Edward I's cliff-top fortress above Tremadog Bay, its twin-towered gatehouse one of the great sights of Wales
Open to visitorscheck opening times and admission before you go
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
Harlech was built fast and built to last, raised between 1283 and 1289 as Edward I clamped his ring of castles around newly conquered Gwynedd. Its concentric walls climb straight from a crag that once dropped to the sea, so supplies could come in by water even under siege — which they did, through the long blockade that gave the song “Men of Harlech” its name. The mighty gatehouse, with its pair of round towers, is the set piece.
It is one of the four fortresses that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd.
In the care of Cadw, it is open most of the year on a paid ticket, reached now by a floating footbridge from the visitor centre. The views are the other half of the visit: the dunes and sands of Harlech Beach below, and the whole mountain wall of Eryri behind. The Wales Coast Path passes through the town.
