In the event you’re planning a weekend break that ‘has all of it’ then I can’t advocate a visit to Chester and North Wales sufficient.
Spend your first day exploring the Roman metropolis of Chester with its cobbled streets, Tudor-style buildings and fairly views. Then spend your second day exploring Snowdonia Nationwide Park, residence to the very best mountain in Wales with gorgeous surroundings and quaint Welsh villages.
For me, an ideal weekend away has this mixture of cities and countryside. You possibly can spend one-day procuring and sipping cocktails in fashionable bars and the following day mountain climbing mountains. Significantly, what extra may you need?
The drive from Chester to Snowdon takes simply over an hour however these two lovely locations really feel 1,000,000 miles aside. You actually really feel such as you’re getting two holidays in a single however you received’t be completely exhausted after it!
This weekend, I teamed up with Premier Inn for this excellent weekend break. Premier Inn are encouraging travellers to remain nearer to residence as there are such a lot of unimaginable locations within the UK to go to. Many people have set ourselves a New Yr’s decision to journey extra so why not tweak that decision and journey extra within the UK? I’m usually responsible of jetting off to Europe earlier than exploring what we’ve on our personal doorsteps and it’s time to alter that!
In the event you just like the sound of a brief journey that mixes a metropolis break with an outdoorsy vacation, then hold studying…
Right here’s my mini information to a weekend in Chester and North Wales
The place to remain
I stayed on the Premier Inn Chester Central North. It’s an ideal location for stepping into Chester metropolis centre – however it is usually excellent for rapidly getting out of Chester and onto the street to North Wales. For the worth, you actually can’t beat Premier Inn’s. My room was actually spacious, snug, fashionable and clear and the employees had been simply so beautiful. I requested the woman on the desk if she had any suggestions for locations to go to in Snowdonia. She gave me a few concepts which I used to be actually grateful for however after I bought up within the morning she’d created a mini information for me with a great deal of options. She’d even written down postcodes for me to seek out locations, the climate forecast and handwritten notes along with her personal experiences!
Check out Premier Inn to seek out their saver charges which can be found when reserving immediately by way of Premier Inn.
How you can get there
I like to recommend driving – even when it means hiring a automotive for the weekend.
You possibly can simply get the prepare to Chester from everywhere in the UK however for the Snowdonia a part of the journey it’s a lot simpler if you happen to drive your self. In the event you’ve bought a lot time, then you could possibly additionally take public transport from Chester. A combination of trains and buses will take you in all places it’s good to be, it’s simply going to take you twice as lengthy and Sunday companies could be unreliable.
What to do – Day 1
Spend your first day in Chester.
It’s a small metropolis so it’s excellent if you happen to’ve solely bought sooner or later. You received’t really feel rushed or such as you’ve missed seeing one thing actually essential. Get some cozy sneakers on and take a sluggish stroll by way of this lovely metropolis.
Listed here are a few of my favorite issues to do in Chester and you may learn my full information to 100 issues to do in Chester right here.
- Stroll alongside the river and get an ice cream from one of many many distributors
- Stroll by way of the park and feed the squirrels – they’re amazingly tame so take some nuts with you. Try the Roman ruins and the Roman amphitheatre.
- Eat at Hickory’s Smokehouse for probably the most unimaginable ribs you’ve ever tasted in your life (reserving advisable)
- Stroll alongside the Roman partitions
- Go to the cathedral
- Store within the cute little retailers alongside the Chester Rows. There are retailers on the bottom ground and extra retailers above them. These rows are distinctive to Chester and nowhere else on the earth has them like this. Yow will discover them alongside Watergate Road, Northgate Road, Eastgate Road and Bridge Road and a few date again to the 13th Century.
- Take a photograph of the Eastgate Clock, a fantastic turret clock on the traditional partitions. Additionally it is mentioned to be probably the most photographed clock in England after Huge Ben.
- Have afternoon tea at The Grosvenor. It’s pricy however so value it!
- For a extra inexpensive choice, head to Beaton’s Tearooms and Bookshop subsequent to the cathedral.
- Head to Pink Door for late evening cocktails
What to do – Day 2
In your second day, stand up early and feast on the resort breakfast earlier than hitting the street in direction of Snowdonia. You’re going to need your satnav for this half as you head in direction of the little village of Betws-y-Coed.
Take a stroll across the village and take a look at the various retailers and artwork galleries. In the event you’re feeling peckish (already!) then I like to recommend choosing up some tasty home made snacks on the bakery connected to the Spar. There’s additionally an important chippy simply subsequent to the bridge and you may take your meals and eat it subsequent to the river.
Then head to Swallow Falls waterfall which is a bit of additional alongside previous Betws-y-Coed.
After Betws-y-Coed, head to Pen-y-Move which is likely one of the areas the place you’ll be able to start a stroll up Snowdon. I like to recommend taking the Pyg Observe because it’s the shortest and best route at 5.5km and 800m incline. The stroll up takes about 3 hours however even if you happen to solely stroll for an hour and switch round you’ll nonetheless be handled to lovely views and a stunning little stroll.
A neater method to get to the summit of Snowdon is to take the Snowdon Mountain Railway (closed within the winter) the place you’ll be handled to all of the views with out all the trouble.
Even if you happen to don’t fancy mountain climbing, I nonetheless advocate driving round this space and absorbing the epic surroundings.
From Pen-y-Move carpark, I drove again right down to the principle street and in direction of Llyn Gwynant Campsite. It is a beautiful campsite I’ve stayed at a couple of occasions so if you happen to fancy a brief break with lovely views then I like to recommend a fast cease right here. This was January so there was nobody round however within the peak summer time months it’s chocker and it’s possible you’ll have to pay the £4.00 day price they promote for day guests. There’s a woodfired pizza oven van right here in the summertime that I completely advocate attempting!
The following cease in your tour of Snowdonia takes you to a different fairly little village known as Beddgelert. It is a gorgeous village surrounded by mountains with a couple of beautiful pubs, eating places, tea rooms, present retailers and an important ice cream store. The Saracens Head is nice for conventional pub meals or strive Beddgelert Bistro and Antiques for the perfect afternoon tea with Welsh bara brith.
There’s a stroll that takes you alongside the river that’s lovely on a stunning day. Simply 10 minutes into the stroll you’ll be able to go to the well-known grave of Gelert from the medieval Welsh legend. Now, there are a couple of variations of this story so I’m going to inform you the one I used to be instructed as a toddler.
Gelert was the devoted hound of Prince Llewelyn the Nice and he was the bravest and most loving canine you could possibly want for. He was mild however sturdy and Worth Llewelyn trusted him a lot that when he went out searching he left his new child son below the watch of Gelert.
In the future, Gelert was taking care of the newborn when a wolf entered their residence and tried to assault the newborn. Gelert fought the canine and risked his life to guard the newborn. After a fierce wrestle, Gelert received the combat and the intruder was killed. However, as you’ll be able to think about, they made a good outdated mess and there was blood in all places! Prince Llewelyn returned from searching and heard barking and snarling and located his child boy on the ground of his residence lined in blood. He presumed the newborn was lifeless and when he appeared to Gelert and noticed he was lined in blood. The prince instantly withdrew his sword and killed his Gelert. Simply because the canine fell to the bottom his child awoke and giggled and smiled in his father’s path. On the similar second, Prince Llewelyn seen the intruding canine mendacity lifeless on the bottom and realised what Gelert had finished.
Nevertheless it was too late and Prince Llewelyn had murdered his courageous and constant canine.
OK, that is the purpose the place 10 12 months outdated me would burst into tears and the considered his poor canine mendacity lifeless on the ground.
It appears I’m not the one one who was affected by this tragic story and folks journey from throughout to see Gelert’s grave and the stays of their residence.
After your stroll to Gelert’s grave, head again into the village for an ice cream to cheer your self up!
In the event you’ve bought time at this level, I’d advocate making your ultimate cease of the day in Harlech or probably Nefyn.
Harlech Seashore is totally gorgeous and you may as well go to the citadel right here. Nefyn is one other agency favorite and the Ty Coch Inn pub on the seaside was named one of many high 10 seaside bars on the earth. Sure, the world! (You park on the golf membership and stroll throughout the golf course to succeed in it.)
Photograph taken final summer time in Harlech
One other one taken final summer time (though you’d by no means realize it from these clouds!)
And that’s how you might have an ideal weekend in Chester and North Wales.
I partnered with Premier Inn to jot down this submit however, as at all times, all thought and opinions are fully my very own.
