Mid Wales offers dramatic contrasts with vast mountain ranges, spectacular coastline, tranquil green hills, scenic lakes and a network of busy little market towns and villages.
This beautiful part of Wales is home to the breathtaking scenery of the Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons
National Parks, the Cambrian Mountains and the Ceredigion
Heritage Coast of Cardigan Bay.
Mid Wales has castles and
historic houses, narrow gauge railways, glorious gardens and
museums, galleries and craft shops. You will find Mid Wales offers dramatic contrasts with vast mountain ranges, spectacular coastline, tranquil green hills, scenic lakes and a network of busy little market towns and villages.
This beautiful part of Wales is home to the breathtaking scenery of the Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons National Parks, the Cambrian Mountains and the Ceredigion Heritage Coast of Cardigan Bay.
Mid Wales has castles and historic houses, narrow gauge railways, glorious gardens and museums, galleries and craft shops. You will find a fascinating mix of events throughout the year, ranging from the world famous Royal Welsh Show and The Hay Literature Festival to the Cardigan Bay Seafood Festival and Victorian Festival in Llandrindod Wells.
Explore the Marches and Lakeland
Start your visit to Mid Wales with a drive through softly rounded hills and green farmland, visit the lakes and pretty market towns of the Welsh Marches – the Border Country.
Near the English border is the imposing Powis Castle, set in parkland on the outskirts of Welshpool. Here you can enjoy the world famous terraced gardens and grounds and the castle itself. This National Trust property contains one of the finest collections of paintings and furniture in Wales.
A visit to Mid Wales would be incomplete without a stop off at Gigrin Farm on the edge of Rhayader, to watch the once endangered red kites being fed. Feeding takes place every afternoon and this attracts the birds and people throughout the year.
The nearby the picturesque Elan Valley reservoirs played a key role in the famous the famous Dambusters mission of 1943. One of the most daring raids of the Second World War owed its success to trials at Nant-y-Gro dam.
Warplane designer Barnes Wallis developed the bouncing bomb, which destroyed and damaged some of Germany's main dams after using the Nant-y-Gro dam for initial trials. The 35-feet high dam was used for the secret experiments by government officials who needed a testing site for the bombs.
Not far away is the Hall at Abbey-Cwm-Hir, a romantic and magnificent Victorian Gothic Revival Mansion. All 52 rooms are bursting with interior design ideas and collections including clocks, phonographs, china and much more. There are guided tours every day.
Set amid the remote and beautiful Berwyn Mountains is Lake Vyrnwy, an iconic tourist destination. The spectacular dam, waterfalls, the lakeside drive, the RSPB reserve, activities, craft shops and sculpture park make a wonderful day out for all the family.
Further north, first stop on a tour around the southern slopes of the Snowdonia National Park must be Harlech Castle. The most dramatic castle, which was built by Edward I, stands on a rock high above the sea, offering superb views of the Llŷn Peninsular and Tremadog Bay.
There’s also the Italianate village of Portmeirion designed by Sir Clough Williams Ellis, which was the setting for the ‘60s cult classic television series ‘The Prisoner’.
The region also has Coed y Brenin Forest, the mountains of the Cader Idris range and King Arthur’s Labyrinth at Corris Craft Centre, where a subterranean boat journey takes visitors through a waterfall into the spectacular caverns, where tales of Arthur and Welsh legends are told.
Along Cardigan Bay – Coast and Countryside
Start your visit in the shadow of Plynlumon, in the wood clad valleys and hills above Aberystwyth. Explore the famous gorge, the three bridges, ravines and cascades at historic Devil’s Bridge. Nearby is Llywernog Silver-Lead Mine, where there are guided underground tours of the mine, which has been lovingly restored to its Victorian splendour.
Take the steam train down the valley to the seaside university town Aberystwyth. Standing on a hill high above the town, the National Library of Wales is at the very heart of Welsh culture. The library hosts some of the greatest treasures of Wales and features a changing series of exhibitions, events and displays of throughout the year.
For the last 25 years, much of the Ceredigion coastline has been designated Heritage Coast. It is an outstanding and internationally important area for marine wildlife. Travel south and enjoy the views or take a boat trip out into the bay.
Enjoy coffee and cake, or honey ice cream on the quay in the Georgian town of Aberaeron. Nearby is the National Trust property of Llanerchaeron, an 18th century Welsh gentry estate which has survived virtually unaltered. The house was designed and built by John Nash in 1796 and the estate is now a working organic farm. There’s plenty to see with the house, the walled gardens, the park and the animals on the farm.
Just north of Cardigan, the county town of Ceredigion, is the Felinwynt Rainforest Centre. The centre has a wonderful display of free-flying tropical butterflies in natural surroundings and a Rainforest Exhibition.
Scenic Railways
Mid Wales has an abundance of railways. Climb aboard the Ffestiniog Railway and see the train climb nearly 700ft as it passes oak woods, waterfalls and lakes on its way from Porthmadog to the slate quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway is the longest heritage railway in the UK. Its connection with the Ffestiniog Railway enables passengers to travel between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Caernarfon, almost 40 miles of narrow gauge steam.
Bala Lake Railway steams the length of Llyn Tegid, the largest natural lake in Wales. The train goes from Llanuwchllyn to Bala through the wonderful scenery of the Snowdonia National Park.
Take a trip on The Talyllyn Railway from Tywyn to Nant Gwernol, Abergynolwyn in the Dysynni Valley and the foothills of Cadair Idris. The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at Tywyn Wharf Station houses a collection of artefacts covering nearly 200 years of the narrow gauge railways.
Corris Railway was the first narrow gauge railway in Mid Wales. Built in 1859, it celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2009 with a programme of special events to mark the occasion.
For those wishing to make a scenic trip, be sure to ho aboard the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, while The Vale of Rheidol Railway, the last steam railway to be owned by British Rail until it was privatized in 1989, runs for nearly 12 miles from Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge.
The Brecon Mountain Railway is one of the most popular railways in Wales. Travel in one of the all weather observation coaches behind a vintage steam locomotive through the beautiful scenery of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Although not narrow gauge railways, there are three other scenic lines in Mid Wales. The Cambrian Main Line, between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth, travels through the beautiful scenery of the Border Country and then across Mid Wales to the sea.
The Cambrian Coast Line runs from Machynlleth south to Aberystwyth and north to Pwllheli. This is one of the most scenic lines in the UK. Finally the Heart of Wales Line runs from Shrewsbury to Swansea, giving passengers glorious views of rolling countryside. There’s even a chance to hop off at the Britain’s smallest town, Llanwrtyd Wells.
There is so much to see and do in this part of Wales. Many of the attractions mentioned in this article offer group discounts and will give parties of visitors a very warm welcome. For full details on what to see and do in Mid Wales, check out www.visitmidwales.co.uk.
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