Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Stumped? It’s the name of a village in Wales which is in the Guinness Book of Records for having the longest place name in Britain. While you’re visiting the country, you might as well visit the famous spot and try your hardest to pronounce the name while you’re there! Don’t worry, you can still practise your English in Wales as it’s spoken throughout, but it’ll be interesting to see and hear the same words in Welsh while you’re there. You’ll notice that many signs have both the Welsh and English versions on them, so you can have fun trying to speak in Welsh before honing your English techniques. Here are some famous landmarks for you to visit while you’re in Wales Cymru.

 

1. Snowdonia

The most imposing natural landscape in Wales is undoubtedly Mount Snowdon Yr Wyddfa, the highest mountain in Wales and England which towers above the beautiful Welsh countryside at 3,560 feet. It is home to a large number of rare flora and fauna and has been designated as a national nature reserve. You can climb to its summit by walking along a number of well-known paths and, when you’ve recovered your breath, you can take some amazing photos of the views around and below you. Or why not experience the Snowdon Mountain Railway Rheilffordd yr Wyddfa – a rack and pinion railway which was opened in 1896 and travels 4.7 miles to reach the summit station. Snowdon Peak is set in the heart of Snowdonia National Park Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri which is the largest national park in Wales and is filled with lakes, moors and wetlands, coastline and beaches, and picturesque Welsh villages.

2. Millennium Stadium

Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium Stadiwm y Mileniwm is one of the most impressive icons of modern Wales. It is the national stadium of Wales, being the third largest in Britain. It is the second largest stadium in the world to feature a fully retractable roof. Located in capital city of Cardiff Caerdydd, the stadium is home of the Wales national rugby union team Tîm rygbi’r undeb cenedlaethol Cymru and also stages games of the Welsh national football team. Whilst visiting the capital city, you can take a tour of the stadium or watch a rugby match and hear the roar of the 74,500 strong crowd.

3. Caernarfon Castle

Known as the land of castles, Wales is brimming with ancient castles for you to explore. Caernarfon Castle Castell Caernarfon in Gwynedd is a great medieval fortress. The most famous and undeniably impressive castle in Wales boasts unusual polygonal towers with the Eagle Tower being the finest decorated medieval fortification, and you’ll be awestruck as you see the mighty King’s Gate which was considered to be one of the more fearsome gatehouses in its time, filled with ‘murder-holes’ for boiling oil and water to stop any potential intruders. Built by King Edward I, the castle has also been host to more modern day royals as the investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales took place there in 1969.

Now you’ve had some fun trying to get to grips with a few Welsh words, you can breathe a sigh of relief – get back to practising the English language as you travel around this amazing country! Why not step-up your linguistic skills with a quick course before you take your trip?

What other famous landmarks can you recommend to others travelling in Wales?