So many castles in Wales, hard to choose a favorite, as if that's even applicable. Of the six I…read morevisited along the Northern Welsh coast the one thing that stands out for me at Criccieth Castle is the fact that is hasn't undergone full restoration yet (as of this date); yet seems just as intriguing as other structures that have undergone resto. The view of the ocean is magnificent as are the walks along the beach, small shops and *eateries that quietly survive well just adjacent (*see review for the chip shop just down the lane). In brief, Cricceith Castle has some interesting historic installments, but it isn't going to be that dramatic reenactment experience with banners, drums and pomp; rather it's worth the visit in light of their natural absence and parking isn't a hassle either.

Unlike many of the castles of North Wales the one in Criccieth wasn't built, initially at least, by…read moreEdward I but it's instead believed to have been built by Llewelyn The Great in the early 13th century. Edward captured the castle in the late 13th century and added to it and these days it's not really known for certain which of bits that remain are Welsh and which are English. To be honest there isn't a great deal to see here, unlike the castles at Caernarfon and Conwy there's not all that much left to explore. You can't for example climb any towers. However this is reflected to some extent in the reasonable admission prices and in any case we should all make time to celebrate our heritage so it's a must visit if you're in Criccieth. What you also get is some of the most spectacular views you could imagine. The castle is perched on a headland from which you can see pretty all the coastline of West Wales right the way down to Pembrokeshire. Make sure you visit on a sunny day to make the most of the views. As an added bonus the building at the entrance also has a display about the life and times of Gerald of Wales (look him up on Wikipedia!).

This is the home of the Marquis of Anglesey and is famous for the Whistler Mural. You are able to…read moretake a tour of the house and grounds. There are also boat trips available along the Menai Straits. It is also possible to visit the grounds without paying an entrance charge which gives you access to the cafe and shop. The food at the cafe is good and there are tables inside and outside. The shop stocks a good range of National Trust items.There is a children's adventure playground outside and sometimes in the summer you can catch a game of croquet in progress on the extensive lawns. The parking is free.

Visit this amazing place. Lovingly restored by the owners back to its amazing best. Tranquil,…read morepeaceful, full of history. the buildings date from the 1500s but over the years neglect and fire led to its near demise. When these guys bought the house it was a shell. Now it is beautiful again. Mind the peacocks!

Thankfully saved from being exported, stone by stone, to Japan, by a couple with a sincere love of…read morethe place (you can read their story in Judy Corbett's book 'Castles In The Air'), Gwydir castle was brought back from near-dereliction, and is now open to all. Still not very well known to the casual tourist, basically you can find it by heading into Betwys-y-Coed, crossing the narrow bridge in the centre of the town, and taking the right hand turn. Built ca. 1500, Gwydir is lovely - retaining every bit of its architectural charm and tremendous atmospheric presence. Best of all, for the nominal entrance charge (£4 adults; children £2) you get to wander around without being followed, or presumed upon, as is often the case with some of the more officious personnel at similar National Trust properties. Look out for the celebrated Priest-Hole, and the haunted rooms (my wife said she definitely saw something, so there, you've been warned!).The 10 acre grounds are really beautiful, with peacocks striding around the lawns, and there are plenty of spots for responsible picnics. If you fancy stopping over, there's also a B&B option. And if you leave feeling (understandably) wracked by envy at the couple who own the place, do read their book and see how physically, mentally and financially hard it was to keep the place from falling down.

Beautiful gardens! Lots to see. Many paths to follow, lovely water features and flower beds. Wish…read moreI'd brought my hiking poles.

80 acres of various gardens, forests, meadows, babbling woodland streams augmented with a lovely…read moremanor house, an old saw mill and a chapel. House is private, roped off, no visitors allowed. Many trails criss-cross the property. My wife & I spent 4.5 hours walking and did not see it all. There are elevation changes of 400 feet on both sides of the central stream, so you will get some aerobic exercise if you tour the entire property. When you finish up and are tired, thirsty and hungry there is a cafe. Also for shop-o-holics there are several boutiques. Souvenirs and gifts galore available. Also for locals there is a considerable nursery of great garden plants. Quality and vigor of the plants look outstanding. For reasonably physically fit nature lovers a visit here is highly recommended.

Going to Bangor? Do you want to be beside the seaside? Actually, scratch that, do you want to be…read moreout at sea? Well you can! One fine day last May my friends and I hired a fishing boat for a few hours and it was a great days craic. The skipper collected us from dry land, provided us with rods, showed us how to cast off and took us to the best spots to catch the biggest hoard of fish you ever did see. We caught two between 6 of us, over three hours... enough said really. The views of Bangor were outstanding; the skipper was a really friendly man who even let us have a few sneaky beers on board. But the absolute best bit - when we returned to land we were followed by a seal that came right up close by the boat and begged us for the little's tiddlers we had caught, which we of course gave! It was a great day - loads of fun and quite an unusual way to spend a day. The only drawback is that you pay per person but you need to have enough people on the boat to keep the prices down. If you don't have a big group it can be quite expensive as the boat is over £100 to hire.

Caernarfon is known for its medieval castle, but its history stretches another millennium back. The…read moreRomans set up camp here under this name, and from this elevation they had views of Snowdonia to one side and the waters to the other. You now have these same views plus the fortifications of the buildings that once stood here. The grounds are fenced, so you are advised to adhere to the visiting hours. The museum may or may not be open when you arrive - it wasn't during my visit. As such, I can't totally vouch for what this site offers completely. Know that in my case my enjoyment of the site was based on my attempts to imagine the times of the past more than what is actually seen here. There are more evocative Roman sites in Britain, and while the scenery is nice it can admittedly be observed throughout Caernarfon (certainly from a tower of the castle). But I am an American, and cannot easily call a site with visible Roman heritage "average". I'm giving it a 4-star rating in this case, assuming that the museum provides good info. I would not call this an essential site to see in Caernarfon, but it's certainly worth the half-hour trek there and back to see it if you have the time. Standing on the site, framing the structural roots of the building in the forefront, the castle in the distance, and the estuary beyond, you feel like you are gazing through multiple eras of history simultaneously.

Good place to take the younger members of the family if they like their local history of all thing…read mores roman.Museum it self is small and parking can be difficult on the main road to Beddgelert out of Caernarfon but there is a little side road almost opposite the museum people can use to park.The place itself is full of acient artefacts found around the Caernarfon area.It gives you a feeling of how the old roman fort used to look like and the way they lived their lives back in the era.The old footings of their barracks are still there for you to take a look round and see what biught them to the area in the first place.

Great place have been going here since I was a little boy, very informative and amazing to see the…read moreold locomotives

Under the Dinorwig slate quarry is this fantastic museum. Housing the largest waterwheel on…read moremainland Britain. Slate splitting exhibitions and various film shows. Quarrymens housing showing the differences in living standards throughout the ages. Very interesting AND free entrance.

Notable as the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan, the first man to translate the bible into…read moreWelsh, the house itself (Ty Mawr: 'The Big House') is actually fairly small and unprepossessing by modern standards, and has mostly been rebuilt and renovated. However it's set in a beautiful location in the Wybrnant Valley, and the walk up to it - from the centre of the little village of Penmachno - is reward enough. It's open from late March to early November, with prices as follows: adult £3, child £1.50, family £7.50. Groups: £2.50, child £1. Personally, I feel the pricing is a bit high to see what is mostly a recreation of a 17th century cottage containing a collection of Bibles - but the on-site guide is full value for money, will give you a detailed and enthusiastic commentary about all aspects of Morgan's life and the history of the house - and provides loads of additional activities to keep the kids interested. Remember: the survival of the Welsh language started here. Staying in Penmachno itself, don't miss looking into St. Tudclud's Church. Penmachno was originally an important early Christian centre, and the church contains an outstanding collection of inscribed stones from the late 5th and mid 6th centuries AD. If you have time, continue on up the valley to Cwm Penmachno, where the workers at the nearby slate quarry used to have their homes.