Vale of Llangollen

Home of the world's greatest folk festival

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A small town with a population of 3,500, Llangollen is best known outside Wales for its International Musical Eisteddfod, which has taken place each July since 1947, showcasing the talents of amateur performers from over 30 countries. The town sits astride the River Dee, only 10 kilometres from the English border in the stunning Vale of Llangollen. Despite this proximity to England, Llangollen is as Welsh a town as you are likely to find in both setting and character. The focal point of the town is the fine old bridge over the Dee which is billed as one of the ‘Seven Wonders of Wales’. Built in 1347 and partly rebuilt in 1656, it is still in use today. Adjacent to the bridge is the railway station, start of the eight mile journey to Carrog on the Llangollen Railway, the only standard gauge steam railway in North Wales. Plas Newydd, a gothic timber-framed house open to the public, was once the home of two Irish women, known as the Ladies of Llangollen, who, in the 1780s invited passing celebrities to their home, including Wellington, Shelley, Byron, Wordsworth and Scott. When you’ve had your fill of the town, strike out along the towpath of the Llangollen Canal to the pretty Horseshoe Falls at Berwyn.

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