The Facts:
Capital: Cardiff (Caerdydd in Welsh)
Currency: Pound Sterling
Time Zone: GMT
www.visitwales.co.uk
Introduction:
A land of legend and folklore, castles and coalmines Wales proudly presides a nation not quite independent but one brimming with national spirit. Leeks, daffodils and dragons aside this is a country with its own language where tongue twisting place names come at every corner and choirs aren't just restricted to the valleys, they're winning national TV talent competitions.
Welsh culture is bigger and broader than the confines of its small nation boundaries. Arts, film and music are having worldwide impact through the likes of the Stereophonics, Duffy, Rhys Ifans and Ioan Gruffudd. Modern Wales comes complete with its own National Assembly, iconic Millenium building and burgeoning capital city. But this is not to forget the Principalty's grassroots appeal, those green valleys and resplendent hills, where sheep graze, teashops serve up bara brith and people do speak in sing song tones a language that can be as fast and furious, lilting and lovely as the adrenaline sports its wild landscapes so perfectly cater for.
Where To Go:
Wales is located in central-west Great Britain and borders England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is about 20,779 km square in size, roughly the same size as Massachusetts, Slovenia or El Salvador and about a quarter of the size of Scotland. It is about 274 km from north to south and 97 km east to west. Altogether, Wales has over 1,200 km of coastline. There are several islands off the mainland, the largest being Ynys Môn (Anglesey) in the northwest.
What To Eat & Drink:
- Cawl is a homemade soup traditionally made from mutton.
- Welsh rarebit is a form of cheese on toast that includes ale, mustard, ground cayenne pepper or ground paprika.
- If you are in Caerphilly try the crumbly white cheese.
- Seaweed is the main ingredient in Laverbread. In the Gower try it with cockles.
- Bara Brith a type of teabread made with with dried fruit, which literally translates as speckled bread.
- Welsh cakes are flat pancakes made with currants or sultanas.
- Panad is the welsh word for a 'cuppa'.
- Brains is the popular Cardiff brewed beer.
Unmissable Wales:
5 things you really should do in Wales.
1. Take to the stage
See a performance at the Millennium Centre. Opened in 2004 this landmark building has already established its reputation as one of the World`s iconic arts and cultural destinations. It also has one of the biggest stages in Britain.
www.wmc.org.uk
2. Go small
Visit St. Davids in Pembrokeshire, the smallest city in Wales and Great Britain. It may well be tiny with a cathedral and not much else but it is in the heart of stunning scenery with a host of rugged beaches and the Pembrokeshire coastal path all nearby.
www.stdavids.co.uk
3. Get a high
Head for Mount Snowdon, Yr Wyddfa, which at 1085m is the highest point in Wales. There are six different walking routes to the summit, or alternatively you can take the mountain railway.
www.snowdonrailway.co.uk
4. Learn the lingo
Wales celebrates its vibrant cultural traditions and language with a unique annual festival. The Royal National Eisteddfod is held in the first week of August at a different site in Wales every year and has become one of Europe's largest indigenous cultural events. The term originally meant a meeting of the Bards and whilst they still come together at the event there are a host of activities incorporating theatre, dance, music, competitions and exhibitions.
5. Feel poetic
Visit the town of Laugharne lying on the estuary of the River Tâf in Carmarthenshire. This was the home of the nation's bard Dylan Thomas from 1949 until his death in 1953. It is thought to have been an inspiration for the fictional town of Llareggub in Under Milk Wood. You can tour the 'Boathouse' where he once lived and wrote.
www.dylanthomasboathouse.com
