Wales is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful parts of Great Britain. It is a small country, but it has three national parks with beautiful landscapes, five nature reserves with a variety of landscapes - from rocky mountains to mirror lakes, and several well-preserved medieval castles. All cultural and social life rages in the capital - Cardiff, but small towns such as St. David's and traditional villages, the structure of which has practically not changed since the Middle Ages, are no less interesting.
The climate in Wales is mostly mild, and the weather is changeable. In the summer season, to the delight of tourists, the daylight hours are very long - it starts to get dark, as a rule, only after 10 o'clock in the evening. The warmest month is July, the hottest in areas away from the coast, which is blown by Atlantic winds.
Getting to Wales is very easy: it is a few hours' drive by motorway from London. Getting there by train is even faster - just two hours from London to Cardiff. It is also possible to quickly get to Wales from the main airports of the UK via expressways and rail lines - from London Heathrow and Gatwick, as well as Birmingham and Manchester airports.
Plus, of course, you can get there by flying to Cardiff International Airport. True, there are no direct flights there from Kyiv: you will have to transfer in Europe. Cardiff Airport is located just 20 km from the city. The center can be reached by bus and train. A taxi fare costs approximately 35-43 GBP.
The Flexi Pass and Rover Ticket for train and bus travel in Wales offer unlimited travel on all major rail routes in Wales and most bus routes. Cardholders are also entitled to free travel or discounts on some narrow-gauge train routes (Great Little Trains of Wales), as well as discounts on many tourist attractions.
The North and Mid Wales Flexi Rover ticket and the Freedom of South Wales Flexi Rover ticket offer virtually the same unlimited train and bus benefits as the Flexi Pass, only in the regional scale
An extensive network of bus routes of the National Express company connects the main cities of Wales, as well as the largest airports in Great Britain.
To get a different look at the life of more remote provinces, it is worth taking a ride with local residents on a postal bus. These buses are owned by Royal Mail and in many remote areas of Wales they carry not only mail but also passengers.
Three areas in Wales have been awarded the official status of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is the coast of the Isle of Anglesey, with its rocky coves and limestone cliffs, popular with climbers and water sports enthusiasts; the coast of Llyn, famous for surfing and windsurfing; and the Gower Peninsula, famous for its fantastic beaches, which attracts surfers, kayakers and hikers alike.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that every town and village in Wales is worth a visit. For example, Tenby is one of the most popular towns in the region, with beautiful Georgian architecture and a medieval fortress wall. Chepstow is a picturesque town famous for its horse racing and the famous Norman castle that rises above the banks of the River Wye. Here are a few more places that are sure to delight tourists: Abergavenny, the village of Cricowell, Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells, Montgomery, where the Georgian central square is perfectly preserved.
Pristina will surprise you with beautiful half-timbered buildings and excellent pubs. Welshpool has served as the gateway to Wales for centuries. It is best to come to this noisy, bustling town on Monday - the market day, which has traditionally been held since 1263.
St. David's is the smallest cathedral city in the country. Here in the 12th century cathedral. the relics of St. David, the patron saint of Wales, are preserved. The border market town of Hay-on-Wye is quite tiny, but has managed to become the spiritual center of literary Britain thanks to the fact that it hosts an annual literary and arts festival. About 80,000 guests come here every year - good business for the town's 39 bookstores.
Castles of Wales
The most famous castles in Wales are the castles of the "defensive ring" built during the time of King Edward I, who conquered Wales in the 13th century: Harlech Castle on a bluff in mid-Wales, Conwy Castle on the estuary, Beaumaris Castle on the Isle of Anglesey and, of course, the most impressive castle - Carnarvon. In 1969, it was here that the ceremony of introducing the son of Charles to the title of Prince of Wales by the Queen took place.
Those who like gardens will appreciate Chirka Castle - a castle under the care of the National
