58 Famous landmarks In Wales

Tenby is the most beautiful of the many seaside resorts in Wales. The four Tenby beaches are superb, and there is also a medieval walled town and narrow, atmospheric lanes and streets to discover.

But its crowning glory is the Harbour, a row of gorgeous Georgian houses above a tiny beach and the many boats below, with a hill and the ruins of a Castle behind.

It’s one of the most beautiful places in Europe, and several Tenby hotels have prime views of it.

See Also: 32 Wonderful Things To Do In Tenby

And now for a run of famous landmarks in Cardiff. The first is the Pierhead Building, easily the most attractive of the buildings around Cardiff Bay waterfront.

This handsome red-brick Victorian building is one of the few features of the original Tiger Bay to have survived the redevelopment of the area. It now houses a small museum, part of which focuses on the history of Cardiff Bay.

See Also: A Guide To All 6 Cities In Wales

Originally known as the Millennium Stadium, this huge arena is right in the middle of Cardiff, which is very unusual for a city in Europe (think London, Paris, Berlin, Milan – all with great venues – way out in the suburbs).

It’s a fantastic venue, one we’ve experienced many times. It’s best when the retractable roof is closed, enclosing the din within which feels like it’s going to lift the roof off anyway.

The unique city centre location means that the atmosphere in the streets around the stadium before rugby internationals is brilliant, even to a non-rugby person like me.

The Wales Millennium Centre was much mocked before its grand opening in November 2004, almost five years later than originally planned. It’s one of the most distinctive UK landmarks, with its façade adorned by an inscription in Welsh and English. 

It’s one of the best arts centres you will see anywhere, with great programmes and outstanding acoustics in the various venues within, especially the Donald Gordon Theatre.

Cardiff Castle is the first – and sometimes only – Welsh castle many visitors see, and is one of the most famous Cardiff landmarks.

It’s unlike most castles in Wales, which tend to be medieval ruins, as much of it was added in the 19^th century by the Third Marquess of Bute an extraordinarily wealthy industrialist with the budget to build one of the finest Gothic Revival buildings in the world.

The medieval keep is a great viewpoint over Cardiff, and the Clock Tower its most recognizable feature.

Yet another Cardiff landmark, but it’s one of the most famous Wales landmarks and deserves the mention.

Cardiff City Hall and the surrounding historic buildings – including the National Museum Wales – on Cathays Park were built in the Edwardian period (early 1900s) and the City Hall is a wonderfully florid, almost Baroque building, unlike anything else in the city, and indeed Wales.

The beautiful gardens at the front and back are a lovely spot to linger awhile in the warmer weather.

The Senedd, next door to the red-brick Pierhead Building on Cardiff Bay waterfront, is home to the Welsh Parliament.

Unusually for a Parliamentary building, three of the external walls are made of glass – indicating transparency and a willingness to be subject to scrutiny by the people of Wales.

Much of the fabric of the building is made from Welsh materials, with an emphasis on renewables. It was built to last one hundred years, and was designed by Richard Rogers, creator of the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the ‘inside-out’ Lloyds Building, one of the most famous buildings in London.  

One of the most formidable castles in South Wales, this 13^th century brute of a castle was built by Norman lord Gilbert de Clare to keep local Welsh forces in check.

It’s the largest castle in Wales, surrounded by lakes and widely recognized for its leaning tower, which out-leans the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The visitor offering has greatly improved at Caerphilly Castle over the last ten years or so, with more towers opened up and a pit with a fire-breathing dragon to entice the kids.

Castell Coch is a fairytale Gothic Revival castle on a forested hillside on the outskirts of Cardiff. It’s one of the easiest day trips from Cardiff, and one of the most rewarding.

It was designed by Victorian architect William Burges for the super-rich Third Marquess of Bute, a seasonal retreat decorated sumptuously but rarely used.

It has been voted the most popular landmark in Wales, and is easily visible as you drive north out of Cardiff on the main A470 road.

However, a far more enchanting approach is to drive north up Rhiwbina Hill, on the northern edge of Cardiff, and take a sharp left turn down the hill, which takes you through beautiful woodland to the road entrance to Castell Coch. There is also a footpath from the Fforest Fawr car park through the woods to the Castle.

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is the third place in Wales to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with parts of the Llangollen Canal which flows over it. The Aqueduct is one of the best things to do in Llangollen, a gorgeous town on the Dee Valley in North East Wales.

The Aqueduct, designed by civil engineer Thomas Telford, carries the Canal 38 metres above the River Dee, and you can either walk across it or take a canal boat ride across.

If you’re doing the latter, it’s perfectly safe as you’re sitting in a boat, but the drop down to the river isn’t protected by railings – not one for vertigo sufferers.

Most people pass through Holy Island – the island off north-west Anglesey – to catch the Holyhead to Dun Laoighaire ferry.  Holyhead is a workaday ferry port town without much to detain you long, but the coastline just a few miles away is sublime.

The highlight is South Stack lighthouse, which sits on an islet below vast, sheer, towering cliffs. You can see it from the ferry as it approaches Holyhead from Ireland – it looks a whole lot better from the clifftop, so take a look.

The Menai Bridge, as it is widely known, was built by Thomas Telford to link the island of Anglesey to the Welsh mainland.

The nearby Britannia Bridge carries most of the traffic load nowadays, whereas the Menai Bridge stands serene across the Strait in the shadow of the Carneddau range of Snowdonia, some of the highest peaks in Wales.

It’s an unforgettable sight, and one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe. A third Menai Strait bridge is also in the planning stages.

Tre’r Ceiri – the Town of Giants – is one of the last known landmarks of Wales on our list, but it sits on one of the summits of one of the most picturesque Welsh mountains, Yr Eifl, on the Llŷn Peninsula. 

There are only four car parking spaces at the start of the path up, which climbs to an Iron Age hillfort with the remains of a fortified village full of hut circles, and some of the most stupendous views in Wales. 

One for your Wales bucket list.

Conwy Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in Europe, a magnificent medieval fortress bult by the invading English King Edward I. It overlooks the River Conwy and sits within sight of the foothills of Snowdonia.

There are plenty of other things to do in Conwy besides – including a walk along the adjacent Conwy Town Walls and, in the summer, take a boat trip along the river from Conwy Quay.

Caernarfon Castle is one of the most famous places in Wales. This daunting castle – along with Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris, Wales’ first UNESCO World Heritage Site – was built to guard the Menai Strait, the body of water separating mainland Wales from the isle of Anglesey.

It was partly modelled on the walls of Constantinople, an intimidating fortress that is probably the most famous Welsh castle around the world. 

Harlech is undoubtedly one of the best Welsh castles, and it enjoys one of the most dramatic settings of any of our landmarks in Wales. It sits on a high outcrop of rock with the highest mountains in Wales behind it and Harlech beach, one of the best beaches in North Wales, just to the left.

Not as impregnable as its counterpart in Caernarfon, it changed hands several times in the 15^th century, eventually falling to a long siege in the Wars of the Roses that inspired the famous Welsh song Men of Harlech.

The best place to see the Castle is the Graig (Rock) viewpoint a few minutes’ walk to the south. From there you see the Castle and the peak of Snowdon just behind – one of the best views in Snowdonia.

See Also: 30 Of The Best Cardigan Bay Beaches

There aren’t many Anglesey castles to discover, but one of them just happens to be one of the finest medieval castles in Europe.

This castle – considered by castle connoisseurs to be close to technical perfection – was never finished, as Edward I had over-reached himself financially with all his other castles in North Wales.

It’s a fascinating castle, which looks its best from the fields behind with the peaks of Snowdonia a forbidding backdrop.

Beaumaris is one of the best towns in Wales to visit, and Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, just along the High Street from the Castle, has had one of the best restaurants in North Wales for many years.

See Also: The 30 Best Things To Do In Anglesey

Portmeirion is one of the best places to visit in Wales, a quirky fantasy village full of rescued architectural wonders and an Italianate campanile, or belltower, overlooking the estuary of the Dwyryd, one of the loveliest rivers in Wales.

One of the best things to do in Portmeirion is to stay there overnight, either in one of the the colourful cottages or one of the two hotels in the village. One of these, Castell Deudraeth Hotel, is one of the best castles to stay in Wales.

See Also: 15 of the Best Villages in North Wales

Criccieth Castle is one of the most picturesque North Wales castles, presiding over two fine Llŷn Peninsula beaches from a promontory that also looks out over Cardigan Bay towards nearby Harlech Castle.

It was one of the castles of the Welsh princes, a sturdy fortress that eventually fell into English hands when Edward I invaded. You can often see Harlech Castle a few miles away across Tremadog Bay.

St David’s, in the far western corner of Wales is a city break with a difference. Apart from the Vatican City it’s the smallest city in Europe, with a couple of pubs to choose from for your nightlife.

Yet there are a great many things to do in St Davids, and perhaps the most compelling of all is St David’s Cathedral, the largest and finest church in Wales, its ancient tower only visible from close by as it was built in a low location out of sight of passing marauding Vikings and the like.

The ruined medieval church of Tintern Abbey, in the splendid Wye Valley in south east Wales, can stake a very strong claim to being the birthplace of tourism in Britain.

The Wye Valley was opened up to small groups in the late 18^th century to visitors attracted to the Picturesque, stopping along the way to paint river scenes.

Tintern Abbey was the highlight of this two-day mini-tour, and it’s a wondrous sight at any time of year, but especially in autumn when it’s surrounded by the morning mists.

The Monnow Bridge – over the river Monnow in the border town of Monmouth – is unique in the UK as it’s the only surviving bridge with its fortified gatehouse still intact.

The three-arched stone bridge was completed some time in the late 13^th century, and the gatehouse tower was completed some time later – most likely during the first half of the 14^th century.

It served as a fortification, goal and toll gate, and still bore road traffic into the 2000s. However, as the traffic has been diverted to a new bridge close by, it is now pedestrianised.  

Mighty Powis Castle in Mid Wales is one of a small number of Welsh castles to have survived intact since medieval times.

It’s one of the finest historical places in Wales, one of several such sites around Wales owned and operated by the National Trust. 

It’s one of the most splendid stately homes in Wales, and its formal Garden is stunning. It’s just outside Welshpool, close to the English border.

After Tenby, our pick for the second most beautiful harbour in Wales is New Quay, on the Mid Wales coast. There’s a great tidal beach and a cluster of boats, some of which take visitors out on dolphin-spotting trips along the Ceredigion coast.

Not to be confused with its Cornish cousin Newquay, the harbour is wonderfully picturesque, with rows of brightly-painted houses clinging to the contours of the steep hill behind.

There is also another, quieter beach around the corner, and some of the best fish and chips you’ll ever taste.

See Also: Things To Do In New Quay Wales

There’s no doubt which is the longest landmark Wales has. Offa’s Dyke was built by the 8^th century king of Mercia to keep out the troublesome Welsh.

Much remains of this 177-mile-long earthwork, which ran from the Bristol Channel in the south to Liverpool Bay in the north.

The best-preserved section we’ve encountered is on Hawthorn Hill, just to the south of the border town of Knighton in Powys.

Some of the best sections of the walk include the section close to Hay Bluff, in the Black Mountains section of the Brecon Beacons, the hike high above the Vale of Llangollen and the northern section along the heather-clad hills of the Clwydian Range.

This remarkable 19^th century Gothic building on Aberystwyth seafront was the first home of the University of Wales, but was originally built as a grand seaside hotel in the 1860s.

This venture didn’t succeed, so the building was acquired by the University Committee, who charged the architect, J.P. Seddon, with completing as much of the building as possible.

It’s an amazing sight, with towers, turrets, spires and mosaics. It’s just down the hill from Aberystwyth Castle, built in the late 13^th century by King Edward I of England.

See Also: 20 Wonderful Things To Do In Aberystwyth

Paxton’s Tower overlooks the beautiful Tywi valley from a hilltop site just above Dryslwyn Castle.

It was built by wealthy businessman Sir William Paxton. The view from the tower is awesome, but the jury is out on why it was built.

One school of thought is that it was a tribute to British naval leader Lord Nelson. Another is that Paxton built it as a folly to spite locals who narrowly failed to elect him as MP despite him spending vast amounts of money buying them off, rather than the bridge over the river he had promised during his campaign.  

This small, remote church in the Tanat Valley has an unusual connection with the far more famous Westminster Abbey in London. They are the only two churches in the UK still to have intact shrines to a saint.

In Westminster Abbey’s case, it is that of King Edward the Confessor while Pennant Melangell church houses the shrine to St Melangell, the patron saint of hares.  

The church, which I first visited in the 1980s, has been restored, and the shrine moved from a cold stone cell, for want of a better word, at the end of the church, to the main body of the church.

It’s way off the beaten track, hidden away in the Berwyn Mountains, but a place of wonderful peace. Follow the signs from Llangynog village.

The Devil’s Bridge is a remarkable series of three bridges built on top of each other over the Afon Mynach. It is one of the most popular attractions in Mid Wales, with day trippers taking the lovely Vale of Rheidol Railway up from Aberystwyth.

The whole village, with its Hafod Arms Hotel, feels like a step back to a bygone era. JMW Turner sketched the three bridges when he visited. – you can see the result in Tate Britain in London.              

Several places in Wales (Swansea, New Quay) have links with Dylan Thomas, probably the most famous Welsh writer and poet. But the strongest association is with Laugharne, a seaside village on the Carmarthenshire coast.

There are a few places connected to Dylan Thomas around Laugharne, but the best of them is the whitewashed Dylan Thomas Boathouse, a delightful des res just above the ‘heron-priested shore’ of the mile-wide Taf estuary.

The house is decorated in the 1940s style Thomas would have lived in, and the nearby writing shed is left much as he would have done, complete with scrunched-up balls of discarded paper on the desk and floor.

While in the village, don’t miss the fine Castle, Browns Hotel (his favourite watering hole) and   his grave in St Martin’s Churchyard.      

Flint doesn’t seem the most auspicious of places to seek out famous Welsh landmarks, the Dee estuary skyline dominated by the pylons of industrial Deeside and a 1950s housing estate concealing it until the very last moment.

But persevere, and there it is, Flint Castle, one of the most historically significant castles in Wales.

This is where English King Edward I established his first foothold in Wales, the first of his Iron Ring of castles built to subjugate the Welsh. It is also the official start and end point of the 870-mile (1400 km) Wales Coast Path.

Also known as the Talacre lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in Wales sits on a vast swathe of sand at the northernmost point of mainland Wales.

The Point of Ayr is the culmination of a long series of beaches from Rhyl and Prestatyn to the west, and is the most evocative spot in the area, reached through a path in the dunes.

The lighthouse – decommissioned in 1844 – was built to warn shipping of the sands on the approach to the Dee and Mersey estuaries. It can be reached on foot at low tide, but isn’t open to the public. Last time we visited, it was in serious need of a lick of white paint.    

‘Wrexham steeple’ is one of the traditional Seven Wonders of Wales, named in an oft-quoted rhyme probably written by a visitor to Wales around 200 years ago.

Six of the seven happen to be in North East Wales, a region that always tends to get overlooked in favour of Snowdonia or the beaches of north Wales to the west. 

St Giles’ Church is one of the most impressive churches in Wales, built in the late Gothic Perpendicular style.

The tomb of Elihu Yale, founder of one of the most prestigious universities in the US, can be found next to the base of the tower.   

Gwrych (pronounced Goo-reekh) Castle has become famous over the last two years as the stand-in home of the annual I’m A Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here series.

As flying a large cast and crew to Australia was impossible with the Covid-19 pandemic, it was decided to put the contestants through their revolting tasks in this 19^th century Castle close to the North Wales coast.

The 19th century Castle was built on the site of an earlier Plas – the Welsh for manor house. It gradually fell into disrepair after the 1980s, and restoration work is ongoing in parts of the Castle.  

When you drive into North Wales on the A55 Expressway, the first landmark of note that you will see is St Margaret’s Church in Bodelwyddan, better known as the Marble Church.

Its spire is over 200 feet high, and it’s located right next to the main road, so it’s visible for miles around.

The church was built in the 1850s by Lady Margaret Willoughby de Broke in memory of her husband, the 16^th Baron Willoughby de Broke.

The whiteness of the church’s stone is another reason for it being such a prominent landmark, though it has turned a greyish off-white after many years of traffic pollution.   

It’s called the Marble Church because of its rich interior, which includes 14 different types of marble.

Pentre Ifan is one of the outstanding ancient monuments of Wales. It’s a Neolithic-era burial chamber, roughly 5,000 years old, and what remains is but only a small part of what would have been there in the Stone Age.

Its location is incredibly evocative, looking towards the north Pembrokeshire coast and the outline of Carn Ingli, the most dramatic of the nearby Preseli Hills.

Newport, Wales’ third city, has some pockets of true beauty, but they do require a little seeking out if you’re unfamiliar with the area.

The 1906 Newport Transporter Bridge is one of around ten left in the world, its main feature is that it carries a section of road back and forth across the river, carrying vehicles and pedestrians.

It spans the river Usk in the Docks area of the city, and is one of the most remarkable bridges in Europe.

The longest – at over 5 km (3 miles) bridge in Wales – is the second crossing over the River Severn, linking South Wales with South West England. 

It was built to absorb some of the traffic from the original Severn Bridge, which is 4 miles (6 km) upstream, connecting Caldicot on the Welsh side with Severn Beach in England.

It carries the M4 motorway, while the old Severn Bridge carries the M48 – the two roads join at junction 23 at Magor, to the east of Newport.

The best view of the bridge is from the English side, from where you can watch the sunset. The Severn Way path can be reached from the nearby village of Redwick, which is just off the M4.