Llywelyn the Great's round-towered castle above Llanberis, standing guard over the old road through the pass into the mountains
Open accessfree to visit at any reasonable time
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
The part everyone remembers is the tower: a tall, round stone keep (the castle’s main tower) that still stands most of its original height on a rocky knoll above Llanberis. Llywelyn the Great, prince of Gwynedd, built Castell Dolbadarn early in the 13th century to hold the pass between the mountains, and the round design was a Welsh answer to the square Norman keeps of the day. It saw the messy end of Welsh independence up close: Llywelyn the Last is said to have imprisoned his own brother, Owain Goch, here for years during their struggle over Gwynedd. After Edward I’s conquest the castle was left to decay. Cadw looks after the ruin now, and it’s a short walk up from Llanberis (steep for the last stretch) between Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris, with the flanks of the Snowdon range rising behind. Turner painted it, which tells you how good the setting is.
