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Snowdonia National Park or Eryri - which means place of the eagles in Welsh - covers over 830 square miles of North Wales, much of it remote moorland and mountain country. Even though the region is somewhere I've been visiting since childhood, it would be difficult to pick my favorite places in any sort of order as each have their own appeal so here I shall outline ten places that should appeal to a wide range of interests. Let's start with Snowdon itself. The highest mountain in Wales at 3560 feet or 1085 metres is a popular hiking goal and well worth the effort for the summit views. From Llanberis you can ascend the peak on the Snowdon Mountain Railway which has operated for over 110 years and is a Welsh institution in itself. The railway is one of the most popular attracions in the region so you may need to book in the main summer season. Still in Llanberis you may see the signs for Electric Mountain. This is a tour well worth doing. A bus takes you deep underground to the Dinorwic Underground Power Station. This is a pump storage hydro electric plant which is supplied from a reservoir on the mountain high above. Water is pumped up to the reservoir at times of low electricity usage and at times of sudden high demand, the plant can be operational in minutes to boost the National Grid. It's a fascinating tour and the tunnels are wide enough to get a bus through so they're OK for people (like me) who don't do narrow spaces! OK that one was a bit of a cheat as it's just outside the National Park boundary. For number three we'll go northwards to the Ogwen Valley. The Ogwen is a hiker's paradise and one of my own favorites in Snowdonia. The valley along with its lake Llyn Ogwen is situated 1000 feet above sea level between the 3000 foot peaks of the Glyderau and Carneddau mountains.The area has a much remoter feel than the Llanberis valley and is free from any commercial development. The Ogwen Valley is dominated by the fang like peak of Tryfan which is reputedly the only mountain in England and Wales requiring the hiker to use his or her hands to reach the summit by the easiest route. No doubt someone will prove this wrong but it is a challenging ascent. An easier walk from here is to the atmospheric tarn of Llyn Idwal set in a rocky cirque of the mountains or to lose the crowds completely head to the north side of the valley and the less visited Carneddau Range. On the far side of the Carneddau at the northern edge of Snowdonia National Park lies Aber Falls. A spectacular cascade 200 feet in height and the second highest falls in Wales, drops into a wooded valley from the plateau above. Aber Falls is reached from the north coast road the A55 which you leave at Abergwyngregyn just west of Llanfairfechan. The way to the Falls follows a narrow lane after the village to a car park, then an easy walk along the valley floor through the woods to the area below the falls themselves. Another of the most popular destinations in Snowdonia is the village of Betws y Coed on the eastern side of the national park. In contrast to the Ogwen Valley Betws y Coed has shops, hotels and a railway station and is liable to become very busy in high season. It is somewhat smaller than Llanberis and lies in a picturesque location in a river valley surrounded by wooded hills and is as much a centre for fishing as hiking. The well known and much visited Swallow Falls is situated a couple of miles up the valley to the West of here. So where then for number six? Southwest of Betws y Coed along the A470 lies one of the most spectacularly located castles in Wales. Dolwyddelan is not a particularly large castle but it stands on a steep craggy hill overlooking the upper reaches of a pastoral and seemingly forgotten valley overlooked by the peak of Moel Siabod. The castle dates from the 13th century and walking up to its square keep on a day when the mist clings to the hills and the wind sighs in the trees it is not difficult to imagine this place in days of old. Still on a historical note, to the South of Snowdon by the Afon Glaslyn river lies the village of Beddgelert. Welsh legend has it that on his return from a hunting trip, Prince Llewelyn the Great in a fit of anger, killed his faithful dog Gelert believing the animal had killed his son. He immediately found the boy alive and well nearby - along with the body of a wolf. Gelert had fought and killed the wolf to save the boy. Such was the Prince's remorse that he was said never to have smiled again and he buried the dog nearby. The tombstone can be seen today in Beddgelert which means Gelert's Grave. Whether you believe this rather tragic legend or not, Beddgelert's tourism site declares it to be undoubtedly Snowdonia's loveliest village - I would agree. Beddgelert is a small cluster of stone houses by the river, watched over by the towering Moel Hebog and surrounded by some of the most outstanding natural scenery in Wales. For the eighth place to visit, we may want a bike. Coed y Brenin has one of the most extensive networks of mountain bike trails in the UK set in around 9000 acres of Forestry Commission land. The trails vary in standard from family to technical, and thread their way through some remote hills and forests with views south towards Cader Idris. This area is particularly beautiful and even if you're not into mountain biking it offers good walking trails or the opportunity to chill out in peaceful surroundings. Coed y Brenin is situated 7 or 8 miles north of Dolgellau which is the nearest town of any size. Still with a cycling theme, the penultimate destination is the Mawddach Trail which is part of the National Cycle Network and follows the south shore of the Mawddach Estuary. It's a sheltered and wooded route and is flat in contrast to the Coed y Brenin trails. Sections of the Mawddach Trail make equally good walks and the full route is in fact one of the best low level walks in the UK, visiting some of the most beautiful coastal scenery in Wales. There are also opportunities here to observe wading birds and more information for bird watchers can be found at the nearby RSPB Bird Life Centre. Finally we'll head to the East of Snowdonia to Bala by the shore of Llyn Tegid or Bala Lake, the largest natural lake in Wales and a popular centre for sailing. The town of Bala, though lively in summer, lacks the blatant commercialisation of some of the coastal resorts and has several hotels and a number of campsites nearby. You can take the Bala Lake Railway along the lake shore to Llanuwchllyn just beyond the Lake's southern end or head out of the town to find countless quiet lanes leading through rural pastures and woodlands. For a wilderness feel, paths lead from nearby Llyn Celyn into some remote mountain country including the little frequented summit of Arenig Fawr. Well - as promised - there's 10 places to see in Snowdonia National Park. As for the 100 I've not mentioned - I've not seen them all myself yet. Travel writer Pete Buckley is a regular visitor to North Wales and runs the mountain walking and travel photo blog Tales From the Hills where more information can be found on walking in Wales and many other areas. Please see the Mountain Landscapes Gallery for photos of Snowdonia
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