Gwynedd is on the north western side of Wales and most of the county lies in the Snowdonia National Park with the spectacular Snowdonia mountain ranges and the Cambrian Coast. Snowdonia has some of Britain's finest scenery and most breathtaking views with the highest range of mountains in either England or Wales. Gwynedd boasts a coastline of popular resorts and peaceful 'Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty'. The county is the perfect setting for holidays and short breaks of all kinds where you can relax on the beach, go walking in the mountains, enjoy the varied leisure activities or explore Wales' green hills and valleys. Gwynedd has many tourist attractions to offer - narrow-gauge railways, mysterious prehistoric remains, stately homes, castles, woollen mills, heritage centres, country parks, art galleries, museums and craft shops which specialise in everything from Welsh tapestries to items carved from slate. Snowdonia has many of Wales' best narrow-gauge railways. The Snowdon Mountain Railway takes you to the summit of Snowdon from Llanberis, making mountainering sligtly more easy. Those without a head for heights can ride the other delightful little railways in Gwynedd like the Llanberis Lake, Bala Lake, Fairbourne, and Talyllyn (from Tywyn), scenic Welsh Highland Railway or the Ffestiniog Railway, originally built to carry slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog. Bodnant Garden is the loveliest garden in Wales with a stunning display of rhododendrons and a view across the terraces towards the mountains. Bodnant is run by the National Trust, as is Norman Penrhyn Castle near Bangor which was built by a wealthy 19th-century slate baron and Plas yn Rhiw, a delightful Regency mansion house overlooking Hell's Mouth Bay on the tip of the Llyn Peninsula. For families, there's all the fun of Butlin's Starcoast World near Pwllheli, a major Gwynedd attraction packed with exciting rides and a subtropical waterworld. Portmeirion, the unique Italianate village created by architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis was made famous as 'the village' in the sixties television series - The Prisoner. Blaenau Ffestiniog's old caves have been opened to visitors at Llechwedd and Gloddfa Ganol Slate Quarries. In Corris at King Arthurs Labyrinth an underground boat takes visitors along a beautiful subterranean river into spectacular caverns where Welsh tales of King Arthur are told with tableaux and stunning sound and light effects. Llandudno's Great Orme Copper Mine, Europe's oldest, dates back 4,000 years and the world of the Victorian copper miner is recreated at Sygun near Beddgelert where you can buy quality products and see craftspeople at work. Welsh gold is the theme at the mine near Dolgellau. Then there are the country parks, butterfly farms, farm parks, watermills, and museums specialising in maritime history and old motor cars. There is so much to see in Gwynedd that it is impossible to manage everything in a single trip!
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