Places to Visit around Llanberis and Snowdonia

(A Sense of Place)

(Not an exhaustive listing of all attractions)

Dolbadarn Castle - One of the Castles of the Welsh Princes built around 1185A.D. to guard against English invaders, the remaining tower built on a hill between LLyn Peris and Padarn affords stunning views.

Electric Mountain & Dinorwig Power Station - Visit the Electric Mountain visitor centre and take the tour of the largest pumped storage hydro-electric power station in Western Europe. For tour availability call 01286 870636

Greenwood Forest Park - An adventure playground for all the family. Includes a 'green' roller coaster powered by the visitors to the park. A very good family fun day out. Contact tel. no. 01248 670076.

Llanberis Lake Railway - Ride along Llyn Padarn lakeshore along the route travelled by the 'slate that roofed the world'. Tel.no. 01286 870549.

Dinorwig Quarry Hospital Visitor Centre - Within the area known as Padarn Country park is situated this museum, which in its operating days was hospital to all the Dinorwic Slate Quarry working quarrymen. Tel. no. 01286 870892.

Padarn Country Park - Spectacular lakeside, ancient oak woodland, Victorian hospital was the first in the U.K. to have an x-ray machine in 1898, 2 years after the first successful trials in Germany.  Padarn park includes some of the former Dinorwic Slate Quarry (owned by the Faenol Estates) and industrial machinery used for making the slate tiles that 'roofef the world'. www.visitsnowdonia.info

Penceunant Waterfall Tea Rooms & Sir Kyffin Williams R.A. Art Gallery and Museum - Free admission to art gallery. The only remaining tearooms on Snowdon (c.1790). No meals or sandwiches served. They specialise in home-made scones and Welsh cakes. Free guided tour of cottage (weekdays only). Dogs welcome. Visit the Wildlife Trust for Wales shop (charity no. 513913). As a visitor to the tearooms you support the Llanberis Mountain Rescue (charity no. 513913). e-mail address tearooms@ceunant.co.uk

Ropes and Ladders - High ropes adventure. Dares and scares for families, groups or individuals in a beautiful setting. Aerial challanges, zip line, climbing wall, trapeze leap and giant swing. Conveniently located in Padarn Country Park with a whole host of other attractions. www.ropesandladders.co.uk

Snowdon Mountain Railway - Travel on the only public rack and pinion railway in Britain to the 1,085 metre high summit of Mt. Snowdon - the tallest mountain in England and Wales. e-mail info@snowdonrailway.co.uk   http://www.snowdonrailway.co.uk  Tel.0870 4580033.

The Fun Centre - Yr Hwylfan - Multi-award winning family attraction. The fun never stops at North Wales' biggest and best indoor play centre. www.thefuncentre.co.uk

National Slate Museum - See the story of slate at this living museum. Attractions include a terrace of quarrymans cottages, giant waterwheel, introductory film and children's play area. Daily slate splitting demonstrations. Cafe & shop. Free admission. Open all year Easter to Oct:10.00-17.00, Nov/Mar:Sun-Fri 10.00-16.00. Tel.01286 870630. e-mail slate@museumwales.ac.uk   website http://www.museumwales.ac.uk

Greenwood Forest Park - Family adventure for all ages. Ride on the world's first people powered roller coaster followed on by the Great Green Run - the longest slide in Wales. Then move on to Jungle boats, Tree Top Towers, Crocodile Maze and Den building. The Forest Theatre is a great entertainment for children of all ages. www.greenwoodforestpark.co.uk

Gypsy Wood Park - An enchanting experience for the whole family, set in the beautiful and tranquil Snowdonia countryside. The largest G-Scale Garden Railway in Wales. www.gypsywood.co.uk

Welsh Highland Railway - Board the train in Caernarfon and travel through the heartlands of Snowdonia to Portmadoc and onward to Blaenau Ffestiniog and return. www.festrail.co.uk

Further afield from Llanberis and surrounding area are:

Castell Penrhyn/Penrhyn Castle - Former home of Lord Penrhyn, who owned the Penhryn Slate mine and Quarries. Now a National Trust property preserved for all. www.nationaltrust.org.uk   e-mail penrhyncastle@nationaltrust.org.uk

Ffestiniog Railway - From the stattion terminal in Portmadoc to Blaenau Ffestiniog, the 26 mile round trip trainride will afford the traveller scenery unsurpassed in beauty and serenity. www.festrail.co.uk

Inigo Jones Slate Works - Discover the secrets of Welsh slate. A self-guided tour includes a video presentation, exhibitions on geology, history of the slate industry, calligraphy and lettercutting. Try your hand at calligraphy and engrave a piece of slate thast you keep as a souvenir. www.inigojones.co.uk

Parc Glynllifion - Once described as Wales' best kept secret, Parc Glynllifion is being restored. Enjoy a lsisurely walk through 70 acres of exoitc trees and plants, imported and planted over 150 years ago. www.visitsnowdinia.info

Tweedmill Factory Outlets - At the gateway to Clwyd by St. Asaph, one of the U.K.'s smallest cathedral cities. Hassle-feww shopping all under one roof with adequate free parking. www.tweedmill.co.uk

Welsh Mountain Zoo - Spend a perfect day at this family friendly attraction in the company of rare and endangered animals from around the world including tigers, monkeys and ostriches. Watch sea-lions as they dive and dip, swim and play and do what they do best- SHOW OFF! www.welshmountainzoo.org

Bodnant Garden - This 80 acre Mational Trust garden is one of the finest in the world, situated above the River Conwy (Afon Conwy) looking across the valley towards the Snowdon Mountain range. www.bodnant-garden.co.uk

Llechwedd Slate Caverns - Visit the deep mine, ride on the Miners Tramway and walk through the Victorina Village. Use re-minted Victorian coins available from the Old Bank. www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk  e-mail QuarryTours@aol.com

Portmeirion - The village opened by Welsh archirect Clough Williams-Ellis in 1926 to show how development could enchance,  not destroy ,a natural landscape. The village was the setting for the television serial, 'The Prisioner' starring Patrick McGoohan. www.portmeirion-village.com

Pili Palas Butterfly Palace - Step into the magical world of a zoo in miniature. At Pili Palas - the butterflies, birds and mimibeast centre on the Isle of Anglesey - you can enter a steamy environment of lush vegitation and live butterflies and birds around you. Move on to the reptile house and visit the tropical lair of tarantulas, scorpions, giant African snails and leaf citting ants. www.pipipalas.co.uk

Anglesea Sea Zoo - Experience the Isle of Anglesey's undercover, underwater attraction. From tiny lobsters and baby seahorses, wily octopus and dangerous weever fish, to a conger eel infested shipwreck, there is something to fascinate the whole family. Interact with friendly staff and sea creatures at our Discovery Pool Sessions. www.angleseyseazoo.co.uk

Caernarfon Castle - The castle is the most famous and, perhaps, the ost striking medieval monument in all Wales...which is just as its builder, King Edward I, intended. The slate dias and all the slate used for the investature of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales was last major works undertaken by the Dinorwic Slate Quarries of which Glan-y-Bala was once part. www.cadw.wales.gov.uk

Sygun Copper Mines - Located just north of Beddgelert, visit the workings to learn and experience how a copper miner worked and lived in the 17th - 19th century. www.syguncoppermine.co.uk

Stena Line - Take a day trip to Dublin from Holyhead by HSS fastcraft sailings to Dun Laogharie and visit Ireland's capital for shopping, sightseeing. Approximate crossing time 99 minutes. www.stenaline.co.uk/daysaway