Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In the evening it's generally a restaurant or a pub, or both.
Theatr Brycheiniog
(
&
01874/611622;
www.brycheiniog.co.uk) in Brecon is the region's arts hub with
a rolling selection of music, dance, drama, and spoken word (sometimes in Welsh),
and a bar-restaurant, Tipple 'n' Tiffin.
Where to Eat & Stay
Brecon Castle Hotel
This isn't a castle but an inn built in 1809, on the site
of a Norman castle on a bluff in the midst of town, with views across the rooftops
toward the mountains. Family-run and restored with care, it has an old-school charm.
The rooms in the main hotel are charming and all different, and there is a more
modern annex and self-catering accommodations. The oak-floored Regency-feel
Beacons View restaurant
looks as it might have 200 years ago. Food is modern
Welsh, with dishes such as roast venison steak with roast beetroot, and a licorice and
port jus, and a slow-cooked neck of lamb suet pudding.
Castle Square, Brecon, Powys LD3 9DB. www.breconcastle.co.uk.
&
01874/624611.
Fax 01874/623737.
38 units. £75-£150 double. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar.
In room:
TV, Wi-Fi (free) in main hotel.
Nant Ddu Lodge
This 19th-century shooting lodge is now a modern, bright
hotel, bistro, and spa in the heart of the National Park, between Merthyr Tydfil and
Brecon. The Lodge snuggles against a wooded hillside; the rooms (including family
options) are full of country chic and have mountain views. The spa has an indoor
pool, gym, and sauna. Food, proudly Welsh with lots of lamb, steak, and fish (main
courses £13-£18), is served in the
bistro and bar.
Cwm Taf, Merthyr Tydfil CF48 2HY. www.nant-ddu-lodge.co.uk.
&
01685/379111.
Fax 01685/377088.
31 units. £90-£100 double. Rates include buffet breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Bistro;
bar; spa; indoor pool; gym.
In room:
TV/DVD, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
18
SWANSEA
190 miles W of London; 82 miles W of Bristol; 40 miles W of Cardiff
Walk or cycle around the 5-mile arch of Swansea Bay on a sunny day and you might
think you've been transported to California, it's so beautifully laid-back. The sea is
central to Wales's second city, from its early shipbuilding history and later prominence
as a port to its newfound role as a major tourist attraction thanks to its newly devel-
oped (and quite superb) maritime quarter. That said, stand in Swansea on a murky
day looking at rows of terraced housing climbing up its hillside and you can under-
stand why the nation's greatest poet, Dylan Thomas, described it as an “ugly, lovely
town.” Whether you get sunshine or rain, there are a few must-dos: the
National
Waterfront Museum
and the
Dylan Thomas Centre.
And do cycle or walk
around the bay on the promenade, which follows an old tram route from the Marina
to Mumbles pier.
Essentials
GETTING THERE
First Great Western trains arrive from London, via Cardiff,
every hour. It's about 1 hour (£7) from Cardiff, 3 hours (£40 and up) from London.
National Express
(
&
0871/781-8181;
www.nationalexpress.com) operates buses
from London, Manchester, and Birmingham, and can involve a connection in
Cardiff.
From Cardiff, it's an easy drive west along the M4.
