Did you know there’s four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales, and two of them are in North Wales? It might be time to plan a break at our Llandudno hotel and some unforgettable days out to explore these sites, and to take in the wonders of the area. Discover the castles, medieval towns and dramatic slate landscapes that speak of the history of North Wales.
What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
In 1992 an international treaty called the World Heritage Convention was adopted by UNESCO. There is no higher award than the UNESCO World Heritage Status which recognises sites and attractions as having cultural, natural, historical, scientific, or some form of global significance.
They are monuments, sites and landscapes like the famous landmarks, the Pyramids of Giza or the Statue of Liberty, that tell the story of humanity, past and present – they belong to everyone and therefore, it’s everyone’s duty to preserve and protect them for future generations.
In North Wales you can visit two fascinating UNESCO sites when you stay at our Llandudno hotel; the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales.
Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd Close To Our Llandudno Hotel
Within the county of Gwynedd discover the impressive Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I, inscribed with UNESCO status in 1986; Beaumaris, Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and the associated fortified towns of Conwy and Caernarfon, are considered as some of the finest, well-preserved examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture.
- Castell Caernarfon, built on the banks of the River Seiont in the medieval town of Caernarfon, is perhaps the most famous castle in the UNESCO mix, recognised as ‘one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages.’
- Castell Conwy is a short drive away from our Llandudno hotel and is a magnificent medieval fortress that towers of the town of Conwy. Restoration of the spiral staircases means you can walk a complete circuit around the battlements, enjoying far-reaching views of Eryri and the picturesque streets of Conwy.
- Castell Harlech requires a slightly longer journey from our Llandudno location but is well worth the drive through the beautiful Eryri National Park. The rugged mountains its backdrop, Harlech is a mighty fortress designed with the most daunting ‘walls within walls’ natural defences.
- Castell Beaumaris, located on Anglesey, is a 40-minute drive from your accommodation in North Wales, known as the ‘greatest castle never built’ as this masterpiece was never finished. A royal stronghold that was to be Edward I’s greatest but dwindling funds and trouble meant that building ceased by the 1320s.
The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales (inscribed 2021)
The newest of Wales’s UNESCO sites, the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales was inscribed in 2021 and is made up of six sites; relics of the slate industry which dominated the 19th century and which informed and shaped much of North Wales’s industrial heritage.
Between 1780 and 1940 in particular, the North Wales slate industry dominated the world production and export of slate, the transfer of skills and knowledge gleaned over 1,800 years of quarrying, inducing the opening of new slate quarries and mines across the world to meet demand after the industrial revolution.
‘The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales provides a better insight into every stage of the quarrying industry than anywhere else in the world.’
Today, visitors can step walk back in time, exploring Eryri’s (Snowdonia’s) impressive quarries, once some of the largest in the world, former mining villages, processing mills, grand houses and wander along old railway lines that tell the story that made a permanent mark on this mountainous region and altered the lives of those who lived and worked in the area.
The six sites that fall into the UNESCO status are Penrhyn Quarry, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, Ffestiniog Railway, Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, the National Slate Museum (currently closed for renovation) and Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.
- A scenic 44-minute drive from our Llandudno hotel you can visit the impressive Dinorwig Slate Quarry, free to visit, take in the breathtaking views overlooking Llanberis and the surrounding mountains.
- Around 50-minutes from our seafront hotel, hop aboard a train on the Ffestiniog Railway, originally built to transport slate from the quarries to the coast.
Beautifully rich in history and culturally significant, it’s important to visit, embrace and cherish UNESCO sites for their “outstanding universal value.” They represent heritage and history that should never be forgotten, offering perspective and a very real step into history and humanity.
When you book your short break in North Wales, be sure to plan a visit to one of our UNESCO sites and contribute to their preservation and protection.