Caernarfon

Medieval walls still ring this ancient royal town like stone sentinels, their battlements watching over the Menai Strait with the same authority they've held for 700 years. Caernarfon feels properly Welsh - not the tourist-friendly kind, but the real deal where conversations switch between languages mid-sentence and the castle isn't just a backdrop but part of daily life.

The mighty fortress dominates everything here, its polygonal towers unlike anything else Edward I built in Wales. You can spend hours wandering its walls, but don't miss the Eagle Tower where the first Prince of Wales was supposedly born. The view from the top takes in Snowdonia's peaks and Anglesey's low hills across the water.

Beyond the castle, the town has character. Doc Fictoria (the old Victoria Dock) buzzes with cafes and galleries, while the Saturday market brings proper energy to Castle Square. For something different, the archaeological remains at Hut Circles near Cae Hen offer a glimpse of Bronze Age life - a short walk but worlds away from medieval grandeur.

Getting here is straightforward enough. The A487 runs straight through from Bangor (eight miles northeast) or Porthmadog to the south. Train connections aren't brilliant - you'll likely need to change at Bangor for mainline services.

Staying at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense. Caernarfon sits at the heart of northwest Wales, with Snowdon's hiking trails 30 minutes south and Anglesey's beaches just across the Menai Bridge. It's a cracking base for exploring without the crowds of Betws-y-Coed or Llanberis.