Discover the Story of Wales
Map
Itineraries
Cymraeg
A walk around Wales – from Celtic times to the present day, St Fagans is one of Europe's leading open–air museums and Wales's most popular heritage attraction. Open to the public since 1948, the museum stands in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle and gardens, a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth. Beautiful garden displays surround the Castle including an Italian Garden and thyme garden. Fishponds, fountains, a mulberry grove, vinery and an exquisite Rosery add depth and colour to the Museum’s grounds. Admission Free.
Flat Holm is a tiny island, less than half a mile wide, a hidden jewel in the Bristol Channel. It is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserve with extensive views to the coasts of England and Wales.
www.cardiffharbour.com/flatholm
A peaceful oasis on the outskirts of Cardiff, Dyffryn Gardens is an Edwardian garden that covers more than 55 acres. With year-round seasonal highlights the gardens feature the best woody collection in the National Trust. Discover intimate garden rooms including the Pompeiian garden, Paved Court, Reflecting Pool and Mediterranean Garden. There is also a large glasshouse and arboretum featuring trees from all over the world as well as the Log Stack play area which is great for kids and adults alike.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dyffryn-gardens
Garn Lakes Local Nature Reserve used to be an area covered in spoil tips and old colliery workings but following an extensive land reclamation scheme it is now a beautiful area covering 40 hectares, with lakes and grasslands providing a diverse habitat and breeding ground for a wide range of wildlife. Stroll around the lakes to see Tufted Ducks, Skylarks, Snipes, Redshanks and Little Grebes.
It’s a great starting point for walks through the Industrial Landscape and there are numerous places for a picnic.
Bedwellty House and Park is a wonderfully vibrant and historic Grade II listed venue, hosting a diverse range of celebration events and family activities. The house is located in beautiful Tredegar park so you can wander through the beautiful gardens.
www.bedwelltyhouseandpark.co.uk
The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is a true hidden gem - a haven for wildlife and a favourite with nature-lovers, walkers and cyclists. It is one of the most beautiful and peaceful waterways following the line of the Usk Valley through the Brecon Beacons National Park. The northern section forms part of the Taff Trail Long Distance Footpath, a 55-mile route that can be walked or cycled, starting at Brecon Basin and ending in Cardiff.
Newport Wetlands National Nature Reserve lies between the Severn Estuary and the River Usk on the South Wales coast. Owned and managed by Natural Resources Wales, in partnership with RSPB Cymru, it’s best known for its range of wetland birds, from the beautifully marked bearded tit to the dainty little egret. In the autumn, goldfinch can be seen feeding and the starling roost and look out for Dunlin, Redshank or Oystercatchers probing the mud.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/newport-wetlands/
Set in over 120 acres, Greenmeadow Community Farm has a wide range of pedigree and rare breed animals which you can come and meet up close. Daily activities include milking demonstrations and tractor and trailer rides and there are lots of additional activities during school holidays as well as seasonal events throughout the year.
www.greenmeadowcommunityfarm.org
A magical land of power and influence for more than 2,000 years, Dinefwr is an iconic place in the history of Wales. In the 12th century, the Castle was in the possession of The Lord Rhys, ruler of the ancient south Wales kingdom of Deheubarth. His reign saw a rare period of peace and stability that led to a flowering of Welsh culture, music and poetry. Today, the manor house is surrounded by a National Nature Reserve and 18th century landscape Deer Park.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dinefwr
www.cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/dinefwr-castle/
An elegant Georgian villa set in the wooded Aeron valley, Llanerchaeron Estate includes a farm, walled gardens and lake. Designed in the 1790s, it is a complete example of the early work of John Nash. It has its own service courtyard with dairy, laundry, brewery and salting house, giving a full 'upstairs, downstairs' experience. The walled kitchen gardens, pleasure grounds, ornamental lake and parkland offer peaceful walks,
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/llanerchaeron
Located in Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire, the garden is both a visitor attraction and a centre for botanical research and conservation, and features the world's largest single-span glasshouse measuring 110 m (360 ft) long by 60 m (200 ft) wide. Covering 568 acres of beautiful countryside, the site also includes the British Bird of Prey Centre, an inspiring range of themed gardens and a national nature reserve.
Aberglasney was made famous by the BBC television series “A Garden Lost in Time” which followed its restoration. Today it is quite simply one of Wales’ finest gardens. At its heart lies a fully restored Elizabethan Cloister Garden that is the only surviving example of its kind in the UK today. Visitors can explore 10 acres of over 20 different garden styles from formal to woodland, right through to exotic and modern along with the fully restored ground floor of Aberglasney’s grade II* listed mansion.
Dan yr Ogof, the National Showcaves Centre for Wales, is a 17-kilometre long cave system with an amazing array of stalagnites and stalagtites. Families can enjoy the themed Jurassic Karting track or explore the indoor adventure paradise of slides, ropes climbs, tunnels and aerial walkways that is Barney's Adventure Playground. There’s also an Iron age village and Victorian Farm.
Discover a safe haven of wide-open spaces bursting with wetland nature. Explore the extraordinary wetland paradise, see flamboyant flamingos or hand feed the geese and ducks - whatever the weather! With wide-open spaces and wetlands full of the sights and sounds of nature, there's plenty to see and do.
www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/llanelli/experience/
Plantasia is a large public hothouse, located in Parc Tawe retail park, Swansea. Step through a giant tree into a real rainforest and spend the day exploring this vibrant and magical world. Crawl through the under growth, come face to face with crocodiles and dare to climb high in the canopy with the parrots! An interactive, fully immersive tropical experience for all the family.
Set on the mainland side of the Menai Straits, with a backdrop of Snowdonia’s summits, Penrhyn Castle commands views of the slate quarry and to the port from where the slate was exported around the world. With its vast luxurious rooms, gothic stairways and fine art on display - it is surrounded by wooded and open parkland, ripe for exploring, and a walled garden that pre-dates the Castle and provides a calm haven for relaxation.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penrhyn-castle
Plas Newydd is the ancestral home of the Marquess of Anglesey located along the shore of the Menai Strait. Inside marvel at Rex Whistler's famous mural and the history of the family. Outside enjoy superb views of the mountains of Snowdonia, the spring garden, catkin garden, summer terrace and colourful, massed hydrangeas and try and spot the red squirrels which have returned to the grounds.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/plas-newydd
A world-famous garden with intimate corners, sweeping lawns, grand terraces and verdant woodland. Created over 150 years, with plants collected and brought to Britain from far afield, this haven of rarity and beauty with a stunning backdrop of the Carneddau mountains of Snowdonia is a delight for the senses. Don’t miss the spectacular laburnum arch each Spring!
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden
Covering 823 square miles of diverse landscapes, Snowdonia National Park is a living working park area, home to over 26,000 people. As well as being the largest National Park in Wales, Snowdonia boasts the highest mountain in England and Wales, and the largest natural lake in Wales. Visit its more rural areas or one of its picturesque villages such as Betws y Coed and Beddgelert. Snowdonia is an area steeped in culture and local history, where more than half its population speak Welsh.
Plas Tan y Bwlch is the Snowdonia National Park Environmental Studies Centre. The gardens around the spectacular Victorian-Gothic mansion are simply stunning and home to some of the largest trees of their kind in Britain, including the Japanese Red Cedar. The immediate gardens around the mansion, are planted with an extensive collection of spring-flowering rhododendrons and azaleas, including a 120-year-old rhododendron tunnel.
www.snowdonia.gov.wales/study-centre
Portmeirion is the renowned Italian style coastal tourist village designed and built by the famous Welsh architect, Sir Clough Williams – Ellis, between 1925 and 1975. It has been the location of several films and dramas, including the 1960s television show The Prisoner. Wander through the captivating landscape found all over the village and take a walk in the beautiful gardens as you wander down to the coastline.
One of Anglesey’s hidden gems, Plas Cadnant’s beautiful gardens have been been sympathetically restored. Walk through the historic gardens and its beautiful parkland, or take a leisurely stroll down to the secluded waterfalls on the River Cadnant. One of North Wales best kept secrets and short-listed for the Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award 2019.
