Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town built on, among and out of slate. Great grey tips of waste rock tumble down the mountainsides around it, old quarry inclines climb the slopes, and the houses, chapels and walls are all made of the same dark stone. For a century and more this was one of the slate capitals of the world, roofing houses from London to Melbourne, and since 2021 it has been part of the UNESCO-listed Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales. It is not pretty in the conventional sense, but it is magnificent, and on a day of sun breaking through rain clouds it can look like a lunar landscape lit by spotlights.
The quarrymen worked in dangerous conditions in huge underground caverns and open pits, and the culture they built, of chapels, choirs, Welsh-language newspapers and fierce politics, is part of the story. At Llechwedd you can go underground to see the old workings, and the quarries now also host adventure attractions with zip lines and underground trampolines. The Ffestiniog Railway, a narrow-gauge line built to carry slate down to the harbour at Porthmadog, now carries visitors through the mountains and is one of the most beautiful train rides in Britain.
The riding around Blaenau is superb. The A470 climbs north over the Crimea Pass toward Betws-y-Coed, with fast curves, steep gradients and a bleak, beautiful landscape of rock and moorland. South, the road drops toward Ffestiniog and Trawsfynydd, past the lake and the old nuclear power station, and west toward the Vale of Ffestiniog and the sea. The roads of Snowdonia are popular with motorcyclists, and police patrols and speed checks are frequent. Rain is common, and wet slate dust can make surfaces slippery.
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town of around four thousand people, with fuel, shops and a few cafés. Porthmadog and Betws-y-Coed, both within reach, have more choice. Local food includes Welsh lamb, cawl, a hearty stew, and bara brith, a spiced fruit loaf perfect with tea.
The weather here is famously wet, so pack waterproofs and patience. But when the clouds lift, the views of the Moelwyn mountains and the slate tips glistening in the sun are unforgettable, and you will understand why so many people love this tough, proud corner of Wales.