..you should ask real walkers instead (image: the ancient brit)
So here is the official line….
“Walking holidays in Wales are great. We’ve got thigh-tremblingly steep mountain walks and gentle coastal strolls, gloriously muddy nature trails for children, and craggy cliff tops for grownups who are looking to blow off a few cobwebs. There’s something for everyone.”
‘OK thats fine….’ we hear you say
‘But I get the same PR blurb from other UK Walking destinations, whats so special about Wales?’We asked ourselves the same question. Is Wales truly a great place to go for a Walking break ? So we did what any customer should do, we went online and looked for real reviews of real walking holidays, by real people who love walking. We were pleasantly surprised. We have picked out some stories for you that mix great walking with a bit of local culture and folklore. We hope that you will seek out some more for yourself. Story #1 | London Escapees Chris and Anna from New Zealand share their experience of a weekend walking the Brecon Beacons and a hike to the book-lovers paradise of Hay-On-Wye:
After a ridiculously big breakfast the next day, we set off to find the start of the waterfalls loop near Ystradfellte. We decided against the 6.4km loop of the falls and choose to add on a 15.3 km route that included a few more falls and an area of moor land. This was a fantastic walk that covered so many different types of terrain and had a pub conveniently located at the half way point!
Story #2 | Walking in the footsteps of MerlinThis lady spent a great day walking in Snowdonia National Park and discovered both giant artwork and the home of an Arthurian legend.
Legend has it that Merlin spent a lot of time at the fort…… in fact he lived there for a while. The ground is quite sacred! It was also the scene of a battle between the White Dragon of England and the Red Dragon of Wales – the Red Dragon won hence the Welsh flag!
These boots are made for walking. And having a nice sit down too.
Story #3 | The Ogres Tomb Neddy and her friends braved the Snowdon Horseshoe ridge walk on a birthday weekend for her younger brother, and found more Arthurian legends waiting for them at the top.
Mt Snowden is the tomb of Rhita Gawr, an ogre who would kill kings and make cloaks out of their beards – lovely. (Apparently the ogre was defeated when King Arthur climbed to the top of Mount Snowdon and killed him – I am not sure if this was before or after his encounter with the Lady of the Lake, which is also meant to have happened here).
It wasn’t all myth and magic for Neddy, but the Horseshoe route is great for those looking for a challenge!
The walk is officially graded as a ‘Grade 1 ‘Scramble”. What is a ’scramble’? A ’scramble’ is essentially, a ‘walk’ that lies between a walk and a rock climbing. Scrambles are graded from 1 (easiest) to 3 (hardest), but a basic requirement of all of them is that the ascent requires use of your hands (for more than just balance). If only I had known this before I dismissed the ‘hard’ ranking with a flippant ‘Hard? Schmard.’
Got any reviews to share? We would love to hear from you.
Never let it be said that we are not a proud nation!
Even when we’re not in the country, we make sure to remember where we came from and celebrate St David’s Day wherever we are. Our patriotism runs so deep that even those of Welsh ancestry are organising events and gatherings the world over.
Probably the largest concentration of Welsh ex-pats can be found in the USA. Here, there are many societies and organisations that help ex-pats keep in touch with one another and as would be expected, they always make sure to make themselves known around this time of year.
From requesting local radio stations to play Welsh bands and artists to arranging local get togethers for ex-pats in the region, there’s plenty going on across the pond in the name of Dewi Sant.
Chicago – Cawl & Cocktails (March 1st)
Organised by the Chicago Tafia, this night offers traditional Welsh food and a pub quiz with prizes donated by Welsh companies.
Chicago – St David’s Day Banquet (March 6th)
The Cambrian Benevolent Society prove how strong the Chi-town Welsh contingency is with this afternoon luncheon.
Minneapolis – St David’s Day Centenary (March 6th)
The St David’s Society of Minnesota mark their 100th year of celebrating St David’s Day with a lunchtime banquet followed by live music.
Europe:
France – St David’s Welsh Festival, Disneyland Paris (March 5th-7th)
For this 3-Day festival, visitors to the park are invited to celebrate all things Welsh; even Micky and Minnie will be resplendent in their traditional Welsh garb!
Follow the flags through Cardiff on the annual St David's Day parade
Find out what’s going on across Wales this St David’s Day.
Be part of the St David’s Day fun and join the celebrations in Swansea as the city hosts it’s second annual St David’s Week Festival 22nd February – 1st March.
It’s kicked off by Welsh rockers The Automatic on Monday 22nd February. Then throughout the week you can join in the festivities by going on a dragon hunt around Plantasia, sing along with the Ty Twawe Welsh Choir or enjoy an evening of Welsh food and entertainment. Find out what other events are happening at the St David’s Week Festival.
That’s not all that’s going on. Across Wales there are lots more celebrations for you to enjoy:
