If you happen to’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, dwelling to the very best mountain in Wales with beautiful surroundings and quaint Welsh villages.
For me, an ideal weekend away has this mix of cities and countryside. You’ll be able to spend one-day purchasing and sipping cocktails in fashionable bars and the subsequent day mountain climbing mountains. Significantly, what extra may you need?
The drive from Chester to Snowdon takes simply over an hour however these two stunning locations really feel 1,000,000 miles aside. You actually really feel such as you’re getting two holidays in a single however you gained’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 dwelling 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 typically responsible of jetting off to Europe earlier than exploring what we’ve got on our personal doorsteps and it’s time to alter that!
If you happen to 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’s also excellent for shortly getting out of Chester and onto the highway to North Wales. For the worth, you actually can’t beat Premier Inn’s. My room was actually spacious, snug, trendy and clear and the workers had been simply so pretty. I requested the girl 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 received up within the morning she’d created a mini information for me with a great deal of ideas. She’d even written down postcodes for me to seek out locations, the climate forecast and handwritten notes together with her personal experiences!
Check out Premier Inn to seek out their saver charges which can be found when reserving immediately via Premier Inn.
How one can get there
I like to recommend driving – even when it means hiring a automobile for the weekend.
You’ll be able to 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 in the event you drive your self. If you happen to’ve received loads time, then you may additionally take public transport from Chester. A combination of trains and buses will take you in all places it’s worthwhile to be, it’s simply going to take you twice as lengthy and Sunday providers may be unreliable.
What to do – Day 1
Spend your first day in Chester.
It’s a small metropolis so it’s excellent in the event you’ve solely received sooner or later. You gained’t really feel rushed or such as you’ve missed seeing one thing actually necessary. Get some cozy footwear on and take a sluggish stroll via this stunning 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 via 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 essentially the most unimaginable ribs you’ve ever tasted in your life (reserving really useful)
- Stroll alongside the Roman partitions
- Go to the cathedral
- Store within the cute little outlets alongside the Chester Rows. There are outlets on the bottom flooring and extra outlets above them. These rows are distinctive to Chester and nowhere else on the planet has them like this. You could find 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 stupendous turret clock on the traditional partitions. It’s also mentioned to be essentially the most photographed clock in England after Large Ben.
- Have afternoon tea at The Grosvenor. It’s pricy however so value it!
- For a extra reasonably priced possibility, head to Beaton’s Tearooms and Bookshop subsequent to the cathedral.
- Head to Purple Door for late evening cocktails
What to do – Day 2
In your second day, stand up early and feast on the lodge breakfast earlier than hitting the highway 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 numerous outlets and artwork galleries. If you happen to’re feeling peckish (already!) then I like to recommend selecting up some tasty selfmade 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 slightly additional alongside previous Betws-y-Coed.
After Betws-y-Coed, head to Pen-y-Move which is among the places the place you possibly can start a stroll up Snowdon. I like to recommend taking the Pyg Monitor because it’s the shortest and best route at 5.5km and 800m incline. The stroll up takes about 3 hours however even in the event you solely stroll for an hour and switch round you’ll nonetheless be handled to stunning views and a beautiful 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 hassle.
Even in the event you 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 all the way down to the primary highway and in direction of Llyn Gwynant Campsite. This can be a attractive campsite I’ve stayed at just a few instances so in the event you fancy a brief break with stunning 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 totally advocate attempting!
The subsequent cease in your tour of Snowdonia takes you to a different fairly little village known as Beddgelert. This can be a beautiful village surrounded by mountains with just a few pretty pubs, eating places, tea rooms, reward outlets and an important ice cream store. The Saracens Head is nice for conventional pub meals or attempt Beddgelert Bistro and Antiques for the most effective afternoon tea with Welsh bara brith.
There’s a stroll that takes you alongside the river that’s stunning on a beautiful day. Simply 10 minutes into the stroll you possibly can go to the well-known grave of Gelert from the medieval Welsh legend. Now, there are just a few variations of this story so I’m going to let you know the one I used to be instructed as a toddler.
Gelert was the trustworthy hound of Prince Llewelyn the Nice and he was the bravest and most loving canine you may 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 child when a wolf entered their dwelling and tried to assault the child. Gelert fought the canine and risked his life to guard the child. After a fierce wrestle, Gelert gained the combat and the intruder was killed. However, as you possibly can think about, they made a good previous 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 dwelling coated in blood. He presumed the child was useless and when he appeared to Gelert and noticed he was coated 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 identical second, Prince Llewelyn seen the intruding canine mendacity useless 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 previous me would burst into tears and the considered his poor canine mendacity useless on the ground.
It appears I’m not the one one who was affected by this tragic story and other people journey from throughout to see Gelert’s grave and the stays of their dwelling.
After your stroll to Gelert’s grave, head again into the village for an ice cream to cheer your self up!
If you happen to’ve received time at this level, I’d advocate making your last cease of the day in Harlech or probably Nefyn.
Harlech Seashore is completely beautiful and it’s also possible to go to the fortress right here. Nefyn is one other agency favorite and the Ty Coch Inn pub on the seashore was named one of many high 10 seashore bars on the planet. Sure, the world! (You park on the golf membership and stroll throughout the golf course to achieve it.)
Picture 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 may have an ideal weekend in Chester and North Wales.
I partnered with Premier Inn to put in writing this put up however, as at all times, all thought and opinions are fully my very own.
