Snowdonia national park

Anything REALLY worth seeing in snowdonia - apart from a feckin big mountain? Going for a week to try and chill out.
Not into climbing or route marching, but nice walks with decent boozers along the route, and any touristy stuff I might have missed whilst trawling the tinterweb for idea's cheers!

i've heard the sheep are particually willing

 

Some of the biggest castles in the UK pretty good wanders around them:

Caernarfon, Baeumaris, Harlech, Llanberis (okay it's tiny but old),

Some nice boozers, but try to avoid the 'local' ones. Pete's Eats in Llanberis is always worth a visit. the Pen y Gwryd is a good pub near Snowdon, was the training base for the everest ascents, but can get crowded.

Llechwedd slate quarries is worth a trip, so is the Ffestiniog pumped storage power station if you like big machines.

LLanfair P G just to say you've been there.

Short but decent walks exist, Cwm Idwal, Swallow Falls or similar.

Most of the castle towns have pubs and tourist trap tat, but you get that everywhere.

If you felt like some sailing or windsurfing then Bala lake used to have rentals and courses.

I've run out of easy options now, I'm bound to have missed some, but sure someone will add them.

S_R

 

Thats a good start - cheers!
I've heard that in some of the 'locals' pubs they all start talking in welsh when they hear your accent, funny thing is i'm half welsh!

 

Yes it is depressing, best thing is that I'm welsh but have no accent (brought up in Brum, but never picked up the accent) and my Welsh isn't great, but my mums is. The number of locals who've had an earful from her when we've gone up there I've lost count.

S_R

 

Yep true. Stayed in Capel Curig once adv trg and had a night out in the local pub. Everyone was speaking English, until one of us ordered a beer then everyone spoke Welsh. must have thought we had a holiday cottage nearby.

 

the prisoner village thing is Port Meirion

If you're taking kids try the piggery pottery or electric mountain, both in Llanberis.

A nice easy walk is to Aber Falls, you pass it at Abergwyngregyn on the coast road before you get to Bangor, a couple of miles up a path and a waterfall at the end. - just checked, the locals let you know where to park for free as well Aber falls

 

Piggery pottery...blimey that brings back memories

 

The slate museum in Llanberis and the associated Dinorwig Quarry are pretty impressive.
If you don't mind rummaging around a little there is also the Llanberis RAF bomb store that collapsed during the war, the remaining half still stands and its quite an interesting place to visit, let me know if you want to know how to find it.
For industrial heritage the Blaenau Ffestiniog Slate mines are mighty impressive, there is a tourist one (Llechwedd) or several where you can wander in for yourself but you will need underground kit (I can put you intouch with people who will quide you and loan you some kit if you are interested), some of the slate chambers underground are hundreds of feet deep and a truely amazing sight. Some of them had over a dozen floors down inside the mountain.
The Ffestiniog Railway is a bit touristy but interesting non the less, runs from Portmadoc to Blaenau Ffestiniog
Catles all over the place, some of them pretty good.

 

the welsh mountain railway that runs from Caernarfon to Rhyd Ddu is less touristy and good fun. Get off at Waunfawr and grab some scoff at the Snowdonia Parc Tavern

 

Also got white water rafting near Bala, which is good for a laugh.

 

Okay this is my neck of the woods so I can try to help...

Betws Y Coed is a nice little village just down the road from Capel Curig camp (which was weird going to when I lived down the road). The village is a nice place full of tourists and walkers - there are loads of walks in the hills behind the town though along the cinder paths - not hard core walking but still a nice day out.

If you want to go to a really good pub for good food try the Stag in Llangernw - about 6 miles from Llanrwst - good value and a locals secret (not any more).

Again the mountains, Llechwedd slate mines are interesting unless your claustraphobic, loads of castles to see (Conwy is the best in the area)

Bala as mentioned previously is great for watersports, the place with the dog is called Beddgelert - a story made for tourism but a nice place to visit.

Theres loads, if you want PM with an address, I'll spam you with loads of local tourist info if you want