Blaenau Ffestiniog
Explore Blaenau Ffestiniog
The once renowned slate capital of the world, now home to Zip World, where you can play golf underground or fly down an impressive zip wire.
Sat in the heart of Snowdonia, Blaeunau Ffestniog is surrounded by beautiful landscapes, many of which were shaped by its heritage as the slate mining capital of the world, with its slate being exported around the world. The Slate Landscape of North Wales Wales has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, alongside other world-famous sites such as The Grand Canyon and The Taj Mahal. A short trip from Porthmadog, you’ll notice some remarkable slate architecture when exploring this corner of Snowdonia and North Wales. Home also to the Ffestiniog Railway, now part of the Welsh Highland Railway line, used to cart slate down from the mountainsides.
Food & Drink
After an action-packed day exploring North Wales, why not head to Kings Head for a drink and bite to eat? A short trip away, in Maentwrog, you’ll find one of the oldest and most famous coaching inns in Wales, The Grapes. For a more relaxed bite to eat, Burrito Blasus can be found at the Antur Stiniog Mountain Biking Centre.
Things to Do
Exploring the heritage and history of Llechwedd is a must. You can take a deep mine tour 500ft in the slate caverns. With a raft of adrenaline-filled activities at Zip World, it’s a must-visit with something to do for all the family, from Bounce Below, a giant trampoline in the caverns, to the only 4-person zip line in Europe, Zip World Titan.
Antur Stiniog Mountain biking course offers trails for all abilities, ranging from gentle green rank runs to the more extreme black rank runs. For those who have never tried mountain biking, their coaches can help you take full advantage of the terrain.The world-famous Italian-themed village Portmeirion is at the bottom of the Valley, where the slate was carted down from Blaenau Ffestiniog. It is a great day out.
The Ffestiniog and Welsh highland Railway line is a majical way to see Snowdonia from a different angle, running from Blaeunau Ffestiniog all the way to Caernarfon, stopping off at Porthmadog and Beddgelert along the way