Places of interest

The Snowdon Mountain Railway is Britain's only rack and pinion railway, and celebrated its centenary in 1994. It takes passengers from the station at Llanberis to within 66 feet of the summit of Snowdon - the highest mountain in England and Wales - the terminus being 3,494 feet above sea level. From Llanberis, the train covers a vertical distance of 3,354 feet in 4 miles 1,100 yards, taking around an hour to complete the journey.

The Snowdonia National Park forms a huge, high landscape, stretching southwards from the Conwy river as far as Machynlleth, and eastwards to Bala. All of the classic mountain ranges are here, Snowdon itself, Tryfan, the Glyderau, the Moelwynion, Aran and Arennig, and Cader Idris.

The Llanberis Lake Railway is one of the Great Little Trains of Wales. Of 1ft 11½in gauge, it operates between Gilfach Ddu and Penllyn, along two miles of track on the shore of Llyn Padarn (Llanberis Lake) in the heart of Snowdonia, the National Park set in the north west corner of Wales.

Electric Mountain is First Hydro's Visitors Centre in Llanberis, close to the shores of Llyn Padarn and set against a magnificent backdrop of towering mountains and breathtaking scenery. Here, visitors of all ages can discover the amazing powers of hydro-electricity in an exciting, interactive and educational environment Photos

Betws-y-Coed is a beautiful mountain resort, much of which was built in Victorian times. Numerous Craft and outdoor activity shops are in the village with the popular Swallow Falls nearby. It is set in a beautiful valley in the Snowdonia Forest Park and is ideal for outdoor activity holidays. Dolwyddelan Castle must be the most dramatically sited castles in Wales, built by the native Welsh prince Llwelyn the Great. The views over Snowdonia from the castle are superb.

Mighty Caernarfon is possibly the most famous of Wales's castles. Its sheer scale and commanding presence easily set it apart from the rest, and to this day, still trumpet in no uncertain terms the intention of its builder Edward I.