Top Choice Castle in Harlech
Harlech Castle
Edward I finished this intimidating yet aesthetically pleasing castle in 1289, the southernmost of his 'iron ring' of fortresses designed to keep the Welsh firmly beneath his boot. The grey-sandstone castle's massiv…
Top Choice Forest in Betws-y-Coed
Gwydyr Forest
The 28-sq-mile Gwydyr Forest, planted since the 1920s with oak, beech and larch, encircles Betws-y-Coed and is scattered with the remnants of lead and zinc mine workings. Named for a more ancient forest in the same …
Top Choice Museum in Llanberis
National Slate Museum
Even if you're not enraptured by industrial museums, ignore the dull-sounding name and check this one out. At Dinorwig Quarry much of the slate was carved out of the open mountainside – leaving behind a jagged, scul…
Top Choice Arts Centre in Blaenau Ffestiniog
Cellb
Recently opened in the Edwardian-era police station (hence 'Cell B'), this multifunction centre hosts everything from yoga to live bands to screenings in a 40-seat cinema. It's also the town's most appealing dining …
Top Choice Mine in Blaenau Ffestiniog
Llechwedd Slate Caverns
Blaenau's main attraction takes you into the bowels of a Victorian slate mine. You descend the UK's steepest mining cable railway into the 1846 network of tunnels and caverns, while 'enhanced-reality technology' bri…
Nature Reserve in Dolgellau
Mawddach Estuary
The Mawddach Estuary is a striking sight, flanked by woodlands, wetlands and the mountains of southern Snowdonia. There are two Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) nature reserves in the valley, both ea…
Bridge in Barmouth (Abermaw)
Barmouth Bridge
You're unlikely to miss Barmouth's foremost landmark: in fact, you'll probably arrive on it, by train, on foot or on two wheels. Curving scenically into town, spanning 700m of the Mawddach Estuary mouth, it was buil…
Mine in Beddgelert
Sygun Copper Mine
This mine dates from Roman times, although extraction was stepped up in the 19th century. Abandoned in 1903, it has since been converted into a museum, with a half-hour self-guided underground tour containing dioram…
Museum in Llanberis
Electric Mountain
More than just Dinorwig Power Station's public interface, Electric Mountain is a tourist hub incorporating a gallery, cafe and souvenir shop. It also has interactive exhibits on hydropower and is the starting point …
Historic Building in Betws-y-Coed
Ugly House
The Ugly House isn't actually ugly at all. This unusual cottage is constructed from huge boulders and is home to a characterful tearoom and, upstairs, the Honeybee Room, with displays devoted to the beleaguered inse…