July Newsletter

Croeso I Gymru – Welcome to Wales

Wales is one of Europe’s smallest and most fascinating countries, it is also perhaps one of its least known, seemingly off the international radar or misaligned as a region of Britain. But Wales is a country in its own right, with a heritage and culture that is proudly distinct from its neighbours and Wales offers just about everything the discerning traveller could ask for in a getaway destination.

If you were to look at a map of Britain and Ireland, Wales is that landmass to the west, stretching out towards Ireland, almost directly opposite Dublin. To the east, the border with England runs from the English cites of Bristol and Liverpool. Wales covers an area of just 8,000 square miles, smaller than Massachusetts, but Wales packs a whole lot in a relatively small space. The country boasts some of the most breath taking scenery in Britain, with three national parks, several designated areas of natural beauty and a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

From Merlin to Mining, Wales has a culture that is deeply rooted in the myths and legends of the land and has a vibrant and strong industrious identity, built on rural life and the country’s mining heritage. The Welsh are a proud Celtic nation, with links to Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and Brittany in both history and culture. Like its Celtic cousins, Wales has a lyrical language of its own. The Welsh Language is one of the oldest surviving languages in Europe and is what sets to Welsh apart from the English, Irish and Scottish.

Welsh is spoken by some 500,000 people, It's a language you'll encounter in the road signs through out Wales, all of which are bilingual and if you go to the rural areas of the north west or mid-Wales you're likely to encounter it in everyday conversations between the Welsh. To an outsider, Welsh or Cymraeg may seem as familiar as Martian, only a little harder to pronounce! Its collection of double consonants, unusual letter combinations and an apparent shortage of vowels make Welsh a difficult language to grasp at first. Try pronouncing the name of the town below for starters!

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Perhaps one of the major beauty’s of Wales is that outside the British Isles, little is known of the country, making Wales something of an undiscovered, hidden gem of a destination. Wales is largely a very rural country, characterised by rolling green valleys, mountainous peaks in the northern area, aptly named Snowdonia, and stunning seascapes of dramatic cliffs and sandy beaches along the coast.

Wales’ three National Parks include the Brecon Beacons in the south east of the country covering 520 square miles of valleys, forests and sweeping moorland. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Britain’s only coastal park, can be found in the south west of Wales, stretching 180 miles from Cardigan Bay to Carmathan Bay. Dotted along the coast here and there, are quaint little fishing villages like Tenby whose Welsh name Dinbych-y-Pysgod means ‘little fort of the fishes’ and St David’s named after the Welsh patron saint who preached here. While the beaches along the Pembrokeshire Coast are regarded as the best in Britain. In north Wales is the simply stunning Snowdonia Mountains National Park, which practically dominates the region, covering some 840 square miles of rocky peaks and ridges and steep river valleys. The area is named after its tallest peak, Mount Snowdon, which at 1113m high is the tallest mountain in England and Wales.

It was here in this mountainous and difficult landscape that the last strongholds of the Welsh Princes were situated, safe from the invading English, until they were eventually subdued by King Edward I, Edward Longshanks of Braveheart infamy. Edward had a number of mighty castle’s built along the coast and dotting the hills of Snowdonia in a bid to keep the Welsh in check and their ruins stand proud today with Harlech Castle, Conwy Castle, Caernarfon Castle and Beaumaris Castle, designated as World Heritage Sites.

Wales is indeed famous for its castles, many are ruinous relics of medieval times, others are stately residences, which are open to the public, like Castell Coch, an 18th century fairytale replica, Chirk Castle, lived in continuously since it was built in the 13th century and Cardiff Castle, taking centre stage in Wales’ vibrant capital city.

In the last 20 years Cardiff has been transformed from a deteriorating former port that was once the worlds largest coal exporter, into an exciting and upbeat cultured capital city that Wales can be proud of. As a cultural centre Cardiff has the impressive National Museum and Gallery of Wales, housing the largest collection of impressionist paintings outside Paris, the Museum of Welsh Life, over 50 hectares of parkland, and a healthy music scene. But what most Welsh people are proud of in Cardiff is the £110 million Millennium Stadium, home to the Welsh national game of Rugby.

Apart from the capital, Wales has a number of fascinating little places to visit. Along the south coast, west of Cardiff, is the little village of Laugharne, where Wales’ most famous literary figure, Dylan Thomas lived, wrote and drank! Nestled in the Brecon Beacons is the quaint market town of Hay-on-Wye, famed for its abundance of eccentric little bookshops and antique stores, which hosts the internationally renowned literary festival in the last week of May each year. The town of Portmeirion in north Wales, is one of the country’s architectural gems, a masterpiece of Italianate architecture, built along the hillsides of a sheltered estuary, by eccentric architect Clough Williams-Ellis. This private village was used in the cult 1960s TV show ‘The Prisoner’.

There is a whole host of things to do in Wales. The country is a virtual outdoor activity centre catering for those in search of fresh air and adrenaline rushes with hill walking, mountaineering, mountain biking, surfing, windsurfing and sailing. For something a little out of the ordinary there is coastering, an interesting new sport, where you traverse the coastal cliffs, dipping in and out of the sea, or for something completely bonkers there is bog snorkelling, where you, well go snorkelling in a bog – the World Bog Snorkelling Championships are held in Llanwrtyd Wells each year. For those interested in more sedate pastimes, Wales is becoming an increasingly popular golfing location and is set to host the Ryder Cup in 2010.

Though a small country, Wales’ collection of hotels is second to none, with top country house hotels, historic inns, filled with character, intimate hideaways and luxury resort hotels. Most of which boast stunning scenery, lavish luxury and award-winning cuisine, utilising local resources for the best natural Welsh produce. But all boast that all-important third dimension - hospitality and ambiance or as they say in Wales ‘Croeso’.

Right now the Welsh Dragon is in resurgence, there is a quiet confidence in Wales, a confidence that is tinged with pride in itself and what Wales has to offer the world, making it the perfect time to visit Wales and sample some of that Croeso!