Wales
Wales is small, but it’s beautifully formed. Our landscapes are there to enjoy,
whether you do it by standing still and taking it all in or by stepping out
and becoming part of the experience. Within its borders Wales has a generous
share of breathtaking scenery. Mountains, moors, secret valleys and flower-filled
meadows, all that and much, much more. It is all easy to reach and there to
explore, which is why Wales is so popular with walkers and hikers. Everywhere
in Wales is just around the corner from open country, but if you prefer more
of a challenge there are plenty of long distance trails too.
How about trying the 168 mile (270 km) Offa’s Dyke Path? Walk the lot in around
11 easygoing days or dip in for just a day or two. As you go you’ll be walking
through history as the path follows an England-Wales border that is more than
1,000 years old.
Then there’s our pace of life. Our cities are full of energy, if that is what
you are looking for. But you’re never far from countryside where everything
happens a little slower; so, unless you are looking for the thrill of outdoor
adventure you should find plenty of room to relax.But it is people who make
Wales what it is. The Welsh are direct, genuine and warm. We’re a free-spirited
lot and our welcome is famous.
And maybe it's our Celtic cultural heritage, or perhaps it’s the way we juggle
two languages, but you’ll find talking is a national sport.
Did you ênow?
- Wales is bilingual, but English is understood everywhere. Welsh is spoken
by around one person in five. If you only learn one word make it ‘hwyl’; it
means fun or passion and you may hear it used as a farewell - it’s like saying:
“Have fun!”
- And Welsh golf is fast becoming one of our serious loves. We have more
than 200 courses to choose from, including the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport,
which is to host 2010’s Ryder Cup.
- They’re not wildernesses, but living communities, with open country and
villages and towns.
- Wales has thousands of miles of public footpaths for you to explore. All
are shown on Ordnance Survey maps, which you can buy from tourist information
centres and shops. This year even more of our countryside will be open to
walkers under new laws on access. The new right applies to around 300,000
hectares of land that up to now have been private - that’s one fifth of all
Wales.
- Glyndwr’s Way is Wales’s newest National Trail, opened in 2002 and named
after45th Century warrior-statesman Owain Glyndwr, a national hero. Its 132
miles (212km) takes the walker through beautiful, peaceful countryside and
afSo visits the town of Machynlleth, which was home to Glyndwr’s parliament.
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