{"id":861729,"date":"2024-12-30T17:46:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-30T15:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/?p=861729"},"modified":"2025-02-06T16:01:51","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T14:01:51","slug":"snowdonia-guide-to-the-pearl-of-wales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/snowdonia-guide-to-the-pearl-of-wales\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udfde\ufe0f Snowdonia: guide to the pearl of Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have always associated Britain with fog, picturesque towns, emerald green fields, black tea and locomotives. Motifs of railway romance<\/a> are found both in ” Harry Potter<\/a> “, “Sherlock Holmes”, “Murder on the Orient Express”, and in a great variety of other cult English works.<\/p>\n

How many times have I wanted to be in the place of the heroes in the same cozy compartment. To the sound of wheels, have lively conversations, interrupted only by the cheerful whistle of a steam locomotive, get inspired by passing landscapes and start your own detective story… It turns out that touching the world of Agatha Christie is easier than I thought. And now I\u2019ll tell you where to get one ticket to the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the 19th century, Britain was the undisputed leader in steam innovation and technological progress. Tourist<\/a> locomotive routes<\/a> still operate throughout the country. Perhaps one of the most famous is located in Scotland – the Jacobite<\/a> train (yes, the same Hogwart Express from the Harry Potter<\/a> franchise) – but more on that another time.<\/p>\n

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As a resident of a flat country, I have always been attracted to mountains. Having learned about Snowden and the nature reserve around it, I simply could not help but add Wales to my travel plans. To my great joy, locomotives still operate in the North of the Kingdom and tours are sold. I was lucky enough to ride full steam ahead on the Festiniog Railway, which leads to stunning Snowdonia.<\/p>\n

Festiniog Railway<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Festiniog Railway is the oldest narrow-gauge railway in the world with a history of 200 years. However, we are not just talking about a museum<\/a> exhibit! This is a 21.7 km journey. It starts from the harbor at Porthmadog and ends at Blaenau Festiniog through the mountainous terrain of the Snowdonia National Park.<\/p>\n

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The winding path takes you through serene pastures and lush forests, past lakes and waterfalls, along mountainsides and through tunnels (and yes, the locomotive is powered by coal!). The Festiniog Railway and its infrastructure is part of the UNESCO<\/a> World Heritage Site for the North Wales Slate Landscape.<\/p>\n

\"Snowdonia\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Many of the railway staff are volunteers and often members of the Festiniog and Welsh Highland Railway Society. Sometimes romances even arise among volunteers and weddings occur. Some families of “railroad workers” now bring their third generation of enthusiasts!<\/p>\n

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