Wales or Cymru (Wales in Welsh) lies in North-West Europe, situated to the west of England, forming part of Britain and the United Kingdom. Travel to Wales couldn't be easier with a choice of excellent road and railway links from England as well air and sea links via Cardiff Airport and the ferry ports at Holyhead, Fishguard, Pembroke and Swansea. Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is situated in South Wales just a 2-hour train or car ride from London.
Whether you're planning a family holiday, romantic break, or luxury spa weekend in Wales, you’ll find an excellent selection holiday accommodation here, including hotels, bed & breakfasts, holiday cottages, farm stays, holiday parks, log cabins, caravan parks and camp sites.
With so much to see and do whatever the weather, Wales is a great choice for a holiday in the UK. Across the country you’ll find enchanting castles, historic market towns, quaint steam railways, thrilling theme parks, fascinating wildlife parks, and endless opportunities for outdoor activities.
Popular counties for visitors looking for a holiday in Wales include: Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire. Locations such as Aberaeron, Cardigan, Llandysul, Aberystwyth, Lampeter, Carmarthen, Swansea and Newcastle Emlyn draw thousands of visitors each year.
Perhaps the biggest attraction to Wales is its wealth of natural beauty including diverse landscapes, unspoilt coastline, and majestic mountains. With three National Parks, five designated areas of outstanding natural beauty and over 700 miles of coastline, Wales is the ideal outdoor adventure playground and retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The Snowdonia National Park in North Wales offers a selection of excellent mountain walks including Y Carneddau, Y Glyderau, Cader Idris and Wales' highest peak, Snowdon (1085 m), which can also be reached by mountain railway. In South Wales, the Brecon Beacons National Park features an inviting mix of moorland, forest, waterfalls and mountains, the highest peak being Pen y Fan (886 m).
Whether your passion is walking, fishing, golfing, horse riding or water sports, Wales has an excellent range of facilities to cater for all activities.
Wales is home to some of the UK’s finest coastline including 42 beaches awarded the European Blue Flag status for their clear waters and pristine sands. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in South-West Wales offers a fantastic selection of beaches ranging from quiet secluded coves to wide open expanses of golden sands. Within the National Park lies the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, offering 186 miles of breath-taking coastal scenery, stretching from St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south.
Just north of Pembrokeshire, the Ceredigion coastline in West Wales is home to Cardigan Bay, renowned for its population of bottle-nosed dolphins, porpoise and grey seals. During the summer months many visitors take a stroll along the Ceredigion Coast Path or a boat trip from New Quay to spot the fantastic marine life here.
For more details see the following counties of Wales: Blaenau, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan, Wrexham,
The Welsh language is one of Europe's oldest living languages and remains an important element of Welsh culture today. In addition to English, Welsh is taught in many schools and spoken widely across Wales by more than 20% of the population. Visitors to Wales soon become familiar with the use of both the English and Welsh on road signs and information leaflets.
Literature and music lie at the heart of Welsh culture and are celebrated at the National Eisteddfod, an annual festival of Welsh music, literature, dance, theatre and visual arts in Wales which first began in 1176. Often referred to as 'The Land of Song' Wales is renowned for its male voice choirs, notably the Treorchy Male Choir and the Morriston Orpheus Choir, and world class singers such as Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Tom Jones, and Katherine Jenkins. Famous Welsh literary figures include the poet and playwright Dylan Thomas, children’s writer Roald Dahl and novelist Sarah Waters. A must-see for book lovers is the charming town of Hay-on-Wye in the Brecon Beacons National Park, home to over thirty book shops and the annual Hay Festival featuring distinguished writers, filmmakers, comedians, and politicians.
Also holding great importance in Welsh culture is the country's national sport, rugby union. The Welsh Rugby Union was first established in 1881 and today owns the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, home to the Welsh rugby team who compete in the Six Nations Championship and Rugby World Cup. Wales also have top-level teams who compete in the Magners League, Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup as well as over 200 local Welsh rugby clubs who compete in the Welsh Premier Division and lower leagues.
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