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Electric Mountain
Llanberis,
Gwynedd,
LL44 4UR
Tel: 01286 870636
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Situated at the edge of the Snowdonia National Park, the Electric Mountain Visitors’ Centre is an engaging (and electrifying!) day out for the whole family. Here you will discover how electricity is generated from water power, with a host of interactive displays, models and exhibitions. From Electric Mountain, visitors are then shuttled by bus to the nearby Dinorwig Power Station to experience the sheer enormity and ingenuity of Hydro-Electricity.
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Welsh Slate Museum
Padarn Country Park,
Llanberis,
Gwynedd,
LL55 4TY
Tel: 01286 870630
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For centuries the people of Snowdonia relied on slate quarrying as a source of income, and the Welsh slate industry was one of the most extensive in the world. The Welsh Slate Museum is set amidst stunning Snowdonian scenery, and provides a fascinating insight into the history of slate quarrying. A remarkably ‘hands-on’ and entertaining approach is taken, and the museum is home to beautifully and recreated buildings, as well as one of the largest working water wheels in the world.
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Centre for Alternative Technology
Machynlleth,
Powys,
SY20 9AZ
Tel: 01654 705950
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The Centre for Alternative Technology is tucked away in the beautiful surroundings of the Snowdonia National Park, and offers and intriguing day out, in which the possibilities of alternative technologies are explored. The visit commences with a breathtaking 180ft climb aboard a railway powered completely by water, and goes on to reveal an educational array of interactive exhibitions and displays that demonstrate the incredible power of wind, water and the sun with working examples of buildings, energy conservation, organic growing and composting showing how we could all minimise our impact on the environment.
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Ffestiniog Railway
Harbour Station,
Porthmadog,
Gwynedd,
LL49 9NF
Tel: 01766 516024
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The famous Ffestiniog Railway transports passengers under steam power through the breathtaking scenery of Snowdonia National Park, between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Dating back to 1832 when it was originally built as a narrow-gauge gravity railway to carry slate, the Ffestiniog Railway was officially closed down in 1946, only to be re-opened in 1955 under the dedicated organisation of enthusiasts, who continue to keep this charming little piece of history running today. A great way for the whole family to take in the fabulous scenery of Snowdonia, the ffestiniog Railway also has a programme of special events running throughout the year.
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Trefriw Woollen Mills
Trefriw,
Conwy Valley,
LL27 0NQ
Tel: 01492 640462
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A visit to the Trefriw Woollen Mill is an interesting insight into the traditional methods employed for centuries to weave woollen rugs, tweeds and bedspreads on Dobcross looms. There are many examples of machines used in traditional woollen weaving still fully operational, and even a garden in which the plants used in woollen manufacture are grown. Visitors may also browse the extensive stocks in the on-site shop.
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Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon,
Gwynedd,
LL58 2HY
Tel: 01286 677617
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Situated just to the north of the Snowdonia National Park, at the mouth of the River Seiont, Caernarfon Castle is the most famous, and most iconic, of Welsh castles. Dating back to the 13 th Century, Caernarfon Castle was built by Edward I as a seat of power and to subdue Welsh, and designed along the same lines as the great walls of Constantinople. It has over the centuries seen a turbulent and fascinating history and today still towers majestically over the town of Caernarfon and is one of the country’s most well preserved castles, as well as a popular visitor site.
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Portmeirion
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Portmeirion is a wonderful and strange collection of buildings, statues, gardens and curiosities – designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, it was originally opened in the 1920s. Dubbed ‘a home for fallen buildings’ to where an eclectic collection of buildings from around the world has been transported and rebuilt, Portmeirion has become something of a cult venue, due in no small part to it being the setting for the 1960s Patrick McGoohan classic ‘The Prisoner’.
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Snowdon Mountain Railway
Llanberis,
Gwynedd
LL55 4TY
Tel: 0870 458 0033
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The Snowdon Mountain Railway is the UK’s only rack and pinion mountain railway still in operation, and provides an exhilarating journey through the breathtaking scenery of Snowdonia, from Llanberis Station to the summit of Snowdon itself. The four and a half mile journey features a climb of over 3000ft, and has since 1896 been the most leisurely way of climbing the highest peak in Wales.
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Harlech Castle
Harlech,
Gwynedd,
LL46 2YH
Tel: 01766 780552
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Harlech Castle stands looking over the Welsh town of Harlech, as it has done since the 13 th Century. Originally built as part of Edward I’s extensive network of castles, Harlech Castle was originally intended as a base from which to subdue the Welsh. Yet despite its formidable appearance, the castle was overran by Owain Glyn Dwr in 1404, and a parliament was established here. Harlech Castle was also besieged during the War of the Roses, and was the final Royalist stronghold to fall during the English Civil War. Today Harlech Castle is remarkably well preserved and makes a fascinating family day out for those visiting the Snowdonia National Park.
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Llechwedd Slate Caverns
Blaenau Ffestiniog,
Gwynedd,
LL41 3NB
Tel: 01766 830306
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Llechwedd Slate Caverns are located close to Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales, and represent one of the region’s most popular visitor attractions. Here you will find a hands-on and entertaining representation of how life was for the people who worked in the slate industry. There are ten spectacular audio-visual displays in the caves telling the story of the Victorian slate miner, as well as Britain’s steepest passenger railway, while at the surface is a faithfully recreated Victorian village and the famous Miner’s Arms Victorian pub.
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