Credit: Greenman Festival
Our annual festivals celebrate our very best walking, food, drink, arts, music and entertainment the National Park has to offer. We like nothing better than a good get-together, and all are welcome. Come and join us! Highlights include: Greenman Festival,
Hay Literary Festival, Brecon Jazz Weekend, Crickhowell Literary fest, Abergavenny Food Festival and many a walking festival!
The Brecon Beacons National Park is home to some of the best mountain ranges in the country, including being home to the largest mountain in Southern Britain, Pen y Fan.
Pen y Fan is just one of several walkable peaks and ridges in the central Beacons. By following an exhilarating 11 mile circuit from the Storey Arms, you can also take in Corn Du (873m) and Cribyn (795m). Here are some of our favourite routes.
Much of the water that fills Talybont Reservoir begins its journey high up in the mountains at the head of the Talybont Valley in the eastern Beacons. At Blaen-y-Glyn, the infant River Caerfanell, the Nant Bwrefwr and other streams tumble down from the hills over tremendous clusters of picturesque waterfalls. There are pleasant walks to these falls from the Natural Resource Wales car parks at Upper Blaen-y-Glyn (grid reference SO056176) and Lower Blaen-y-Glyn (SO064169).
Credit: Castle Hotel, Llandovery
Our National Park is ringed with characterful market towns while, further inside our Park, the River Usk, the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal and the shores of Llangorse Lake are dotted with pleasant country villages and sleepy hamlets. Together, our towns and villages reflect our history and heritage as a mining, quarrying and farming region and our role as custodians of a beautiful region of hills, valleys, lakes and waterways. Some are notable historic centres with classic Welsh architecture, interesting museums and ancient churches. Find out more here.
Credit: Wales Online
The Brecon Beacons is home to Wales only Whisky producer, Penderyn Distillery. One of the few remaining independent distilleries, Penderyn takes its name from the old Welsh village in which it is located and nestles in the foothills of the ancient Brecon Beacons mountain range. Enjoy a distillery tour and take a journey through the history of single malt whisky-making in Wales, and explore the distilling process at first hand.Take a bottle away with you from the gift shop!
You can dine extremely well in our market towns, villages and rural areas. There are places to suit every mood, from down-to-earth and family-friendly to Michelin Star Restaurants. Or why not try luxury, award winning smoked salmon from Black Mountain Smokery? All their smoked foods are traditionally cured and smoked right here in the Brecon Beacons in the town of Crickhowell . Find places to eat here.
A walk in the Brecon Beacons National Park comes complete with perfect picnic spots, awe-inspiring views, fascinating historic sites and grand geological features. To make the most out of your walks, why go alone when you can go with an expert guide, who can teach you everything you need to know about your surroundings. Click here to find out what guided walks you can be involved in.
Visit the Red Kite Feeding Station, west of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Llandeusant, it’s one of the most beautiful (and quietest) parts of the National Park. Usually, 50 plus kites gather for daily feedings, which you can view from hides (again, with good disabled access). It’s a perfectly wild day out. Or if you fancy flying hawks, owls, falcons and eagles then Wings of Wales can offer this epic experience! Visit them at Craig y Nos country park where you can walk around the beautiful grounds with the majestic birds flying to your glove.
Credit: Canal and River Trust
If you prefer smooth water to rushing rapids, you’ll love our canal. Once an important transport route, it’s now a lovely place for lazy strolling and boating. Peaceful and rural, with a flavour of times gone by, it’s often voted Britain’s prettiest canal. It passes through a generous swathe of the Brecon Beacons National Park, with appealing towns and villages to visit on the way. Here our are top 5 memorable stops along the way.
This unique region is a cracked and crumpled layer-cake of rocks, 480 million years in the making. Its landscapes were sculpted by ice then transformed by man, and it was a witness to the birth of the Industrial Revolution. It contains important habitats for rare plants, birds, insects and lichens. Accepted into the European Geopark Network in 2005 as Wales’ first geopark, it takes its name from the Fforest Fawr uplands which lie within the Geopark. More here.
As our National Park is situated close to the border between Wales and England, many a territorial struggle has taken place on our doorstep. Magnificent ruins such as those at Brecon, Crickhowell, Llandovery and Tretower bear witness to a turbulent past, while grand mansions such as Cyfarthfa Castle, Newton House at Dinefwr and Tretower Court remind us that castles were once mighty symbols of power and wealth. Visit our most romantic Carreg Cennen-originally a medieval hill fort- it was a favourite of painter JMW Turner. more information about all the Castles in the Brecon Beacons can be found here.
It gets very dark at night in Brecon Beacons, so much so that the National Park has been recognised as one of only 11 International Dark Sky Reserves in the world. It’s one of the best places in the world to see stars. Take a hot flask of tea, wear warm clothing, and, on a clear night, you can see as far as the Milky Way. Here our are top 10 spots!
Big Pit is a real coal mine with underground tours, miner guides and a warm welcome. Enjoy a multi-media tour of a modern coal mine with a virtual miner in the Mining Galleries, exhibitions in the Pithead Baths and Historic colliery buildings.
The Brecon Beacons National Park offers an array range of options for paddlesports, from the tranquillity of canals and reservoirs to extreme kayaking over jaw-dropping waterfalls. Get ready to design your own adventure! Come to the Brecon Beacons National Park and you can have fun paddling a kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard, raft or even making and paddling your own coracle. With waters graded from Grade 1 (easy) up to Grade 6 (extremely hard), we really do have something for everyone. Click here for more info.
Credit: Brecon Mountain Railway
Go on a journey with Brecon Mountain Railway into the Brecon Beacons National Park, through Pontsticill and along the full length of the Taf Fechan Reservoir before climbing to Torpantau high in the Brecon Beacons and the summit of the original line. At their main station in Pant you can grab some refreshments in their Licensed Tearooms, as well as visit the Workshop where the Steam Locomotives and Carriages are repaired!
Talgarth Mill is a fully restored and working 18th Century water mill, providing tours to explain its workings, history and the story behind its restoration. They mill flour at least two days a week and children are given the opportunity to mill a little of their own flour with a small hand mill. They have a wide range of flour, including spelt and rye, on sale at their shop and even a bakery where you can sit by the river and sample their locally produced food and delicious cakes as seen recently on Britain’s Best Bakery.
Our grassy fields and hilltops serve as excellent take-off and landing sites for paragliders, hang gliders. Some pilots make cross-country flights exceeding 300 miles and fly up to 4 miles high! This is also a favourite region for soaring over the rolling, green landscape in a glider. You can train at our recognised schools, which are also great spots for those who prefer to watch from the safety of the ground. More info can be found here.
With ten attractions all covered on the one entry ticket – there is plenty to see and do for all ages at Dan Yr Ogof Showcaves. There are 3 different caves Dan-yr-Ogof, Cathedral Cave and Bone Cave each offering a unique underground experience. They also have one of the world’s largest collections of life-sized dinosaur models, a shire horse centre, Iron Age village, museum, and stone circles.
For over 900 years Tretower Court and Castle has been altered, adjusted and adapted. Much of this was done to keep up with style, fashion and the tastes of the time. In the 21st Century, we’ve recreated a suite of rooms as they may have been in 1470 when the Vaughans were part of high society. Discover a sophisticated way of life: from intricately carved furniture right down to the pots and pans of a working kitchen. Experience 15th century living at its best. Click here for events running there this Summer.
As with the rest of Wales, the Brecon Beacons has many stories to tell. You can search for the cave where Arthur and his knights are said to slumber, somewhere near Dinas Rock, or visit Craig y nos Country Park to admire the former estate of Adelina Patti, the most famous Opera Diva of the Victorian age. If you visit Tretower Court, keep an eye out for the ghostly White Lady who waits for her love to return from the battle of Agincourt. You may even feel the wind on your face as the hunt goes by with King Arthur’s men in hot pursuit of the giant, enchanted boar Twrch Trywth.
Award-winning author Horatio Claire has re-imagined all these local legends and re-told them in a new book: Brecon Beacons, Myths & Legends, which is also worth checking out.
This magnificent eleventh-century cathedral is most often visited for its beautiful choir, vaulting and stained glass windows depicting Welsh saints. Brecon Cathedral houses the largest Norman font in Britain and the regimental chapel of the South Wales Borderers, who won renown in the Zulu War. The cathedral also contains a rare Breeches Bible. The sixteenth-century tithe barn is now a Heritage Centre with reconstructions, audio-visual displays and a craft shop. There is an excellent restaurant and tea room in the cathedral grounds and an outstanding programme of musical events.
East of Brecon, between the Central Beacons and the Black Mountains, is the largest natural lake in Wales, Llangorse Lake. Surrounded by a patchwork of green hills, fields, meadows and hedgerows, Llangorse is a truly beautiful spot and a lovely place to sail or paddle. Visit the Crannog, a man-made island which was probably once the site of a royal palace or just sit and watch the wildlife.
Situated at the end of the picturesque Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in the pretty market town of Brecon on the edge of Brecon Beacons National Park, Theatr Brycheiniog offers a popular and acclaimed programme of performing arts and entertainment throughout the year.
The Old Railway Line Garden Centre is a family run, independent Garden Centre, Farm Shop and Restaurant combined, offering the very best gardening, home and outdoor living products alongside delicious, fresh, locally produced food and drink. The garden centre is situated in the heart of the picturesque Wye Valley, nestling at the foot of the Black Mountains with outstanding views of the Brecon Beacons and surrounding Radnorshire Hills. They have a florist, farm shop, restaurant, gift shop, with plenty of events being held at the Garden Centre. Click here for events held this summer.
The Dolaucothi Gold Mines are the only mines for Welsh gold outside those of the Dolgellau gold-belt, and are a Scheduled Ancient Monument. They are also the only known Roman gold mines in Britain. Excellent guided tours take you back to experience the conditions of the Roman, Victorian and 1930s underground workings, but please wear sturdy footwear for uneven wet surfaces, and be prepared to get a bit muddy as you will be passing through actual mining passages! If you allow around 90 minutes to 2 hours for the visit, you will hopefully experience a good part of the site, but there are lovely walking trails around the site and the Dolaucothi Arms to visit if you wish to stay longer.
From gourmet restaurants with their own cottage gardens to cosy pubs serving local Welsh lamb for Sunday lunch, we have plenty of fine eating places to tempt you. Our traditional Welsh breakfasts are legendary. Our gorgeous cafés and tea shops are enough to make you sigh with happiness. You can dine extremely well in our market towns, villages and rural areas. There are places to suit every mood, from down-to-earth and family-friendly to really rather posh. Click here for some of the finest restaurants in the Brecon Beacons.
Birdwatchers visit the Brecon Beacons National Park to see red kites, tawny owls and red grouse, along with endangered species such as lapwings, little ringed plovers, nightjars and reed warblers. From parks and gardens alive with song birds to harriers and ring ouzels in the uplands, birds can be seen all over our Park. More here.
Set in the beautiful Carmarthenshire countryside, just on the outskirts of the Brecon Beacons, the National Botanic Gardens of Wales are a fascinating blend of the modern and historic. Here you’ll find an inspiring range of themed gardens, the world’s largest single-span glasshouse, our new tropical Butterfly House, play areas and a national nature reserve, all set in a Regency landscape which provides the stage for a packed programme of events and courses throughout the year! Click here to find out what events they have on this summer.
There are plenty of beer gardens in the Brecon Beacons where you can soak up the sun! From picturesque river and canal spots, to scenic mountain views, click here for some of our top picks.
Credit: The Angel Hotel Abergavenny
Whether enjoyed in a 5-star hotel or a delightful Welsh Cafe, Afternoon Tea is one of the best ways to treat yourself! The Brecon Beacons have some of the finest Afternoon Teas around, using local produce to create an afternoon tea worth having! Click here for our favourite places to enjoy afternoon tea in the Brecon Beacons.
If you’ve never been riding before, the Brecon Beacons is a great place to start. Experienced riders love the Beacons too. Our Park is blessed with beautiful terrain to challenge and inspire. We have many riding and trekking centres, such as Cantref-the only Riding Centre licensed to trek on the Brecon Beacons- including the foothills of Pen-y-Fan! Click here for more trekking centres in the National Park.
If you enjoy climbing, why not take a look at things from a different angle and reach new heights on the cliffs of the Brecon Beacons? The best outdoor spots are along the limestone belt on the southern side of the National Park-more information here!
Or if you fancy indoor rock climbing, head to Llangorse Multi Activity Centre, which has real rock, artificial climbing walls, bouldering, indoor caving and a café so you can reach new heights in a safe environment. Other nearby indoor climbing centres include Black Mountain Activities, Aber Rocks in Abergavenny, Summit Centre near Merthyr Tydfil and Dynamic Rock in Clydach near Swansea. More info here.
Opened in 1935 and formerly known as the South Wales Borderers Museum, the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh is recognised as one of finest regimental museums in Britain. The museum charts the history of the Royal Regiment of Wales, founded in 1689 as the 23rd and 24th Regiments of Foot and subsequently re-named the South Wales Borderers, Welch Regiment and Monmouthshire Regiment. It includes displays relating to the many campaigns they were involved in such as the Zulu War.
Why not visit the Diamond People Exhibition, a celebration of 60 years since the parks designation in 1957 comprising of the portraits of some of those people that make the park the special place it is today. The exhibition will be touring across various venues in the Brecon Beacons until the 19th November. Find out more here. There are also plenty of art galleries in the National Park, click here for more.
Our National Park contains some of Wales’ most spectacular scenery and rarest wildlife. Go quietly and you may see our key species – otters, great crested newts, marsh fritillary butterflies, bats and reed warblers – along with a host of other mammals, birds, amphibians, fish and insects. Click here for ten places to enjoy wildlife watching in the Park.
Learn some of the essential skills of making fresh, handmade fine chocolates at Black Mountain Gold Chocolate. The Chocolate Making Courses are held in the beautiful surroundings of Black Mountain Gold Luxury Shop and manufacturing room. The course covers topics such as: Introduction to truffle making, Hand rolling and piping ganache, Mouthfeel and cocoa butter and chocolate moulding techniques!
Our National Park is a great place for a day out on two wheels, or even a cycle touring or mountain biking holiday. Our bike guides and hire companies can set up anything from a a simple day’s bike hire to a complete package with equipment, accommodation, routes and guides all included. Or why not head out on the touring route Cycle Across the Beacons, which follows a Roman Road with panoramic views of the Central Beacons and winds along lovely country lanes before joining the pretty tow path by the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. Click here for more information on cycling in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
There’s also plenty for Mountain Bikers to enjoy, with Bike Park Wales being the UK’s first full scale mountain bike park in the heart of the South Wales valleys, built by riders for riders! There’s many more routes dotted around the Brecon Beacons-click here for more info.
With over 40 flavours and many desserts to choose from, Llanfaes Dairy produces the finest quality artisan ice cream right in the heart of the Brecon Beacons. Visit their traditional Italian Style ice cream parlour or if you’re in Crickhowell head to Pavlovas! In the town of Hay On Wye you can even try ice cream made from sheep’s milk at Shepherds!
There are many challenges being held throughout the year in the Brecon Beacons. From the challenging Fan Dance consisting of a gruelling 24km SAS Selection test march staged over Pen y Fan to the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canalathon, a 35 Mile Team Endurance Challenge along one of the most Scenic Canal Routes in Britain! There’s plenty more to get your heart racing-Bwlch with Altitude, Brecon Beast, WAAT4 and the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling. Keep an eye out for more challenges here.
If you like exploring, you’ll love geocaching, the global treasure hunt for the whole family. Geocaching is a fun way to explore the Brecon Beacons. It will take you to great places which may have a brilliant view or some historical significance, for example, a WWII bomber crash site or the monument to Little Tommy Jones.
There are over 180 geocaches in interesting locations in the Brecon Beacons National Park, all waiting to be found. All you need to start your quest is a handheld GPS (Global Positioning System) device and access to the geocaching website, www.geocaching.com. You can even have a go without a GPS, using an Ordnance Survey map and compass. Click here for more info.
Our regular farmers’ markets and food fairs bring our best local farmers, growers and artisan producers and together under one roof. They’re friendly occasions. You can meet the makers, sample their wares and stuff your shopping bag with goodies such as cheese, honey, sausages, herbs, chutney and laverbread. What could be better? Find a full list of farmers markets here. Or visit Abergavenny Food Festival when all the local producers come together for a weekend of indulgence!
With events held throughout the year there is plenty on at the National Park Visitor Centreto enjoy a great day out. Located near the infamous Pen y Fan mountain, why not stop by after the climb for a bite to eat and to enjoy the view?
The Brecon Beacons National Park is an area rich in vegetation, wildlife and woodland. It’s where the elite SAS army go to learn about survival, and the mountainsides, forests, hedgerow and rivers are full of wild foods that are quite edible. The landscape in the Brecon Beacons is perfect for foraging and there are plenty of friendly experts with unsurpassable local knowledge waiting to help you learn food foraging and outdoor skills! Click here for more.
There are some stunning country parks in the Brecon Beacons that you can stroll through to get away from it all. The romantically named Craig-y-nos (or ‘rock of the Night’) Country Park has extensive grounds to explore. Once the pleasure gardens of the Craig-y-Nos Castle, now a hotel, the grounds are in the ownership of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Level and gently sloping paths take you through a meadow, around tall trees and along the flowing river. Look out for the different ducks on the ponds. Why not visit Dan yr Ogof caves whilst you’re there for an action packed day out? more info.
Pack a tent, an air mattress, and a camping stove and you're good to go! There are endless places to camp in the Brecon Beacons National Park! Find campsites here.
The market towns of Abergavenny and Brecon are home to independent cinemas, screening the latest releases in unique settings. Brecon cinema screens an eclectic range of films from the Brecon Film Society, as well as the latest blockbusters. Visit Abergavenny cinema for another unique setting and the newest films.
Our woodlands are wonderful to explore in any season. They stimulate the senses, from the beautiful songs of the birds and the smell of wildflowers, to the crunch of leaves underfoot. Click here for woodlands to visit.
Have a mini adventure and take some little Kune Kune pigs for a walk, followed by a “Pig-Nic” ! Great fun for families and also people wanting a fun and engaging few hours in the countryside with these friendly little animals. You will be greeted and introduced to the piggies, then have a yomp through the neighbouring field and if the mood takes them, the pigs may wander over the shallow river. After returning to the smallholding, you will have refreshments whilst taking in the lovely scenery, and having a chat about the pigs and their life in the Brecon Beacons. Click here to book or check out a recent article from the BBC on the Piggy walks here.
Visit one of Wales’ most haunted pubs, The Skirrid Mountain Inn, standing for over 900 years & located in the beautiful Brecon Beacons, it’s steeped in legends of revolutions, ghosts & built on a mountain that once “shivered” – you will have to go a very long way to find an Inn with such history or character! Or dare yourself to go on a ghost tour at Craig y Nos Castle? It has appeared on numerous tv shows such as Most Haunted and having previously been a Tuberculosis hospital, are you brave enough for the challenge? More info here.
One of the largest Iron Age Forts in the whole of Wales, Garn Goch is an unforgettable place that brings the power and ingenuity of the Iron Age to life. Garn Goch, a major Iron Age settlement site near the town of Llandeilo, nowadays feels quiet and remote. However approximately 2500 years ago this hilltop would have been a thriving centre, where people lived and worked, food was grown and goods were produced and were traded. The fort is easily accessible from a small car park at the base of the hill and a well trodden path to the fort. Click here for information.
Credit: White Castle Vineyard
Head to the vineyards for a tour and a chance to sample wonderful crafted wines in the Brecon Beacons. Two vineyards you can visit are White Castle Vineyards and Sugarloaf Vineyard. White Castle Vineyard is a family-run, five acre vineyard planted on a gentle south facing slope in the village of Llanvetherine close to the towns of Abergavenny and Monmouth. Visitors can enjoy tours followed by wine tasting and you can also purchase their wine at White Castle Vineyard, located in Abergavenny. More info here.
Nestled at the foot of the Sugar Loaf Mountains, Sugarloaf Vineyard enjoys panoramic views over the Usk Valley. There are seven varieties of grapes planted on five acres of south facing slopes. You can tour the vines, sample the produce and also stay at their holiday cottages. More info here.
If you love country shows, the Brecon Beacons are the place to visit. We have an action packed summer of shows happening each weekend from July – September. The pinnacle event is the Royal Welsh Show, the largest agricultural event in Europe! Click here for dates of this years country shows.
If you like to play golf with a stunning background of hills and mountains, the Brecon Beacons National Park makes an ideal base for your golfing break. Cradoc Golf Club, 2 miles north of Brecon, has 18 holes and a friendly clubhouse, and is possibly the most scenic course in Wales! More info on golf courses in the National Park here.
The Brecon Beacons National Park encompasses some of the most important cave systems in Europe. All but a handful of the caves in these systems are the sole preserve of the experienced caver, but certain sections are much easier to access. Click here to discover the caves. Or for even more excitement why not go gorge walking? Scramble over rocks and boulders, climb waterfalls and experience raging rapids! Click here for information on companies who host the event.
Whatever the weather Cantref Adventure Farm, and the Play Barn Brecon make for a fantastic family day out in South Wales! From shows at Cantref including Pony Rides, Pig Racing and Pet Handling, with The Play Barn at Brynich being an award winning indoor soft play centre on the edge of Brecon!
There are over thirty surviving standing stones in the Brecon Beacons National Park. It isn’t known exactly how many of these are prehistoric. Some appear to be memorial stones and others may well have had more than one function either as boundary markers, waymarks on ancient routeways, signposts or even rubbing stones for livestock. They are impressive stones to visit and are the most unique and mysterious part of the Brecon Beacons. More here.
Here in the National Park we are lucky to have some fabulous spa hotels, retreats and clinics in beautiful, tranquil surroundings. Head to Peterstone Court to relax in the Jacuzzi, detox in the sauna and take a dip the seasonal outdoor heated pool or visit The Manor for a swim in the only indoor heated swimming pool and leisure facilities in the nearby area, with sauna, Jacuzzi, and steam pool at your disposal. The Retreat Brecon also provides treatments and therapies, incuding massage and spray tanning. More info here.
Have a day out exploring the many bookshops in the Brecon Brecons, with bookshops being the local speciality in Hay-on-Wye! Visit Book-ish in Crickhowell, the quirky Hours in Brecon or Richard Booths Bookshop in Hay-it’s Europe’s largest secondhand bookshop!
Credit: Anthony Pease
The Brecon Beacons National Park is an exhilarating environment to explore with your dog! Explore mountains and streams, walk along the canal and rivers and experience some of the finest views! Click here for some of our top spots to take your dog! Make sure you follow the dog code. And if you don’t have a dog, don’t worry-these walks are great to do with family and friends!
