1-Bedroom Hot Tub Lodge in Talybont - Fun Days Out

Harlech Castle is a medieval fortification in Gwynedd, built onto a rocky knoll close to the Irish Sea. Edward I had it built during his invasion of Wales, and it is one of the castles UNESCO includes in its World Heritage listing for the finest late 13th and early 14th century military architecture in Europe.

The castle is concentric in design and built of local stone, with a massive gatehouse that probably once housed the constable and visiting dignitaries. A water-gate and a long flight of steps lead down towards the former shore, where the sea once came much closer. The castle has seen plenty of action, from Owain Glyndŵr's occupation to the siege remembered in the song "Men of Harlech" and the Civil War, when it was the last fortification to surrender to Parliament. It's a good pick if you enjoy castle history.

Caernarfon Castle is a medieval fortress in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. Edward I began replacing an earlier motte-and-bailey castle with the current stone structure in 1283, and it was built on a grand scale as the administrative centre of north Wales. Its walls are reminiscent of the Walls of Constantinople, and it is part of the World Heritage Site "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd". Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service, manages it.

From the outside the castle looks mostly complete, though the interior buildings no longer survive and many parts were never finished. Its story takes in the sack of 1294, the Glyndŵr Rising, and three Civil War sieges. It also hosted the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1911 and 1969. The Roman fort of Segontium is nearby, so you can look into the town's much older past too.

Dolwyddelan Castle is a thirteenth-century castle in Conwy County Borough, probably begun by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, to guard an east-west route through his lands. It stands on a small knoll, with a keep on the east side and a tower on the west, joined by walls to form a roughly circular enclosure.

The keep is the oldest part and was restored and reconstructed in the nineteenth century. The castle was captured by Edward I of England in 1283 and was a ruin by the mid-nineteenth century. Nearby, on a rocky outcrop above the Afon Lledr, are the fragmentary remains of Tomen Castell, a late twelfth-century tower. It is the likely birthplace of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, though tradition says he was born in the castle itself. It suits anyone interested in Welsh medieval history.

Dolbadarn Castle (Castell Dolbadarn) was built by the Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great in the early 13th century. It stands at the foot of the Llanberis Pass, overlooking the lake of Llyn Padarn, and once controlled an important mountain pass. Today it is a grade I listed building, owned by Cadw and run as a tourist attraction.

The big draw is the large stone keep, which historian Richard Avent considers "the finest surviving example of a Welsh round tower". It is also tied to a famous story: a poem describes a prince, Owain ap Gruffudd, imprisoned in a round tower, and historians believe it refers to this keep.

In 1284 Edward I took the castle and removed some of its timbers for his new castle at Caernarfon. From the 1760s it became a favourite subject for painters, including J. M. W. Turner, who painted it looming over the landscape.

It will appeal to anyone interested in Welsh history and medieval castles.

The Conwy Valley Railway Museum sits beside Betws-y-Coed railway station, on the site of the old goods yard. The museum building holds a collection of railway artefacts, and the attraction began with a former standard gauge railway carriage, which is a licensed buffet and restaurant car.

Outside there are two small railways. A 7¼ in gauge miniature steam railway runs for a mile around the edge of the site. Passing loops let more than one train use the circuit at once. There is also a one-third full-size electric tramcar running along half a mile of 15 in gauge track. It is one of only two electric tramways in Wales, so it is a good one for tram and railway fans to tick off.