Wales is a land of castles and cliffs, moors and mountains. Wales is the birthplace of the poet Dylan Thomas, who is celebrated in his hometown of Swansea at the Dylan Thomas Centre. In 1999 Wales hosted the Rugby World cup, and its space-age style Millennium Stadium was constructed to house that event. Located in the capital city of Cardiff, the stadium is still the place to go for Welsh rugby matches, as well as motor sports and concerts.
Cardiff itself is a lively city in South Wales, which has awakened from its past incarnation as a gloomy industrial town to embrace a new life as an attractive and progressive seaport. Wales has popular resort areas along its northern coast, which is a scenic, mountainous region replete with lakes and rivers. Snowdonia National Park is here, named after Mount Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales. In Caernarfon, Edward I’s 13th century Castle was built to be his seat of government. Today this awe-inspiring structure is enhanced by exhibits geared to educate visitors on its rich history. Wales is proud of its folk heritage, which is celebrated at festivals such as the National Eisteddfod, where concerts, crafts and competitions commingle at a yearly event first held in 1880.
