The Valleys

Caerphilly Castle

This is the biggest castle in Wales and second only to Windsor in the UK. It can also be regarded as one of the great castles of the medieval era, being the first truly concentric design. Covering a 30 acre site and with a fully flooded moat, it dominates the surrounding town and area. Initially restored in the 19th century, more work has recently been done - although the castle still boasts a 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' style wonky turret.

Find out more about Caerphilly Castle

Rhymney Valley

This is another of the great coal mining valleys in South Wales. It’s dotted with small communities that sprang up during and after the Industrial Revolution. You can find part of that history preserved in the town of New Tredegar at the Eliot Colliery Winding House. Also worth looking out for are the modern sculptures at Parc Penallta.

Sirhowy Valley Country Park

The Sirhowy Valley offers a fantastic starting point from which to explore Wales’ great outdoors. Head off, on foot or by bike into a country park with over 1,000 acres of mixed woodland countryside to discover. You can take on the steep valley slopes or if you prefer, take a more gentle stroll along the disused railway track that used to transport coal to Cardiff.

Blaenavon

Perched on the top of the Avon Valley where the River Llywd rises is the town of Blaenavon. It’s a fascinating place, recently awarded World Heritage Site status due to its history. The town is unique across Europe in possessing a well preserved iron works which gives a fascinating insight into life and the advancements of the Industrial Revolution. You can also venture underground at Big Pit, the National Mining Museum.

Find out more about Big Pit, the National Coal Museum

Ridgeway Walk

A 27 mile stretch around the Rhymney Valley, the Ridgeway Walk offers breathtaking views. To the north, you can look out towards the Brecon Beacons, to the south, the Bristol Channel, and on a really clear day, the hills of Somerset and Exmoor in the distance, whilst to the west lies the Vale of Glamorgan.

Rhondda Heritage Park

It was Welsh coal that powered the Industrial Revolution and the British Empire and this site, right in the heart of the Valleys, is a fitting tribute to the men and women of the colliery towns. The Heritage Park is the former Lewis Merthyr mine. You can now explore the coal faces, winding houses, lamp rooms and fan house on an underground trip. Narration, visuals and sound effects all combine to give you a real feel for life in the mines.

River Taff

Originally rising as two rivers, the Taff Fechan and the Taff Mawr in the Brecon Beacons, they meet to become the Taff proper at Merthyr Tydfil. The river flows south through gorgeous countryside where it runs past the Millennium Stadium. What was once polluted by the Industrial Revolution has now been cleared up and the river is very popular with fly fishermen bent on catching Trout, Chub and Barbel: as well as migratory fish such as sea-trout and salmon.

Brecon Beacons

The Brecon Beacons are 520 square miles of natural beauty. Here you’ll find some of the most stunning and picturesque views in all of Britain. An area known for its outstanding quality of light, the crags and peaks of the Black Mountains in the north west gradually give way to the limestone rocks and lush green grass of the hills of the Beacons in the east.