Padarn Country Park is the setting for the National Slate Museum, the Llanberis Lake Railway and many other attractions. Much of the park is a hillside of oak woodland overlooking Llyn Padarn (Padarn Lake). The land was once part of Dinorwig Slate Quarries, employing over 3,000 men, and you can explore the footpaths created over the years by the quarrymen as they walked to and from their work. There are pleasant lakeside picnic areas. At the former Quarry Hospital you can learn how injured miners were treated. Llyn Padarn offers a wide range of watersports including fun boats, canoeing, windsurfing and sailing at Padarn Water Sports Centre.
The National Slate Museum is housed in the former Dinorwic Slate Quarry workshops in Gilfach Ddu where you can see the foundry, fitting shop, smithy, saw mill, carpenter's shop, pattern loft and all the old machinery used to dress the slate. Most spectacular is the huge water-driven wheel that provides the power in the workshops. Between the slate museum and the railway terminus are the craft workshops where you can watch craftspeople working in clay, copper, slate and wood.
Llanberis Lake Railway offers a 1 hour trip on an historic narrow gauge train from the centre of Llanberis via Gilfach Ddu car park along the shore of Llyn Padarn, with great views of the mountains.
High ropes adventure. Dares and scares for families, groups or individuals in a beautiful woodland setting. Aerial challenges, zip line, climbing wall, trapeze leap and giant swing. Spectacular views of the mountains and lakes from the top of the highest activity tower in the U.K. Our qualified instructors lead 2 hour sessions with all equipment provided. Sheltered site for those wet and windy days. Conveniently located in Padarn Country Park with a whole host of other attractions.
Snowdon is one of Wales' icons and there are several footpaths leading to the summit of this awesome mountain. An exhilarating alternative would be to take the Snowdon Mountain Railway which offers Britain's most spectacular rail journey on the country's only public rack and pinion railway. There are frequent departures to the summit of Snowdon by a variety of vintage steam and modern diesel trains which make the four-mile trip to the top, where there is a bar, buffet and gift shops.
Adjacent to Parc Pardarn is Dinorwig Power Station, Europe's largest pumped storage scheme. For a truly electrifying day out, you can visit the power station on a tour from the Electric Mountain Visitor Centre by the side of the lake. You'll discover the amazing powers of pumped storage hydro-electricity in a totally entertaining and educational environment. Admission to the Centre is free and there's heaps of interest for visitors of all age groups.
Built by Llywelyn the Great in the early 13th century to guard against English invaders, Dolbadarn Castle lies in a wild landscape of breathtaking grandeur. Access to the castle is free.
Llanberis High Street