Dinorwic Slate Quarry

The massive terraced cliffs of the Dinorwic Slate Quarry sprawl across the hillside above Llanberis like some industrial amphitheatre, a jaw-dropping reminder that North Wales was once covered in this kind of extraction. You're looking at one of Europe's largest slate quarries - now abandoned and slowly being reclaimed by nature - and it's genuinely arresting to stand there and take in the scale of the operation.

What you actually get is a walk around the quarry workings themselves. The terraces rise steeply, the colours shift from grey to rust where the stone has weathered, and you can still make out the paths where workers once hauled slate. It's not a manicured heritage site with signage at every turn - it feels more like proper industrial archaeology, which is exactly why it works. The views down towards Llanberis and across to Snowdon are the sort that make the effort worthwhile.

This appeals most to walkers with a taste for industrial history, and honestly, architecture enthusiasts will spend far longer here than casual visitors. It's free to access and you can pick your own route depending on fitness level - anything from a gentle loop at the base to a proper scramble if you're keen. Allow a couple of hours if you want to explore properly.

Stay at Llanberis Touring Park or Glamping in Llanberis - both just over a mile away - and you've got Snowdon View Holiday Park nearby too. It's a cracking addition to a holiday focused on Snowdonia's mountains and industrial past rather than sanitised attractions.