold Snowdonia National Park walk to the summit of Mount
Snowdon, or take the little mountain railway that clunks and clicks its
way up. Pembrokeshire has Britain’s only coastal-based National Park
where the fresh air fills your lungs, and the seascapes fill your heart
with joy as you walk along cliff tops, climb down to hidden sandy bays,
then up again to the next headland.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is filled with the greenest, grassiest
hills you’ll ever see. Walk or cycle, whichever you prefer. And look for
the red kites soaring up ahead. Or take the easy way. A slow, gentle
journey on a narrow boat on the Brecon Canal.
Cardiff is just a stone’s throw from the Beacons’ wide, open spaces.
It’s cosmopolitan, lively, busy. Take a tour of the Millennium Stadium,
or even better, watch a rugby match – it’s Wales’ national sport. And
make sure you visit the fabulous city-centre castle.
There are hundreds of castles in Wales, ranging from mighty World
Heritage Sites like Caernarfon and Conwy to romantic hilltop fortresses
such as Carreg Cennen near Llandeilo. Here it’s easy to conjure up tales
of princes, wizards and dragons as you climb its ramparts or explore the
eerie underground passage. Don’t worry, they lend you a lamp!
It’s not just castles that inspire the imagination. Mysterious
prehistoric stone circles. Ancient religious shrines. Roman remains (was
Caerleon’s amphitheatre the site of Arthur’s fabled Round Table?) All
paint a vivid picture spanning thousands of years.
Here also is the Peak District. Visit it a thousand times and you’ll
still never tire of its grand vistas and secret valleys.
These natural wonders are counter pointed by the manmade splendours of
Chatsworth House, ‘the palace of the Peaks’, and Hardwick Hall. In
contrast, the lush farmland of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire is
studded with timeless villages.
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