Things to do in Dolgellau
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Tŷ Siamas, the National Centre for Welsh Folk Music
Tŷ Siamas, the National Centre for Welsh Folk Music was under construction at the time of writing. A major new attraction, it's the first centre of its kind in Wales and celebrates Dollgellau's hosting of the first ever Welsh folk festival in 1952. Idris Hall, the former market hall on Eldon Sq, will house the centre and the initial programme offers a mix of performance, exhibitions, workshops and facilities for tourists.
The centre is named after Elis Sîon Siamas, a harpist from Dolgellau who was the royal harpist to Queen Anne between 1702 and 1714. He was one of the first people to introduce the triple harp in Wales.
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Mawddach Estuary Trail
The beautiful 11-mile Mawddach Estuary Trail is a flat (and in places wheelchair-accessible) path that's great for walking or cycling. Running through woods and past wetlands on the southern side of the Mawddach Estuary, it begins in town at the car park and runs past the RSPB Information Centre, 2 miles west of Dolgellau.
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Popty r Dref Deli
A fantastic deli for take-away sandwiches and one of the few left with the original bakery out the back. Support it to keep a rare example of local industry alive. The house speciality is the honey bun - be quick, they're usually sold out by 11:00.
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Precipice Walk
The Precipice Walk is a four-mile hike along a flat stretch running around the steep flanks of Moel Cynwch, which provides superb estuary views. The path starts near Cymer Abbey, a 13th-century ruin located 2 miles north of Dolgellau.
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Dylanwad Da
Informal cafe, wine and tapas bar by day, contemporary restaurant by night, this well-run, low-lit eatery has been serving up high-quality food for over 20 years. A long-standing favourite on the Snowdonia scene, it has a healthy wine list and an imaginative menu.
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Dolgellau Coffee Shop & Restaurant
No-frills toasties, breakfasts and a surprisingly large menu of vegetarian options are on offer at this big café-style place. It's nothing fancy, but family friendly for kids.
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Y Sospan
In a book-lined and woody 1606 building that once served as a prison, this relaxed eatery serves fry-up breakfasts, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and light cooked meals during the day. At night, it switches to a heavier bistro menu, where lamb plays a starring role and most of the desserts have been on the booze, including an excellent bread-and-butter pudding.
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The Unicorn
For a pint, try the no-nonsense Unicorn to meet the locals over a real ale; it also has simple bar meals.
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Siop Y Dydd
If you find the tourist office closed, a small bookshop Siop Y Dydd has maps and some local information.
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Dolgellau Cycles
You can hire a bike from Dolgellau Cycles; the owner can help advise on local cycle routes.
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Gader Café
This is a straightforward, belly-filling café and bakery with good sandwiches.
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Dolgellau Cycles
You can hire a bike from Dolgellau Cycles; the owner can help advise on local cycle routes.
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Tŷ Siamas
Dolgellau has been an important folk-music hub ever since it held the first Welsh folk festival in 1952. In recognition of that, the town's former market hall has been transformed into the National Centre for Welsh Folk Music. The permanent exhibition includes audiovisual clips, musical instruments and interesting displays about folk traditions. Yet it's not just a museum – it has a recording studio, stages workshops and performances, and offers lessons on traditional instruments.
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Parliament House
With a fantastic period setting in a Grade II–listed former ironmonger's shop, still with its original fittings, this atmospheric coffee shop has light meals (soup, Welsh rarebit, sandwiches, ciabatta, baguettes), newspapers to browse and a huge range of speciality teas.
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Mawddach Restaurant & Bar
Located 2 miles west of Dolgellau on the A496, Mawddach brings a touch of urban style to what was once a barn. Slate floors, leather seats and panoramic views across to Cader Idris set the scene. The food is equally impressive: meat straight from nearby farms, fresh local fish specials and traditional Sunday roasts (two/three courses £13/17).
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Coed y Brenin Forest Park
Covering 3600 hectares, this woodland park is the premier location for mountain biking in Wales. It's laced with 70 miles of purpose-built cycle trails, divided into seven graded routes to suit beginners or guns, and impressively presented by way of old-fashioned waterproof trail cards or downloadable geocaches and MP3 audio files. The park's impressive environmentally friendly visitor centre, 8 miles north of Dolgellau off the A470, has a cafe, toilets and a children's play area, while downstairs you can hire bikes from Beics Brenin. A new highwires course called Go Ape was about to open recently.
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Cader Idris
Cader Idris (893m), or the 'Seat of Idris' (a legendary giant), is a hulking, menacing-looking mountain with an appropriate mythology attached. It's said that hounds of the underworld fly around its peaks, and strange light effects are often sighted in the area. It's also said that anyone who spends the night on the summit will awake either mad or a poet – although perhaps you'd have to be a little mad or romantic to attempt it in the first place. Regardless of its repute, it's popular with walkers and it's the park's favourite locale for rock climbers.
When tackling Cader Idris, the standard route is up the 'Dolgellau' or Ty Nant Path (6 miles, five hours), heading sout…
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