Snowdonia
THAT THIS WAS THE first place in Wales to be named a national park is no surprise. Eryri (‘The Highlands’), as Snowdonia is called in Welsh, is a land of mighty, misty peaks, glacier-scoured valleys and enigmatic lakes (the view from Llyn Idwal is pictured right). It is the only place in Britain outside Scotland where you can stand above 1,000 metres, whether at the summit of Snowdon itself, or the tips of the nearby Carneddau and Glyderau ranges. The national park isn’t solely a playground for mountaineers - it covers a large part of north Wales, taking in forests, beaches and coastal estuaries, as well as historic towns such as Harlech, with its sternly set castle. At times it appears every place name here comes with a legend, from the peak of Cader Idris, named after a giant, to the drowned palace at Bala Lake. And though visitors can take a mini train up to the top of Snowdon, many of the finest views here are only earned by putting on hiking boots.