Wales is a green and hilly country with a strong Celtic heritage.  Almost a quarter of Wales has been designated as a National Park or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.   

Our 750 miles of coastline lends itself to water sports such as surfing, sailing and sea kayaking.  Coasteering (a combination of swimming, rock climbing and cliff jumping) was even invented here. Mountain biking is pretty popular too.  The International Mountain Biking Association says our centres are “some of the best new trails in the world’.  

Our long history is evident in our castles, we have more per square mile than anywhere else in Europe.  

1.1 million overseas visitors came to Wales in 2008 making it the only part of Britain to report a rise in overseas visitors compared to 2007.  

If you’re already taking a trip to the UK, Wales is easy to get to.  Our capital city Cardiff is two hours from London by train and just a little more by car.  Alternatively North Wales is less than an hour’s drive from Manchester airport.  

Cardiff – our capital city

Cardiff castle is in the middle of our capital’s city centre.  It dates back to Roman times but is now a mixture of buildings from many eras.  The 12th century Norman keep has great views over the city.  

For retail therapy, we have all the big high street names as well as Victorian Arcades filled with a mix of shops - high end boutiques sit next to craft shops, jewellery stores and a Welsh cheese shop.

The 2009 Ashes test opener was played in Cardiff’s Swalec stadium and the world’s third largest sporting event, the Ryder Cup, is coming to the Celtic Manor in nearby Newport in 2010.

Then there’s Cardiff Bay where you can take a boat tour or walk along the barrage for views of the English channel.  There’s a selection of shops and restaurants, our performing arts venue – the Wales Millennium Centre, and the Senedd – the National Assembly for Wales’ eco-friendly debating chamber.