Blaenau Ffestiniog

Why the Black Hole of Snowdonia may just be the best-placed town for the mountain lover in North Wales...

For a trip back in time

The Ffestiniog Railway is the world’s oldest narrow gauge railway – and the oldest railway company in the world still operating trains today. From the Porthmadog coast to the heart of Welsh slate country in Blaenau Ffestiniog, this is the ultimate sea-to-mountains experience in a puffer train over a century old. Not just for steam buffs, this is for history lovers too – and anyone who loves seeing the grandeur of the Welsh mountains from a uniquely atmospheric perspective.

For the best view

Moelwyn Mawr (see Route 4) stands above Blaenau Ffestiniog – but also stands in almost the geographical centre of North Wales. Predictably, then, the view is rather encompassing, to put it mildly. From Snowdon and the Glyders to the Nantlle Ridge, Moel Siabod, the Arenigs, the Rhinogs, Cadair Idris – you can see pretty much everything from up here.

To step into the Black Hole

The Black Hole nickname came from the fact that this one time ‘world capital’ of dark slate exists in a bizarre hole within the Snowdonia National Park’s borders. Slate is a big part of Blaenau’s identity – for better or worse – and there’s no doubting the huge mountains of spoil, and the open quarry wounds on the crags around the town, give it a rather austere aesthetic. But for the visitor it is a unique atmosphere – and there are some interest-filled walks around the town through the old excavations, such as those around the hills of Manod Mawr and Manod Bach. Beneath these terrific viewpoints are old mines that were used to house works of art during the war.

To have a rain-free adventure

No visit to Blaenau is complete without dipping underground at some point – and just outside the town you can do this in startling style. Bounce Below is part of Zip World, and is a cavern deep within the bowels of the mountain, filled with trampolines, zip wires, bridges and other fun-geared activities, all in the magically-lit setting of a huge abandoned mine. It’s not cheap but it is totally unique – and a day in Wales the rain can’t even hope to spoil.

To gatecrash a movie set

Blaenau Ffestiniog’s brooding slopes, quarries and generally ominous feel have served to double for an array of movie locations, including The Keep, cult 1983 horror film directed by Hollywood heavyweight Michael Mann. Sequences of the Richard Gere/Sean Connery Arthurian saga First Knight were filmed here, as well as the TV show Doctor Who. More recently, Brad Pitt made a dramatic entrance to a zombie-ravaged (but strangely familiar) town in the film World War Z…