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Snowdonia Guide For Visitors - part one
Named after Snowdon, its highest mountain, and covering an area of 840 sq m (2147 sq km), Snowdonia in Wales is the second largest National Park in the U.K. It lies on the remote Northern coast, amidst breathtaking mountains, glacial valleys and ancient forests.
The jagged peaks of Snowdonia are among the most ancient rocks on earth. The local culture is also rather ancient, with music and poetry dating back to the Bronze Age. About 65% of the local population speak Welsh, one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe, as their mother tongue. Snowdonia also has:
* The highest peak in England and Wales
* Swallow Falls, the highest continuous waterfall in Wales
Snowdonia Statistics Snowdonia National Park covers 840 sq.miles of northwest Wales, 570 sq.miles protected for conservation or special scientific interest. 20% is legally protected because of its wildlife. The park also has:
* 90 summits above 2,000 ft. and 15 over 3,000 ft.
* 9 mountain ranges covering 52% of the land
* 1,700 miles of public footpaths, bridlepaths and rights of way
* 75% of its area in private ownership with the rest owned by the Crown, National Trust, MOD, Forestry Commission, other public bodies.
* The highest peaks are Snowdon (3,560 ft.) in the north and Cader Idris (2,929 ft.) in the South.
Towns and Villages in Snowdonia: Most of Snowdonia's population - about 26,000 - is concentrated along the coast, between Barmouth and Harlech. The rest live in a scattering of small market towns:
* Aberdyfi
* Bala One of the park's larger towns
* Beddgelert Burial place of the legendary Gelert, the faithful hound of Medieval Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great
* Betws-y-Coed Gateway to Swallow Falls and the Fairy Glen, and one of the prettiest towns of North Wales
* Dolgellau Another of the regions larger towns
* Harlech Site of an impressive castle.
Snowdonia Accommodation: Looking for the right Snowdonia Hotel to meet your needs can be a tricky game with such a great variety to choose from. All tastes and needs are catered for in Snowdonia from backpackers to luxury romantic hotels. A good start to finding a place to stay is searching on the Internet on sites such as Trip Advisor where you can read unbiased reviews from actual people who have stayed there.
Castles: Snowdonia is dotted with castles, some only ruins, some magnificent and at least one converted to a B&B!
* Harlech
* Conwy Just outside the park but worth a visit
* Dolwyddelan Castle
* Castell y Bere
* Dolbadarn Castle
* Gwydir Castle A privately owned, fortified Tudor House, the paneled dining room was recently returned from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's a B&B and open, in season, for day visits as well.
* Penrhyn Castle This National Trust property is a 19th century fantasy worth visiting for the contents, grounds and views
Walking in Snowdonia - Mountain Paths: There are nine mapped trails up Snowdon and Cader Idris all graded moderate in difficulty. They include:
* Llanberis PathThe most popular tourist path up Snowdon
* Snowdon Ranger Path One of the easiest on Snowdon
* PYG Track Rugged, challenging walk on Snowdon, suggested for experienced, equipped walkers in winter.
* Miners Track A safe mountain walk on Snowden for the less experienced
* Rhyd Ddu Path Easier and less used Snowdon trail
* Watkin Path Victorian path up Snowdon
* Tŷ Nant Path Pony Trail up Cader Idris
* Minffordd PathShort and steep on Cader Idris
* Llanfihangel y Pennant PathEasy but longer on Cader Idris
Walking in Snowdonia - Things You'll Need:
* Waterproofs
* Comfortable clothes
* Sturdy footwear
* Warm jacket
* Maps
* Compass, if you plan on hiking
* Accommodation reservation
* Credit card
* Phone
Step 1: Get maps of Wales, Ordnance Survey maps of Snowdonia National Park and guidebooks on Snowdonia National Park. You can get these from any U.K. or Wales tourist outlet or from any Snowdonia National Park information center. Contact by phone or post. Acquaint yourself with the towns and villages in the National Park. It is important to gain an idea of local area and conditions.
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