ЧАСТНОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ
ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ВЫСШЕГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ
МЕДИЦИНСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ «РЕАВИЗ»
РЕФЕРАТ НА ТЕМУ «BRITISH ATTRACTIONS»
Выполнил: студент 2 курса 263 группы Иванова Т.В
Проверил: преподаватель Ромашкина С.В.
Самара 2016
CONTENT
Introduction………………………………………………………………………3
Chapter I Miraculous impressive places of interest in England…………………………………………………………………….…….4
Chapter II What to see in Scotland…..……………………………………………………………………..12
Chapter III Sightseeing in Wales……………………………………………………………………………14
Chapter IV Ireland and its attractions ……………………………………………………………..……………………17
Conclusion…………………………………………………….………………...23
Literature………………………………………..……………………………….25
Introduction
Twenty years ago not many people travelled overseas for their holidays. The majority of people stayed to have holidays in their country. Today the situation is different and the world seems much smaller. It is possible to book a holiday to a seaside resort on the other side of the world. Staying at home, you can book it through the Internet by the phone. The plane takes you straight there and within some hours of leaving your country, you can be on a tropical beach, breathing a super clean air and swimming in crystal warm water of tropical sea. We can travel by car, by train or plain, if we have got a long distance tour. Some young people prefer walking or hitch-hike travelling, when you travel, paying nearly nothing. You get new friends, lots of fun and have no idea where you will be tomorrow. It has great advantages for tourists who want to get the most out of exploring the world and give more back to people and places visited.
If we travel for pleasure, by all means one would like to enjoy picturesque places they are passing through, one would like seeing places of interest, enjoying the sight of the cities, towns and countries.
Great Britain is one of the most often visited countries by tourists. It has wonderful landscapes, parks, squares, streets, cathedrals, museums, theatres etc. Visiting all parts of Great Britain you can’t help admiring such fascinating cities like London, Oxford, Cambridge, Belfast, Cardiff, Dublin and many others. Each city has its own geographical position, climate, beautiful places to walk, see, heat and listen. My report devoted to the description of such amazing miracles of the world.
Chapter I
Miraculous impressive places of interest in England
Stonehenge.
The great stone monument of Stonehenge is the best known and most remarkable of prehistoric remains in Britain. It has stood on Salisbury Plain for about 4,000 years. No written records exist of its origin, and it has always been surrounded by mystery. There have been many different theories, but still nobody knows why it was built.
One theory is that it was a place from where stars and planets could be observed. It was discovered that the position of some stones was related to the movements of the sun and moon, so that the stones could be used as a calendar to predict such things as eclipses.
At one time people thought that Stonehenge was a Druid temple. The Druids were a Celtic religious group before the Norman Conquest. Some people believe that the Druids were a group of priests who practiced human sacrifice and cannibalism.
Another theory is that the great stone circle was used to store terrestrial energy which was then generated across the country through the so-called lay lines, which are indivisible channels for a special kind of power.
Besides the theories of scientists, there are local legends. One of them tells that Stonehenge was built by the devil in a single sight. He flew forwards and backwards between Ireland Salisbury Plain carrying huge stones one by one setting them in place. As he worked, he laughed to himself. "That will make people think. They will never know how the stones came here!" But a friar was hiding in a ditch nearby. The devil saw the friar and threw a stone at him which hit the friar on the heel. The stone which the devil threw is known as the hill stone, and people will show it to you lying by the side of the road.
The Lake District.
The Lake District is a mountainous area in the North-west of England, and it has some of England's most beautiful scenery. Some admiring visitors called it “A paradise of mountain scenery and magical light” Picturesque lakes lie in deep hollows dug out by the glacier which covered Britain during the Ice Age. Green hills, herds of sheep, and solitary farms scattered here and there are typical of this remote and surprisingly beautiful part of England.
The Lake District is a National Park, which means that special care is taken to make sure that the beauty of the countryside is not spoiled. The people who are responsible for preserving The Lake District's natural beauty are members of the National Trust.
The National Trust is a public organization which is financed by ordinary people who pay to become members. The Trust was set up in 1895 by three people who thought that industrialization could spoil the countryside and ancient buildings of England and Wales. The National Trust members constantly keep an eye on famous gardens, whole villages, farms, windmills and watermills, lakes and hills, abbeys, prehistoric and Romans antiques.
Windsor Castle.
Windsor Castle, standing on a rock overlooking the River Thames, was founded by William the Conqueror and was later fortified and enlarged by almost every monarch since the Norman Conquest. William and his early successors needed to secure their military position. William put the castle to guard the river crossing at Windsor. Henry II built the massive Round Tower - every child's image of fortress.
And his grandson Henry III added some fortifications. Still later, the famous St. George's Chapel was added by the kings Edward IV, Henry VII and Henry VIII. Henry VIII also added a fortified gateway. Charles II and later monarchs continued to make alterations to suit the needs and fashions of the day, including the laying out of the Great Park as their personal estate. Nowadays Windsor Castle is a comfortable country place within an hour's drive from the capital, where the Royal family can relax.
Hampton Gourt Palace.
Hampton Court is a royal residence which is associated with Henry VIII. Cardinal Wolseya, Henry's fiend and adviser, was a brilliant politician and diplomat. He began building this grand palace in red brick in 1514. In 1526 Woolsey presented the unfinished place to his king, and Henry continued the work until Hampton Court was one of the largest brick buildings in Europe.
During the Civil War Oliver Cromwell used Hampton Court to hold King Charles I under home arrest. After the king's execution, he lived there himself, in rather un-Puritan style.
The gardens surrounding the palace, with Henrys tennis court, the orangeries, and, the famous maze, are relics of the pleasures and pastimes of those days which attract thousands of tourists every year.
In 1689 William III commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild and extend the palace, so that there is a mixture of styles in its architecture. The Great Gate built in Henry VIII's time presents a Tudor style while Wren's south and east facades are performed in classical style.
Like many English old castles and palaces, Hampton Court is haunted. According to a legend, one of the galleries is haunted by Henry's fifth wife Catharine Howard, who was executed on a charge of infidelity. Another legend says that Jane Seymour, his third wife, also walks here in the palace where she died giving birth to the future Edward VI. Some legends tell that the ghost of Anne Boleyn, Henry's
Second wife, who was also executed, sometimes walks along the ramparts of the Bloody Tower. Henry himself, however, rests quietly: his ghost has never been seen by anybody.
Oxford.
The first written record of the town of Oxford dates back to the year 912. Oxford University, the oldest and most famous university in Britain, was founded in the middle of the 12th century, and by 1300 there were already 1,500 students. At that time Oxford was a wealthy town, but by the middle of the 14th century it was poorer, because of a decline in trade and because of the terrible plague, which killed many people in England. The relations between students and the townspeople were very unfriendly and there was often fighting in the streets.
Nowadays there are about 12,000 students in Oxford and over 1-000 teachers. Outstanding scientists work in the numerous colleges of the University teaching and doing research work in physics, chemistry, mathematics, cybernetics, literature, modern and ancient languages, art and music, philosophy, psychology.
Oxford University has a reputation of a privileged school. Many prominent political figures of the past and present times got their education at Oxford.
The Oxford English Dictionary is well-known to students of English everywhere. It contains approximately 5,000,000 entries, and there are thirteen volumes, including a supplement.
Oxford University Press, the publishing house which produces the Oxford English Dictionary has a special department called the Oxford 'Word and language Service (OWLS for short). If you have a question about the meaning of a word or its origin, you can write or telephone and the people there will help you.
Cambridge
Cambridge is the best-known town in the world, and principal reason for its fame is its University the second oldest University of Britain which was founded in the 13th century. Today there are more then twenty colleges in Cambridge University.
The oldest college is Peterhouse, which was founded in 1284, and the most recent is Robinson College, which was opened in 1977. The most famous is probably King's College, because of its magnificent chapel. Its choir of boys and undergraduates is also well known.
The University was only for men until 1871. In 1871 the first women's college was opened. Another was opened two years later and a third in 1954. In the 1970s, most colleges opened their doors to both men and women. Nowadays almost all colleges are mixed.
The Cambridge Folk Festival. Every year, in summer, one of the biggest festivals of folk music in England is held in Cambridge. Thousands of people arrive in Cambridge for the Festival. Many of fans put up their tents to stay overnight. The Cambridge Folk Festival is always very well organized there is always good order. However, some people who live nearby do not like the Festival. They say that there is too much noise, that too much rubbish is left on the ground, and that many of the fans take drugs. On the other hand, local shopkeepers are glad, because for them the Festival means a big increase in the number of customers.
London.
England has fifty cities and many smaller towns, and there are lots of things to see and do there.
The biggest city, and England’s capital, is London. Nearly eight million people live in London - more than in any other European city. The country’s government is there, and for people in many different jobs, London is the most important place to be for work.
For visitors, too, London has many of England’s most interesting sights and is one of the most important places to visit. London has many areas, which are often very different, even if they are very close!
Whitehall and Westminster are the areas where you can see some of London’s most famous sights. Here, next to the River Thames, are Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. At one time, England’s kings and queens lived in these buildings, and they were called the Palace of Westminster, but today Parliament meets here. Near the Houses of Parliament is Downing Street, where the UK’s prime minister - the leader - lives, and where the government meets. Also near here is Westminster Abbey, a large and very important church where England’s kings and queens have had their coronations since the time of William the Conqueror.
Following the Thames to the north, and then towards the east from Whitehall and Westminster, you come to the West End. Here you can find theatres, restaurants, cinemas and clubs. Covent Garden, where there was once a big market, is now a great place to go shopping, or to have a coffee and watch the street entertainers - actors, musicians, dancers and others who do small shows outside.
Further east is a small area called the City of London, which was the most important part of London in the Middle Ages. It is now one of the great financial centres of the world - a place where money comes in and out, and where England’s big banks work from. Also here is St Paul’s Cathedral, which was built by the great architect66 Sir Christopher Wren, and the Tower of London, a castle from the eleventh century.
London is also famous for its large and beautiful parks. Just minutes from the West End, people can walk, James’s Park. Many people visit London for its museums67 and art galleries, and most of these are free. The Tate Modern is the world’s largest modern art gallery, and at the British Museum, there are several kilometres of rooms, with more than seventy thousand things to see.
Many visitors to London like to take a ride on the London Eye, the largest Ferris wheel68 in Europe. From the top of the Eye, at one hundred and thirty-five metres, you can see many of London’s most famous buildings.
Not far from London, you can visit three interesting and important royal places - Windsor Castle, which continues to be used by the royal family today, Hampton Court Palace and Kew Gardens.
It is less than 100 kilometres from London to Oxford, one of England’s most beautiful cities and home to its oldest university. Here you can walk around the fantastic old buildings of colleges like Christ Church and Magdalen, many of them more than five hundred years old. Oxford also has England’s oldest museum, the Ashmolean, as well as parks, gardens and lovely river walks.
Oxford is near a famous area of England called the Cotswolds. Close to the green hills there are beautiful villages, with pretty houses made from gold-coloured stone and fine old churches. Many visitors come to this area, and there are tourist shops and afternoon tea in a lot of the bigger villages.
Oxford is not very far from Stratford-upon-Avon, famous as the home town of William Shakespeare, the great writer. In this pretty river town, you can visit Shakespeare’s old house and also see a play at the theatre of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
At Warwick, just a few kilometres away, is one of the greatest medieval castles in England. With its great towers and walls, dark dungeons69 and beautiful gardens, Warwick Castle is one of the most impressive in England.
The University of Cambridge is almost as old as Oxford’s, and the two cities are like each other in many ways. Like Oxford, Cambridge is a city of old colleges, many from the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. With its gardens, green spaces and river, Cambridge is a lovely city to walkaround. Two of the most famous places in Cambridge are King’s College, with its beautiful chapel (a small church), and the Backs, an area of green land around the River Cam from where you can see many of the colleges.
Moving north, England’s second biggest city is Birmingham, which was an important centre during the industrial revolution. Today, Birmingham is a very multicultural city and is home to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), where many big shows and events70 are held. Many people come to Birmingham to visit its big, modern shopping centre, the Bull Ring, but few tourists spend a lot of time here.
Further north of Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent has been famous since the seventeenth century for its pottery industry - the industry of making objects such as cups, plates and bowls. Here you can visit the pottery factories and buy pottery cheaply from the factory shops.
York is one of the most interesting cities of the north of England. It was a Roman city, and for many years it was an important place for religion and politics in England. During medieval times - the Middle Ages - there was a strong wool trade in York, and because of this, many other traders came to live here. The city feels very medieval even today, with its narrow streets and old walls. Many tourists come to visit the city and to see York Minster, the city’s old cathedral (a large and important church), with its beautiful windows. York was an important city when the railways were first built in England, and now it is home to the National Railway Museum.
Twenty-five kilometres from York is Castle Howard, one of the best of England’s stately homes (big country houses). Stately homes were built for the most important families of England, who normally had homes in London too. These homes were places where the king or queen could visit and where important people could have meetings about politics or government.
Two very exciting cities in the north of England are Liverpool and Manchester. Liverpool, which is on the sea, became important in the eighteenth century because of trade with America. Many immigrants from the West Indies, China and Ireland arrived in Liverpool when they came to England, so Liverpool was one of England’s first multicultural cities. But by the 1970s and 1980s, ships were no longer coming to Liverpool. The city’s old buildings stayed empty, and it became very poor. Since 2004, a lot of money has been spent in Liverpool, and Albert Dock, where ships used to arrive, is now an exciting new area with restaurants, museums, shops and art galleries.
Liverpool was home to The Beatles, and many people come here to do ‘Beatles Tours’ and to visit the clubs where the famous band71 played or see the homes where John, Paul, George and Ringo lived. In Liverpool, you can also see some wonderful art at the Walker Art Gallery or Tate Liverpool, visit the two cathedrals, or take a boat across the River Mersey and look back at the famous sights of this great city.
Just fifty kilometres east of Liverpool is another big city, Manchester. Manchester has some of the most exciting modern buildings in England. Its cafes, clubs and nightlife make it one of the best cities in the country for many young people. But like Liverpool, Manchester had a difficult time in the second half of the twentieth century. Once the most important city in the world for cotton, Manchester’s old industries were coming to an end by the 1950s, and many people lost their jobs. But new industries began to grow, and at the start of the twenty-first century, parts of the city were rebuilt, making Manchester an exciting city once more.
Blackpool is very different from Liverpool and Manchester. With its long beaches, hotels and piers72, Blackpool is a popular holiday town. Here you can eat fish and chips, go to amusement arcades73 and see the coloured lights on Blackpool Tower.
Some of the most interesting sights of England are in the far north of the country. Durham Cathedral, almost nine hundred years old, is here, and also the Angel o f the North, the biggest sculpture74 in England. The sculpture - of an angel75 with very wide wings - was built on an old coal mine76 by Antony Gormley, the same artist who made Another Place (see the fact box opposite). He wanted people to remember that for two hundred years, mining was one of the biggest industries in this area.
People pass the Angel of the North as they drive to Newcastle-upon- Tyne. Like Manchester and Liverpool, Newcastle is another industrial city that now has museums, art galleries and an exciting nightlife.
Near Newcastle is the end of Hadrians Wall, parts of which can be seen very clearly. Today, the border77 with Scotland is further north than it was when the Romans built Hadrians Wall. Just a few kilometres from todays border is another interesting sight, Holy Island, or Lindisfarne. You cannot get to the island at high tide - when the sea comes in closest to the land - but at other times you can walk or drive across to it and see the castle that was built here in the sixteenth century. Back in the south of England, and west of London, there are more sights and interesting cities to see. Bath, so-called because of its famous Roman baths, is a lovely little city. The old Roman baths are some of the best-kept in Europe, and in the eighteenth century, many rich and important people came here to ‘take the waters’. Big, fine houses were built for them, and so Bath has many Georgian streets and buildings, with pretty parks too.
Just a few kilometres further west from Bath, but very different, is the big, busy city of Bristol. Bristol, once a very big port78, now has a strong electronics79 industry and is important in the creative media - film, TV, radio and fashion. It is also the biggest cultural centre in the area, with a busy nightlife. As in many other cities in England, the old docks - the area where the ships used to come in - have now been changed into an area for restaurants, shops and museums. One of the most famous sights of Bristol is the Clifton Suspension Bridge, which was made by the great engineer80 Isambard Kingdom Brunei.
Many visitors to Bristol make the short journey south to Glastonbury. Here you can visit Glastonbury Abbey, which was built in the seventh century. Glastonbury is also famous for the music festival held there most years in June. It is the biggest music festival in the country.
Stonehenge, east of Glastonbury, is one of the wonders of the world. The big stone circles here were made between 3000 BC and 1600 BC – they are as old as Egypt’s pyramids81! One of the most interesting things about Stonehenge is that some of the stones are very heavy - up to forty tonnes - but they came from hundreds of kilometres away, in Wales. People believe they were probably brought and pulled to Stonehenge in simple boats. But no one is sure how they got to Stonehenge. On the longest day of the year, the sun rises across the stone circles. Because of this, many people think the circles were perhaps some kind of ancient82 calendar.
In the county of Cornwall, in the far south-west of England, you can visit the Eden Project. Here you can see plants and trees from many different places, and the largest non-wild rainforest83 in the world.
Brighton, on the south coast, became an important town in the mid-eighteenth century, when people began to enjoy swimming in the sea. The Prince of Wales (later King George the Fourth) started to come to Brighton in the 1780s, and in 1815, the Royal Pavilion was built for him. The Royal Pavilion, which has a strange mixture of Indian and Chinese building styles, is one of the most interesting buildings in Brighton today. Like Bath, Brighton has some beautiful Georgian buildings, but it is a fun town too. Here you can walk on the pier, beside the sea, or through the Lanes – narrow streets that were once part of the old fishing village of Brighton, and which are now busy with shops and restaurants.
North-east of Brighton, on the road to Dover, Canterbury is a place full of history. It was an important Roman town, and in AD 602, the first cathedral in England was built here. The cathedral was rebuilt in 1070 and continues to be very important today: the Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Church of England.
As you can see, there are lots of exciting places to visit in England!
Chapter II
What to see in Scotland
Scotland is one of the most interesting countries within the UK. It borders with England and is washed by the North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the North Channel and Irish Sea. It’s often cold and gray. It rains a lot. But many visitors love this country very much. They love the beautiful lovely hills of the north. They love the sea and the islands. They love the people. The country is special and Scottish people are special too: warm and friendly, funny. Scotland is different, very different. Scotland is magic.
The largest city in the country is Glasgow. The second largest city and the capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. These two cities have always attracted tourists from other countries. For example, Edinburgh is regarded as one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe. Its Old and New Towns are among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The major tourist attractions in the city are Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyrood and the Royal Mile. If you come to Edinburgh by train from the South, the first thing you see when you leave Waverley Station is Edinburgh Castle. It stands high over the city. Soldiers in kilts take visitors round and tell them the castle’s story. From the castle you see over most of the city. Go at one o’clock and you can hear the famous one o’clock gun. It makes a very big noise! Edinburgh Castle is the tallest fortress in the city.
Edinburgh is a hilly city but it’s a good city to visit on foot. After the castle you can visit more of the “Old Town”. Go down the royal Mile to Hollyroodhouse: the Queen’s home when she comes to visit Edinburgh. It’s three hundred years old. The Palace of Holyrood is the official residence of the Monarch of the UK in Scotland.
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which are formed in the Old Town. You can look at the shops at the Royal Mile or on Princes Street in “the New Town”. Some shops sell the famous Scottish tartans and you can see the name of the family which goes with each tartan. Near Princes Street are Charlotte Square, which is very beautiful, and the National Gallery of Scotland, with pictures from Scotland and many other countries too. There are also three large universities including the University of Edinburgh, which was founded in 1583.
In August you can visit the Edinburgh Festival, the biggest art festival in the world with hundreds of different things to see and do. And also in August you can see the Edinburgh Military Tattoo next to the castle, with soldiers and musicians from Scotland and from many other countries.
Glasgow is also popular with tourists. The river Clyde runs through the center of Glasgow, and the river Clyde makes Glasgow an important city. Two hundred years ago, Glasgow was a small town. Then, British ships began to go all over the world, and shipping became very important. Glasgow became a city of shipbuilders. You can see some of the beautiful buildings from that time in George Square. Today there is not much of shipbuilding and there are many people who have no work. But things are changing in Glasgow. Many people say it is the friendliest and exiting city in Britain. Glasgow has universities and museums, many pubs and lots of things to do at night. Like Edinburgh, it’s a green city. It has seventy parks; you can often see hills from the center of the city.
It is a city of museums. Its places of interest include the Burrell Collection, the Glasgow Cathedral and the Kelvingrove Museum. The Burrell Collection is a large art collection situated in Pollok Country Park. Glasgow Cathedral is also known as the High Kirk of Glasgow. The Kelvingrove Museum is not simply a museum but also an art gallery. It houses one of Europe’s great civic art collections. You can see many beautiful pictures in the Glasgow City Museum and Art Gallery and in the Burrell Museum and at Pollock House, South of the Clyde.
Glasgow also attracts tourists by its Gothic and Victorian architecture. It is the city of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Mackintosh was one of the men who began a new look in building about a hundred years ago: art nouveau. Much of his best work is in Glasgow. His Glasgow school of Art is on Renfrew Street. Then you can have a coffee at the Willow Tea Room, also by Mackintosh, on Sauchiehall Street.
And Glasgow is a football city. You can watch Glasgow Celtic play at Parkhead or Glasgow Rangers play at the Ibrox Stadium most Saturdays between August and May.
Other interesting cities in Scotland are Stirling, Aberdeen, St Andrews and Perth. Stirling is a historic town in central Scotland. Its attractions include Stirling Castle and the Wallace National Monument. Aberdeen is also known as the “Granite City” and is renowned for its Gothic architecture. St Andrew is a small but busy town. The University of St Andrew’s is the oldest in Scotland. Perth is a small historic town on the east coast. It is known for its abundant parkland.
Chapter III
Sightseeing in Wales
The varied landscape of Wales attracts tourism. There are three national parks: the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Snowdonia National Park and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Popular activities in the national parks include hill walking, hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, kayaking and climbing. Wales is also becoming increasingly popular for 'extreme' sports, such as surfing, hang gliding and downhill cycling (in which Wales hosts the 'Dragon Downhill Series'). The terrain of Wales has also attracted the World Rally Championship (WRC). The Wales Rally GB is held annually. The 2005 Wales Rally GB saw the first WRC stage to be set indoors, at the Millennium Stadium. In Cardiff, the regenerated Cardiff Bay area is one of the most popular destinations.
Wales' history and culture also attract tourists. The Museum of Welsh Life, which focuses largely on the industrial past of Wales, is currently the most popular tourist attraction in Wales, attracting over 600,000 visitors annually. The scars of the industrial revolution and Wales' industrial heritage can still be seen on parts of the Welsh landscape today. Many other places of historical interest attract large numbers of tourists: for example the many castles, such as Caernarfon Castle and Caerphilly Castle — most of them built to enable or to consolidate the English conquest of Wales, during the reign of the English king Edward I.
Another increasingly popular reason for visiting Wales, as with the rest of the UK — especially for those from North America — is genealogy, with many visitors coming to Wales to explore their family and ancestral roots. 1.8 million United States citizens are estimated to have Welsh ancestral roots, including former presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.
Many towns and cities in Wales are popular with tourists, including:
Cardiff is the capital and largest city. The city has three major performing arts venues: the Wales Millennium Centre, St David's Hall and New Theatre. Other tourist attractions include Cardiff Castle, Millennium Stadium, SWALEC Stadium, National Museum of Wales, Museum of Welsh Life, Llandaff Cathedral, Castell Coch, St. David's and in Cardiff Bay, Techniquest, Cardiff International Pool, Cardiff International White Water, the Senedd and the Pierhead Building. There is an unstaffed Tourist Information Centre in the city centre's Old Library.
Swansea is the second-largest city. Attractions here include the National Waterfront Museum, Dylan Thomas Centre, Plantasia, Oystermouth Castle, Mumbles Pier and the beach and promenade along Swansea Bay and the adjoining Gower Peninsula. The Swansea Valley, which runs north towards Brecon is home to the National Showcaves for Wales, Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary and Craig-y-Nos Castle.
Newport is the third-largest city in Wales. An influx of visitors occurred in 2010 when the city hosted golf's Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort. Attractions include Tredegar House and Gardens, the Transporter Bridge, the ancient Roman fortress at Caerleon, and St. Woolos Cathedral. The Big Pit National Coal Museum is at Blaenavon, 15 miles to the north.
Merthyr Tydfil was the location for the world's first locomotive-hauled railway journey, on 21 February 1804 on the tramway of the Penydarren Ironworks. Merthyr Tydfil is set among forests and hills.
St David's in Pembrokeshire is arguably the UK's smallest city; it is the resting place of St David and a gateway to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and Pembrokeshire Coast Path which also runs through the seaside towns of Tenby and Saundersfoot.
Bangor is between the mountains of Snowdonia and the Menai Strait and close to Anglesey. Bangor lies at the western end of the North Wales Path, a 60 mile long-distance coastal walking route, and is close to the Menai Suspension Bridge, one of the first modern suspension bridges in the world.
Barry is a seaside town 9 miles SW of Cardiff. Its seaside resort, Barry Island, is known for its beach and Barry Island Pleasure Park.
Hay on Wye, the "town of books" famed for its numerous second hand bookshops and its Festival.
Aberystwyth, a seaside university town, known as the cultural capital of Wales. Home of the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth University and Vale of Rheidol Railway.
Crib Goch, Snowdonia (Eryri)
The Snowdonia National Park (Welsh: Eryri) is a region in north Wales and a national park of 823 square miles (2,130 km2) in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.
Llanberis, at the foot of Snowdon and home to the famous Snowdon Mountain Railway has a number of attractions including the Llanberis Lake Railway, National Slate Museum, Electric Mountain Visitor Centre which takes you inside one of the largest Hydro Electric power stations inside a mountain as well as walking, climbing, water and cycling activities. Llanberis also offers great shopping and eating such as the old LMS mainline station Llanberis railway station now Llanberis Art & Craft and Coffee Pot.
Many features of the Welsh landscape that are popular with visitors, include:
Snowdon in Snowdonia is the highest mountain in Wales and a popular mountaineering and walking destination. There are multiple path's up the peak as well as the Snowdon Mountain Railway for those looking for a gentler option.
Pen y Fan is the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales.
Wye Valley AONB includes Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle.
Offa's Dyke Path is a long distance footpath on the English border in the historic Welsh Marches.
Taff Trail is a foot and cycle path running along the River Taff through the city and countryside, from Cardiff Bay to Brecon.
Glyndŵr's Way is a long-distance trail between Knighton and Welshpool in Powys.
The Gower Peninsula was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in 1956. Gower has a number of castles and sandy beaches.
The Vale of Neath stretching from the town of Neath to the foothills of the Brecon Beacons National Park has several waterfall attractions along the length of the valley and contains the historic Neath Canal.
The Wales Coast Path, an 870 mile long-distance footpath which follows the whole of the coastline of Wales.
There are several independent attractions that are popular with visitors:
Llanberis offers the Snowdon Mountain Railway, National Slate Museum, the Llanberis Lake Railway, Electric Mountain and Padarn Country Park.
Oakwood Theme Park, Pembrokeshire
National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthenshire
Great Little Trains of Wales
Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo
Brecon Mountain Railway
Chapter IV