Wales interesting facts and traditions. Wales - "the land of friends", art and mountain landscapes

Every country, every region of the world has huge amount extraordinary and attractive facts. Such a part of Great Britain as Wales is no exception.

Sports competitions these days do not surprise anyone. Even marathon races. However, what can you say about the Welsh marathon, in which runners compete with jockeys (riders, if anyone doesn’t understand)? And such competitions have been held for thirty-five years now. The initiator was the owner of one of the bars. By the way, in 1989, one cyclist overtook all the horsemen on a long distance; in 2004 and 2007, runners were able to repeat this record.

The name "Wales" has its roots in an ancient Germanic word that literally meant "foreigner". Thus, the literal interpretation of this toponym is “a country of strangers, strangers.” This name, however, is not unique. Only in Europe its analogues will be Wallachia (in Romania) and Wallonia.

A lot of ancient buildings (palaces, fortresses) have been preserved in Wales.

Welsh is one of the most complex languages ​​in the world, dating back to the time of the Celts. Wales is a bilingual region and hosts many festivals.

Except cultural monuments, customs and traditions, this region of England has many interesting corners of untouched nature. And if you suddenly get tired of admiring nature, you can simply go further along the roads of this wonderful region. Art workshops are located right along them.

And what Wales can boast of is crafts. There are wooden spoons and all kinds of wool products. And souvenirs (including even those made from coal and slate).

This region can also compare with recognized centers of culinary art. National dishes Wales are amazingly delicious.

The landscapes of Wales are a separate topic. It is almost all rural, but there are very beautiful cities. St. David's, for example, is the most small town Wales... and it also has a beautiful cathedral. And the town of Swanzey is not only the largest, it also has the most beautiful coastlines, especially in the Pembrokeshire National Park.

Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is also quite remarkable. Amazing architecture from the nineteenth century coexists with modern shops, medieval castles. The coal mined near here greatly helped the English merchant and navy in its time. Those interested can go down into the mine and take a tour there, where they will tell you in detail how mining was carried out in the past.

Finally, in these places you will find stunning, vibrant green hills interspersed with brilliant beaches, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, forests and caves.

It consists of four parts, one of which is a cozy and full of life. It is immediately surrounded by seas on three sides, and on the fourth side Wales borders on several counties. Capital of Wales - beautiful city, which is always bustling with life thanks to the large influx of tourists.

The official name of this area is “Principality of Wales”, but this option is practically not used. The name "Wales" most likely comes from original name Celts who lived here. Among the more than three million people living in Wales, the Welsh predominate. They actively maintain their native language, although they can communicate quite calmly in the familiar language English. What distinguishes the local population is their great commitment to their culture and traditions. Numerous historical events did not influence Welsh culture, leaving it quite original.

The main wealth of Wales can rightly be called nature: magnificent landscapes are everywhere, more than half of the territory is national parks with beautiful beaches and dense vegetation. The highlight is Snowdonia Park, where, in addition to gorgeous nature, you can admire the ruins of Celtic fortresses and castles with monasteries from medieval times. By the way, there are an unusually large number of castles here; they are located on almost every street. For example, this is where the most old castle throughout the UK – Chepstow Castle. It began to be built back in 1067. In Wales you can also find the oldest monastery in Britain, Bangor-on-Dee, which was built back in 560. The castles of Conwy and Caenarfon are quite impressive for tourists.

Photo credit: Les Haines

A special holiday for all residents of Wales is March 1 - the day of St. David, who is the patron saint of this country. They say that Saint David performed many miracles - he knew how to resurrect the dead, he treated people with ordinary water. He passed away on March 1, 601, just as he saw in one of his own visions.

An interesting fact about Wales is that it includes a city with a surprisingly long name. It consists of 58 letters and when translated means a detailed indication of the location where the Church of St. Mary is located. Tourists cannot read such a name the first time, but local residents They are very proud of him and know all these 58 letters by heart.

Every year an unusual competition is held in Wales - over a distance of 35 km, people compete with jockeys on horses. The marathon arose quite spontaneously when the owner of one of the bars accidentally heard that a person cannot lose to a horse in a race. At the first competition in 1980, people were noticeably behind, so it was decided to add cyclists to the marathon. By the way, once one of them even won the marathon. Cyclists were subsequently excluded, and the first runner was finally able to overtake a horse only in 2004.

Also, having visited , you can attend an international competition of liars - yes, everything is absolutely true. Every year, liars from all over the world come here to tell each other the most incredible and deceitful stories, hoping to win and become the best liar.

By visiting Wales, whether it's several cities or just Cardiff, you can learn a lot about this part of the UK. Exciting excursions, walking tours or visits to museums and galleries will help you enjoy the atmosphere of Wales and get acquainted with its most interesting moments, from history to modern times.

To the question Interesting historical facts about Wales asked by the author sleepy the best answer is The settlement of the country by the Celtic tribe of the Cymri, or Cumbrians (from the British *kom-brogi "compatriots"), who gave it the name Cymru, dates back to the 1st millennium BC. e. The Roman Empire, having captured Britain (1st century), had virtually no dominion in Wales, except for a narrow coastal strip in the southeast of the peninsula. The decisive event for the formation of the Welsh into a separate nation was the Anglo-Saxon conquest of Britain, after which in the second half of the 6th century the Celts of Wales were cut off from the other Celtic tribes of the island. At the same time, the main Welsh clans were formed. In parallel with the unification of England in the 9th century, the first states laying claim to hegemony throughout Wales. Wales retained its actual independence until its subordination to England (1282-1284) under Edward I, who gave Wales as fief to his son, later King Edward II (1301). Since then, the heir to the English and then the British throne bears the title of Prince of Wales. A number of Welsh uprisings against English rule are known (the largest was led by Owain Glendwr at the beginning of the 15th century, depicted by Shakespeare in the chronicle “Henry IV”). The Welsh Tudor family, which actively participated in the Wars of the Roses, became the reigning dynasty in England in 1485. The final legal merger of the Principality of Wales with England occurred in 1536, under Henry VIII.
Since the 18th century, industrial Wales has become the center of the workers' movement, and on the other hand, the nationalist movement (the Plaid Cymru party - since 1925). The Welsh language was recognized as equal to English only in 1967.

Reply from spread[guru]
Wales (Welsh: Cymru, English: Wales, in the old Russian translation Wallis) is one of four main administrative and political parts of Great Britain, in the past a conglomerate of independent Celtic kingdoms. Wales is located in the southwest of Great Britain, in the east it borders on the English counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, and is surrounded on three sides by the sea: in the south it is the Bristol Channel (the mouth of the Severn), in the southwest - St. George's Channel, in the north and to the west - the Irish Sea, to the northeast - the mouth of the River Dee (Afon Dyfrdwy).
The formal name of the country is the Principality of Wales (Tywysogaeth Cymru), but it is usually rarely used. Wales has never been a sovereign state within its current borders. True, from approximately 1057 to 1063, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn owned almost all of the lands that make up present-day Wales. After Gruffydd's death this did not happen again, and by the time of the Norman conquest of West Wales in 1282 the country was again divided into several kingdoms. In 1400, a descendant of two ancient royal families of Wales, Owen Glyndwr, led a rebellion against the English and was proclaimed King of Wales, but completely lost support by 1410 and was forced to go into hiding. Welsh laws were not completely supplanted by English ones until 1542. It was only in 1955 that the Queen officially proclaimed Cardiff the capital of Wales (before this, the country simply did not have a capital), although the Prince of Wales usually undergoes investiture in Caernarvon.
In 1997, the National Assembly for Wales was created, which has the power to amend laws passed by the UK Parliament. In 2006, the second Welsh Governance Act was passed, which expanded the powers of the Assembly.

Unspoilt, uncrowded, full of natural and rural beauty, Wales has a strong Celtic flavor, despite centuries of conquest leaving behind countless fortresses.

The complex Welsh language is of Celtic heritage, supported by Wales' bilingualism policy. Another Celtic tradition - singing and quoting poetry - is supported by the "Eisteddfods". The Llangolen Festival is the largest. It attracts more than 12,000 participants from all over the world every year.

Typical Welsh handicrafts can be found in almost any town, as well as in small workshops along the roads. Among them: wooden love spoons, Celtic jewelry from gold and silver, a whole series woolen items and unique souvenirs made of slate, wood, clay and even coal!

Wales is also famous for its delicious dishes such as lara brith (juicy fruit bread), laverbread (edible seaweed) and baby lamb.

As Wales' landscape is predominantly rural, bed and breakfasts are offered by friendly farmers everywhere. Here you will be greeted hospitably wherever you go.

Although Wales is an agricultural region, there are also cities. The smallest of them is Saint. St. David's, located in a valley on the southwest coast. The city received the status of "City" due to the presence of a cathedral containing the relics of St. David, the patron saint of Wales.

Swansea, the most large city, - entrance to the picturesque coastal areas of the Gower Peninsula and Pembrokeshire Coast national park(Pembrokeshire Coast National Park).

The capital of Wales is Cardiff, an interesting combination architecture of the 19th century centuries of the city center and palaces, as well as modern architecture shops and bays.

Wales is famous for its castles. Many of them were destroyed, but some have been restored to their original form, including luxury apartments. One of them is the castle in Cardiff, rebuilt in late XIX century by William Burges and representing an example of majestic medieval romanticism. The same master also restored Castell Coch Castle, located north of the city of Cardiff, in the pseudo-Norman style.

Some of the most impressive Welsh castles were actually built by the English conqueror of Wales, King Edward I. Among them are Caernarfon Castle, built as an official royal residence, and Conwy Castle, which still has medieval walls, the mouth of the river.

In relatively recent times, Wales was famous for its mines, particularly its coal mines, some of which are now open to visitors. At the Big Pit Mining Museum in Blaenafon, you can, equipped with a miner's helmet with spotlights, descend down the mine to a depth of 90 m and listen to a guided tour about the mining. You also go deep into the Llechwedd Slate Caverns near Blaenau Ffestiniog, where you watch the slate crack at the surface.

Gold has always been and continues to be the rarest mineral in Wales. The Dolaucothi Gold mines, near the village of Pumsaint, date back to Roman times, although gold was mined there relatively recently - in 1938.

However, the best attraction of Wales is its lush green hills, bordered mainly by sandy beaches, dotted with rivers and waterfalls, containing many lakes and reservoirs and crowned with mountain formations.

In the south in National Park Brecon Beacon National Park consists of four mountain ranges. There are high, open and forested gorges, waterfalls and caves that are ideal for educational walks and spending time fresh air.

Further west is the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, a magnificent sandy coastline nurturing life fauna nearby steep cliffs, following a path through which you find yourself on beautiful beaches. The nearby town of Tenby not only has beaches, but also plenty of shops and other entertainment.

Towards the north lies Snowdonia National Park - covering much inspiring mountains, valleys and villages. Except for serious climbers, you can get to the top of Snowdonia by train. Short walks from villages such as Beddgelert and also from stations railway The Ffestiniog Railway between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog will be a delight for travellers.

Possible reduction in tourist flow to the UK
Tour operators expect a reduction in tourist flows to the UK by up to 50% in the first six months after the introduction of the rule according to which biometric data must be provided to obtain a visa.

Speyside - Speyside - Whiskey Valley
The idea of ​​the trip was to look at Speyside - the Spey Valley in Northern Scotland, where a good half of all Scottish malt whiskey is made.

Who was Richard the Lionheart?
Richard I (English) Lionheart born in Oxford on September 8, 1157 in the family of Henry II Plantagenet and Eleanor (Eleanor) of Aquitaine (Guyenne).

Wales is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and is one of the 4 main administrative and political parts. It is located in the southwestern part of Great Britain and is washed by three seas at once, and also borders England.

There are many islands near Wales, but the largest of them is Anglesey. The background of the Welsh national flag is green and white, with a red dragon on top. Most population and industrial enterprises located in southern Wales, its capital is Cardiff.

There are about 18 operating restaurants in the capital. They mainly serve lamb, seafood, and savory cheeses. In the center of the capital there is a picturesque Cathay Park, which houses various architectural structures and sculptures.

The concentration of population and enterprises in the south is due to the fact that the northern and central parts are mountainous. Most high point The country is Mount Snowdon, which is hidden behind the clouds at 1085 m.

Wales is very rich in various deposits; in the south there is a large coalfield, in the southwest there are many mineral springs, large of them sulfur and salt.

In Wales, sheep are bred, the number of which is 4 times higher than the local population.

On the roads of Wales there are road signs, the inscription on which is presented in English and Welsh. Many sports are well developed in Wales. For example, the mountainous terrain allows for competitions in rock climbing and mountain biking. Competitions between people and jockeys on horses are held annually. Surfing competitions take place on the Gower Peninsula. The sport of golf is very popular in this country; there are already over 200 golf courses. There is a large football stadium, the Millennium, its capacity can reach 80 thousand people. If football match happened during rainy weather, the stadium is equipped with a retractable roof for this purpose.

There are many ancient castles in Wales. The largest, most majestic and ancient is Caernarfon Castle.

The oldest building in the capital of Wales is the Church of St. John the Baptist, which was built in the 15th century. However, over such a long period of time, the church has been destroyed more than once; it contains the relics of the patron saint of Wales - St. David.

Wales is famous for its National Opera and various museums. The most interesting of them are the slate museum and the wool museum.

The largest lake is called Bala and has an area of ​​about 5 sq. km, its depth is 42 meters. There are lovers in this lake fishing They can not only have a good time, but also catch fish. Lake Bala is mainly inhabited by perch, pike, trout and carp. As you can see, the fish are different, there are even predators.

Culture and competitions in Wales are also given great attention. For example, theater, literary, jazz, film festivals are held, and a song competition is held in the capital.