What's on in Conwy County

Conwy County? is a small but scenic county in north Wales that contains Llandudno, Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, Colwyn Bay, Llanfairfechan, Penmaenmawr and Abergele. It features a vast range of landscapes for such a small county and the terrain moves quickly from forests and lakes to mountains and mountain rivers, wide open moors, lush sheltered valleys, coastal headlands and lengthy sandy beaches. Almost one third of Conwy County is also within the fabulous Snowdonia National Park.

The county borough is named after the River Conwy which passes through the entire region, rising up in Snowdonia and flowing through Trefiw and Llanrwst into the Irish Sea at Conwy. The county is made up of settlements from both of the historic counties of Denbighshire and Caernarfonshire, which are split by the river.

Towns and cities that are worth visiting include the glorious Victorian seaside resort of Llandudno with its glorious bay and seafront and its elegant period architecture, and the nearby Great Orme, an astonishing two mile long limestone headland that juts out into the Irish Sea and provides dazzling views of Snowdonia; as well as the village of Betws-y-Coed which serves as the gateway to Snowdonia National Park but is also a likeable destination in its own right with its riverside setting and surrounding woodlands; and also the county town of Conwy itself, which is a walled castle-town on the edge of the River Conwy. It is most famous for Conwy Castle, one of the finest in Wales and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built to firm up Edward I’s Welsh defenses and containing 22 different towers with views over the surrounding scenery that was clearly worth fighting for. Conwy is also lucky enough to have two of the UK’s great historic houses, the Elizabethan Plas Mawr and Aberconwy House, a 14th century merchant’s dwelling.

However, Conwy County is really about the outdoors. With walking, biking, sailing, surfing, climbing, hang-gliding and skiing there is something for everyone – and with Snowdonia National Park offering the highest mountains and deepest valleys in all of Wales there are walks and wildlife that will keep you coming back year after year.