Caernarfon

Medieval walls rise from the Menai Strait like a stone crown, encircling one of Wales' most formidable fortress towns. Caernarfon feels properly ancient - not the sanitised history you get at some castles, but something rawer, more immediate.

The castle dominates everything, its polygonal towers built by Edward I to crush Welsh rebellion. Walking the walls gives you commanding views across the water to Anglesey and south into Snowdonia's foothills. The town below has kept its market character - independent shops line the narrow streets, and you'll hear plenty of Welsh spoken at the Saturday market.

Snowdonia's peaks beckon from every direction. Yr Aran and the other summits around Beddgelert offer proper hiking without the Snowdon crowds, while the old copper mines at Clogwyn Coch tell stories of industrial Wales. The Roman Fort reminds you this area's been strategically important for millennia.

Getting here is straightforward enough - the A487 runs right through town, connecting to the A55 for those coming from England. Train services reach Bangor, then it's a short bus ride. Anglesey's beaches are twenty minutes north, while Snowdon itself is barely half an hour south.

Staying at one of the nearby parks gives you the best of both worlds. You're close enough for evening strolls along the quayside after day-trippers have gone, but positioned perfectly for dawn starts into the mountains. The Llanberis Pass opens up serious walking country, while the gentler paths around Bedd Gelert suit families better.