Just a two hour train ride from London, England you can find yourself in a whole new country - Wales. A country that will soon charm you with the warmth of its welcome and amaze you with the richness and depth of its culture. In fact, the Welsh culture is one of the oldest in the world: Cardiff, the capital city, has well over 2,000 years of history. Wales has 641 castles – more per square kilometer than any other European country – a testament to its fascinating and turbulent past. The castles of Wales are open to visitors: climb towers, walk ancient walls and explore dungeons. This is the land of magic, myth and dragons!
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Welsh is the oldest living language in Europe and the most widely spoken Celtic language. This land resonates with literature and song and is bursting with creativity in both its official languages. The beautiful landscapes of Wales inspired Lewis Caroll to write Alice in Wonderland and Beatrix Potter to write her Peter Rabbit books. Many film makers have used the stunning Welsh scenery as a backdrop to their movies. Harry Potter, Robin Hood and Snow White and the Huntsman were filmed in Wales, just to name a few. Wales has recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dylan Thomas – so you could add Fishguard in Pembrokeshire to your film locations list. The famous 1972 version of Thomas’ Under Milkwood (starring Welshman Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor) was filmed there.
The stunning Welsh scenery goes way beyond the film set. Wales is officially beautiful! Over 25% of the land is designated as either a National Park or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In fact, Wales has three National Parks in a small country that is only the size of Massachusetts!
In Snowdonia National Park you can climb Mt. Snowdon - the tallest mountain in England and Wales - or take a historic steam railway to the summit for the spectacular views. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park takes in sandy coves, fishing villages, cliff-top walks and the rich nesting grounds for millions of seabirds. In the distance, spot dolphins in Cardigan Bay, or seals basking in the sun. And get outdoors in the Brecon Beacons National Park – where you can explore on horseback, bicycle or on foot to really be at one with the enchanting landscape.
After all that hiking you will be hungry – and Wales is increasingly achieving an excellent reputation for its gastronomy. Produce served in Wales is FRESH! Here you will find a real culture of farm to table and organically produced food. The seafood is excellent, and the oysters are superb as there is little to no fertilizer run off.
Other notable authentic cuisine includes cheese and lamb and Pembrokeshire new potatoes. The Welsh also love teatime! There is traditional bara brith (the famous speckled bread of Wales as well as cakes galore, including the famous spicy Welsh cakes. Griddle cakes are also favourites: scones, pancakes, cakes, breads, turnovers and oatcakes.
To wash down all this amazing cuisine - the Welsh have a justified reputation for producing world-class cider.
You can eat in family run restaurants in coastal communities with amazing views of the sea or dine in cozy local pubs. Cardiff in particular has a vibrant and varied foodie scene. Head to Machynlleth in Mid Wales to dine like a king or queen at Ynyshir Hall. It was once owned by Queen Victoria and is now a fine dining restaurant and luxury hotel.
And this isn’t the only hotel with Royal connections in Wales! For instance, Plas Dinas Country House, a couple of miles outside Caernarfon in North Wales, has been in the possession of the Armstrong-Jones family since the 19th century, and was once home to HRH Princess Margaret. Equally you can stay in small hotels, vacation cottages, cozy inns and Bed and Breakfasts in charming towns and villages throughout the country.
The Wales Way is a new family of three national touring routes that lead you into the heart of the real Wales. Once you arrive in Wales you can choose between:
- The Coastal Way that travels the west coast around Cardigan Bay, a 290km road-trip between the sea and mountains.
- The Cambrian Way crosses the spine of Wales for 300km between Llandudno and Cardiff, through National Parks and big green spaces.
- The North Wales Way leads 120km past mighty castles into the island of Anglesey.
And getting to Wales is easy with excellent train connections from the rest of the UK. So, with the added incentive that Wales is celebrating the Year of the Sea in 2018 - this is the year to visit Wales!
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This year in Wales it is the Year of the Sea. There is so much to celebrate, and the sea has been central to the legends and life blood of the Welsh people across the ages. In fact, Wales has 1,200 kms of coastline with breathtaking scenery – it is the only country in the world to have its entire coastline as one continuous coastal pathway. And even if you can only take a short coastal walk - the views from this hiking trail are an essential part of any Welsh experience. Wales will also surprise you with 43 Blue Flag Beaches – this is the international standard of excellence, promising the cleanest and safest beaches with excellent facilities.
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In fact, Wales has more Blue Flag beaches per kilometre than anywhere else in Britain and a choice of over 100 beaches overall. Family-friendly beaches offer wide stretches of golden sand to cartwheel across, dunes to picnic in and waves to hop through. There are fossils to find, rockpools to explore and wildflowers to identify. Plus - pretty seaside towns offer quaint accommodation and wonderful seafood for the perfect seaside holiday.
Because the sea has always been so much part of Welsh culture, as you tour the coastline you will become immersed in living history. Many castles were built in spectacular locations to guard against attack from the sea. It is a little-known fact that famous pirates such as Henry Morgan and “Black Bart” hailed from Wales. More recently Dylan Thomas drew inspiration for his poems from the beautiful Welsh coastline seen from his famous Boathouse in Laugharne. And in the 1920’s the 11 kms of beautiful sands at Pendine Sands were chosen by Sir Malcolm Campbell as the ideal site as he set a world land speed record in his racing car “Blue Bird”.
The affinity to water doesn’t stop with the sea – Wales offers rivers to paddle along, canals to picnic by and a series of lakes, reservoirs and waterfalls with hidden depths and intriguing back-stories. Fresh water highlights include breathtaking Lake Bala and the lakes of Snowdonia National Park. The National Coracle Centre at Cenarth Falls in Carmarthenshire gives a fascinating insight into the traditional coracle boats of Wales, uniquely designed for fishing in swiftly flowing streams. Not to be missed is The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct: the oldest and longest navigable aqueduct in Britain, the highest aqueduct in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Seafood plays a significant role in Welsh cuisine. The famous Laver Bread is a seaweed similar to Japanese ‘nori’ that is boiled down to a flavoursome paste. It is a traditional addition to a Welsh breakfast in the form of patties of boiled seaweed rolled in oatmeal or spread on toast or rolls. But you can even find seaweed ice cream in Wales!
The Year of the Sea is a perfect time to taste Welsh Seafood. Just to get your juices going - how about Pembrokeshire lobster served in a roll that’s slathered in Welsh Sea black butter (laverbread cooked in butter and lightly spiced)? Or “Flowering courgette fritter” using Bristol Channel crab? You’ll find Mussels Welsh-style, either “drunken” (cooked in cider) or “dragon” (with red peppers and Welsh garlic). And who could resist roasted prawns with garlic, chili and laverbread mayonnaise?
Appropriately for the Year of the Sea – Cardiff is a host city in the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race. This is the ultimate sailing marathon! It takes place over 8 months as the teams race each other around the globe and across 4 oceans. Contestants sail 45,000 nautical miles starting from Alicante in Spain and ending in The Hague in the Netherlands, with stops in 12 major cities. The Volvo Ocean Race will come to Cardiff in May and June this year, with ships arriving from Newport, Rhode Island. A race village will open 27 May, 2018 and provide the ultimate pitlane race experience. There will be an in-port race on 8 June, 2018 and the yachts will depart on the next leg of their journey on 10 June, 2018.
At any time, Wales has plenty of options for active water sports enthusiasts – fishing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, whitewater rafting, surfing, windsurfing and scuba to name a few! Cardiff is a great base from which to enjoy yachting, jet ski, stand up paddle boarding, water polo, sailing, rowing and it is also home of the Cardiff International White Water Centre.
Only 2 hrs by train from Paddington Station in London takes you to Cardiff, the Capital City of Wales. Cardiff is a young capital, only becoming the Nation’s Capital in 1955. And it also kept young because it is a university town with a large student population. Cardiff has benefitted from a complete revitalization over the last 25 years, resulting in a mixture of history dating back over centuries and modern infrastructure. So Cardiff Castle has links to the Roman invasion over 2000 years ago – and the city also has fabulous state-or-the-art facilities such as the new Millennium Centre, a performance hub for the rich arts and culture of Wales. |
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Here are a few “must sees” in Cardiff.
Cardiff Castle
Situated in Cardiff’s city centre, Cardiff Castle offers a packed programme of events that provide a glimpse into 2000 years of history. In its fascinating life, Cardiff Castle has been a Roman Garrison, a Norman Stronghold, a Gothic Fantasy with lavish Victorian design... and it harboured Wartime Tunnels during the Second World War….
National Museum
The National Museum Cardiff brings together art, archaeology, natural history and geology, all for free! That’s right – there is no entrance fee to this fascinating museum! Starting with our ancestors, the Neanderthals, a quarter of a million years ago - everyday objects and beautiful artefacts tell the story of the people of Wales. Plus it explains the forces that created the dramatic Welsh landscapes.
The Art collection at the new National Museum of Art, within the same building, is one of Europe’s finest. See five hundred years of magnificent paintings, drawings, sculpture, silver and ceramics from Wales and across the world, including one of Europe’s best collections of Impressionist works.
Millennium Centre and Millennium Stadium
A testament to the renaissance of Cardiff as a modern city, and its world class architecture, and are the two Millennium project buildings.
The Millennium Centre is an Arts Centre with 6 performance spaces and a year round programme of music, opera, theatre and dance. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, The Welsh National Opera and the National Dance Company of Wales all have their home at the Millennium Centre.
The Millennium Stadium one of the most impressive icons of modern Wales. Join a guided tour to visit highlights such as the Press Conference Suite, and an official VIP hospitality suite. Discover the 2012 Olympic football dressing room and experience the atmosphere before a match in the “Dragon’s Lair” – the dressing room of the Wales’ rugby team. Hear the roar of 74,500 fans as you walk down the players' tunnel towards the hallowed turf, and lift the trophy to the skies like a sports star in the President’s Box, an area normally reserved for royalty.
Victorian Arcades
Cardiff boasts six historic arcades, which in total stretch to a length of 797m! The beautiful arcades still retain many of their original features and are home to dozens of unique stores as well as some of Cardiff’s most interesting cafés and delicatessens. You’ll find vegetarian and organic cuisine as well as great delicatessens for foodies looking to stock-up. One of Cardiff’s most famous shops, Spillers Records (the oldest vinyl record store in the world) is based in Morgan Arcade – its 3rd home since opening in 1894.
Cardiff Bay
The city of Cardiff thrived as a port in the days when Welsh slate was proudly covering rooftops around the world. Now the old Cardiff docklands have been redeveloped over the last decade to create Cardiff Bay. This is home to a large freshwater lake for sailing and water sports, the stylish five-star St David’s Hotel and Spa, and Mermaid Quay – a restaurant hotspot with everything from Caribbean to Turkish cuisine. Cardiff Bay is also home to exciting attractions and hosts events throughout the year.
On the Trail of Dr Who
Cardiff is indisputably the home of Doctor Who. The series is filmed on location in and around the city as well as at the new BBC Studios in Cardiff Bay. Just next door, the Doctor Who Experience has brought the Doctor back to his roots, making a stop in Cardiff the perfect choice for Doctor Who fans of any age. |
Dylan Marlais Thomas was born on 27 October, 1914 in Swansea, Wales and died in New York in 1953 at the age of just 39. He has left behind a lasting legacy as one of Wales’ best known poets, writers and broadcasters.
Some of Dylan Thomas’s most popular works include the poems "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "And death shall have no dominion", the play for voices, “Under Milk Wood”, and stories and radio broadcasts such as “A Child's Christmas in Wales” and “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog”.
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Although Thomas was appreciated as a poet in his lifetime, he found earning a living as a writer difficult - so he augmented his income with reading tours and broadcasts. His radio recordings for the BBC during the latter half of the 1940s allow us still to enjoy his beautiful voice – however no known moving footage of the poet remains.
While living in London, Thomas met Caitlin Macnamara, whom he married in 1937. Their relationship was turbulent and marred by alcoholism. In the early part of his marriage, Thomas and his family lived hand-to-mouth, finally settling in the Welsh fishing village of Laugharne.
In the last few years of his life Thomas travelled to America, where his readings brought him a level of fame - though his erratic behaviour and drinking worsened, and he had a reputation as somewhat of a drunken and doomed poet. During his fourth trip to New York in 1953, Thomas became gravely ill and fell into a coma from which he did not recover. His body was returned to Wales where he was buried at the village churchyard in Laugharne.
There are sites related to the poet that are part of the Welsh landscape and heritage and you can visit them any time.
Swansea – Birthplace of Dylan Thomas
The Dylan Thomas Centre is a beautiful building in the Maritime Quarter of Swansea. It has a permanent exhibition on Dylan Thomas and his life and is also home to many literary events throughout the year - including the annual Dylan Thomas Festival during October and November. This is the ideal starting place on a quest for Dylan Thomas as the exhibition places the poet's life and works in an historical context.
The poet was born in Number 5 Cwmdonkin Drive in the Uplands suburb of Swansea. The Thomas family bought it in 1914 as a new house and Dylan was born in the front bedroom of the house that very year. He continued to live at Number 5 until his parents moved out in 1937.
The Dylan Thomas House has been restored and recreates exactly how the Thomas family would have seen it in 1914. Imagine standing in the bedroom where one of the most iconic figures in Welsh literature was born! Or drinking in the atmosphere of the writing room where the greatest poet and writer of the 20th century first put pen to paper….
If you plan far enough ahead you can actually sleep under Dylan Thomas’ roof. You can rent the whole house or maybe stay on a bed and breakfast basis if all the rooms aren’t filled.
Laugharne – inspiration for “under Milkwood”?
Dylan Thomas wrote Under Milk Wood in 1954 as a radio drama. It was later adapted as a stage play and the 1972 film version starring Richard Burton is still a landmark movie.
Under Milkwood is centred around characters in a fictional small Welsh fishing village called Llareggub. Typical of Thomas - Llareggub is "bugger all" spelt backwards. The actual geographical inspiration for the town has generated much curiosity.
In 1938 Dylan Thomas moved his family to Laugharne, a town in Carmarthenshire with spectacular views of the estuary of the River Taf. Their house was called 'Sea View'. This town was probably the inspiration for the people of Llareggub, although the topography of the town is thought to be based on New Quay, where Thomas was staying when he started writing the play seriously in 1944.
Laugharne – Dylan Thomas’ last resting place
In 1949 Dylan and Caitlin moved back to Laugharne and he lived at The Boat House. Dylan Thomas chose the garden shed as his writing place. The Boat House terrace offers wonderful views over the Taf estuary to the Gower beyond – it’s a haven for egrets, lapwings, herons, oystercatchers, seals and otters with fishermen and cocklers continuing the ancient traditions. Today Laugharne is also a stop for hikers on the Wales Coast Path.
The Boat House houses a small museum and a tearoom with a locally sourced, home-cooked menu. You can also follow Dylan Thomas’ footsteps on the “Dylan Thomas Birthday Walk”. In 1944, Dylan wrote “Poem in October” about his birthday walk to the shoulder of Sir John's hill. The poem is simply about his love of Laugharne and getting older. The poem was set on the 27th of October, 1944; his 30th Birthday. The sounds of the estuary and the memory of the herons awaiting the tide were on his mind…
The walk is approximately 3.2 kilometres in length and will take you uphill to enjoy the magnificent views of the estuary, Dylan's boathouse, the Gower, north Devon, Caldey Island and Tenby. And as you enjoy a stroll around the quaint town of Laugharne – drop by the cemetery to visit Dylan’s grave and wish him well. Then drop by historic Brown’s Hotel, originally built in 1752, where Dylan loved to sink a pint of beer!
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