5 Reasons You Need to Visit the Charming Beddgelert Wales

Beddgelert Wales is one of those villages that will charm your pants off.

Seriously.

I know the whole of the United Kingdom is filled with quaint and charming towns and villages — you’re probably thinking about the Cotswold towns right now.

But Beddgelert may be at the top of the list — because it also has a story, a legend, to go along with all that charm AND it’s located in a national park.

Intrigued?

I thought you would be.

As usual, let’s start with the where.

Where is this charming village?

Beddgelert, (pronounced beth-gel-airt, is located in the gorgeous Snowdonia National Park in North Wales.

Specifically it sits in a valley at the confluence of the Rivers Glaslyn and Colwyn.

And it’s located 13 miles from the delightful town of Caernarfon.

There are just 455 inhabitants of Beddgelert, Wales spread out in the valley.

Take a Walk Along the Rivers

As I mentioned there are 2 rivers, the River Colwyn and the River Glaslyn, that wend their way through the town.

These 2 rivers actually meet up in the heart of Beddgelert.

There is a beautiful old bridge that crosses just upstream of the confluence over the River Colwyn.

You can walk along the Colywn toward the confluence then make a right and walk along the River Glaslyn.

The walk along the Glaslyn is lovely.

Trees line the banks of the river, mountains loom off in the distance and sheep dot the field.

You can cross over a bridge near St Mary’s Church and walk along one side, cross the wooden bridge at the far end — away from town — and walk back along the other side of the river.

Stop and sit along the river or dip your toes in if it happens to be a warm summer day.

If it’s spring, watch the little lambs as they hover near their mothers.

So cute!

The walk isn’t long and the trails are good.

This is a must for your time in Beddgelert Wales

Visit Gelert’s Grave

Okay.

So here is the story — probably not 100% true — of Gelert.

Gelert was actually a dog.

But he wasn’t any dog as he belonged to Medieval Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great.

The story at the tombstone reads:

“In the 13th century Llewelyn, prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without Gelert, ‘The Faithful Hound’, who was unaccountably absent.

On Llewelyn’s return the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The prince alarmed hastened to find his son, and saw the infant’s cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood.

The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound’s side, thinking it had killed his heir. The dog’s dying yell was answered by a child’s cry.

Llewelyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but nearby lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain. The prince filled with remorse is said never to have smiled again. He buried Gelert here”.

So the town became known as Beddgelert which means the grave of Gelert.

Or so the story goes.

In truth, the town may have been named for a 6th century saint from the area named Gelert.

Who the hell really knows.

I like the story of the dog, even if it is a tragic one.

As you walk along the west side of the River Glaslyn — the side closer to the town — you’ll see where the monument is to Gelert.

It sits in a field near a tree and is surrounded by a stone structure.

This site is definitely worth checking out — even if the story is just a legend.

Visit St Mary’s Church and its Cemetery

While I didn’t go inside this little church, it was difficult not to notice it and photograph it.

St Mary’s was part of an Augustinian Monastery that was burnt down under Edward I when he went on a bit of rampage.

But much of the chapel — St Mary’s — did survive.

The church sits at the edge of the village and the views of it from the trail along the river and the fields make for some beautiful images.

I certainly took many pics of it!

However, my friend and I failed to go in.

*Face palm*

From photos you can see that St Mary’s is very simple with stone arches and wooden ceiling beams.

Supposedly this church sits on the site of the oldest Christian settlements in Wales.

The cemetery surrounding it is worth walking around.

I know.

It sounds morbid, but I find it’s a great way to get a sense of history of a place.

And the cemeteries in North Wales have these beautiful slate grave markers as slate is plentiful in this part of the country.

Final thoughts on this Welsh Village

I only spent a couple of hours in Beddgelert with my friend who was living in nearby Menai at the time.

We had driven through Snowdonia National Park with a short walk along a trail in the park.

Then we made a point to stop in this cute village on the recommendation of a friend.

Both of us were impressed.

While it is a touristed town — especially in summer — it is worth the time.

I am betting Beddgelert would be a fantastic spot to base yourself for visiting Snowdonia National Park in the off season.

I would imagine that it’s a bit quieter in the evenings as many folks do stop for a few hours as they explore the park.

My advice is to try to visit in the off season and to stay a few nights.

Hmmm…I wonder what it looks like under some snow.

Please note that Wander Your Way does not recommend travel at this time due to the current global health situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, many destinations and attractions found on this website will not be operating although some places have opened. Please stay up to date using official sources like the WHO and CDC. 

I do plan to continue to write about incredible destinations and to offer tips on travel to Europe, so that you will find some solace in these posts — so you dream about travel and learn about travel. This way when we can all travel again, you’ll be ready to go! For now, stay home (or close to home) and stay safe!

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