Snowdonia, a park in North Wales that offers many itineraries, trails, trekking, the possibility of experiencing nature in all its splendor at different times of the year. A unique place in Wales that regenerates and offers intense moments of well-being to families with small children but also to groups of explorers.
Snowdonia: it sounds like the name of an amusement park and indeed a park it is, but wonders.
In North Wales, walking along the narrow urban roads that lead to the Snowdonia National Park, one immediately finds oneself immersed in the infinite green and in spaces that seem drawn in watercolor, so varied and harmonious is the use of the different tones of color made by Mother Nature.
It is the place to get lost and relax your mind among the hills with countless flocks of grazing sheep and the delicate sounds of water flowing in the streams. Time seems to have stopped at the time of the Celtic villages, of the paths that connected small villages well structured in simple urban aggregations, of the archaic language that is still commonly used by the local population today: modern Welsh or Cymraeg which, believe me, to the ear seems to have nothing to do with a contemporary sound.
No sign of urbanization disturbs the view or distracts the mind from this landscape that seems surreal, it is so far from what we are used to and, compared to the better known and metropolitan areas of the United Kingdom, it seems to be inserted in an oasis where they reign quiet and serenity, though only a couple of hours away from the major cities of England western centers such as Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. The peace transmitted by the landscape immediately enters the veins and contributes to adaptation, the grazing animals seem to move slowly like the people who cross the fields and walk along the dry stone walls. Bucolic and vaguely resembling some landscapes of insular Mediterranean Europe, although decidedly less arid.
Coming from Chester, the last English city before crossing the Welsh border to the north, the first characteristic village after a good half hour traveled between country roads, meadows, hills, pastures and nothing more is Betws-y-Coed. And we are already inside the Snowdonia National Park, dominated by the mountain of the same name which is incomparable in height to the continental mountains but is the second observation point in the whole of the United Kingdom. The village stands at the intersection of two rivers Conwy and Llugwy and has remained unchanged over time: no new construction, the perfect integration of the railway line, the station and the shops in the period houses; only a large park used for outdoor activities and football goals to witness the coming of the XNUMXst century.
This is the ideal village for a regenerating break, for a walk, a coffee and a typical sweet, perhaps homemade. I recommend you go by Cacen where you are greeted by three girls who deal with both the production and the sale of cupcakes, of fudges, of tall slices of cake in which the use of local products is guaranteed. And the coffee here is Illy!
On sunny days it is pleasant to look for refreshments in the woods that end along the Llugwy creek and, perhaps, stop for a picnic rigorously based on local cheeses and watch the brave boys who dive from the stone bridges into the icy pools below.
Entering the park you meet some campsites combined with farms o to farms and starting point for trekking, discovering the lakes, climbing Mount Snowdon, the view of the sea to the west and the English plain to the east, the descent to the valley by train, mountain-bike routes ; all in total respect of nature, for responsible tourism.
For the less spartan there are the posh-camps, campsites for those who can adapt to an overnight stay without too much comfort only up to a certain point. These campsites, also called glamping (from the contraction of glamorous camping) do not have pitches for tents but fully equipped wooden bungalows, but perfectly integrated in nature and for aesthetics and ecology.
A curiosity? Inside the park there is one of the most popular ice cream parlors in the UK: Glaslyn Ice - I tasted the Turkish Delight which is a velvety milk emotion made in an ice cream cone. A tour in the ancient village, in the shop of local handicrafts, the passage over one of the many stone bridges in the area are also a must here.
How to reach it? Landing in Birmingham, Liverpool or Manchester with Ryanair or Flybe and by renting a car. Getting around by public transport would become a bit difficult as trains and buses do not guarantee a good frequency and traveling on narrow and winding roads would not be completely comfortable.
