Are you planning to visit Wales soon, and looking for fun facts about the country? Here are 20 interesting facts about Wales that will blow your mind.
If you’ve seen pictures of Wales, you’ll know just how beautiful it is. From our lush greenery and our rushing waterfalls, to our historical castles and notable landmarks, there are so many reasons to want to visit Wales.
In fact, many people consider it to be the UK’s best kept secret, as not only is Welsh culture fascinating and its people charming, but those visiting the UK for the first time might not consider visiting Wales as their first country to explore. If you allow yourself to, however, you’ll encounter nothing but warmth, beauty, and comfort, which is why Wales is considered one of the most beloved travel destinations by anyone who visits.
Moreover, as the capital city of Wales, Cardiff is a popular destination for tourists, rich in history and culture, as well as being home to the Principality Stadium, which hosts many international sporting events and live music concerts throughout the year.
Do you know whom Mount Everest was named after, and where he is from? Or even where Roald Dahl, author of the infamous Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and other famous children’s books, was born and raised?
To inspire you to visit Wales or, if you’ve already booked your trip, to get you even more excited for your upcoming holiday or vacation, here are 20 interesting, lesser-known facts about Wales.
Contents
- 1 The most interesting facts about Wales
- 1.1 1. Where Wales gets its name from
- 1.2 2. Prince Charles is also the Prince of Wales
- 1.3 3. Welsh gold is used to make The Royal Family’s wedding rings
- 1.4 4. We have lots of castles!
- 1.5 5. The unusually long town names
- 1.6 6. The famous personalities who you didn’t know were Welsh
- 1.7 7. Home of the very first ‘deep science’ photography
- 1.8 8. The first mail-order started in Wales
- 1.9 9. The world’s first radio message was sent from Wales
- 1.10 10. The (=) sign came from Wales!
- 1.11 11. More sheep than people!
- 1.12 12. The Welsh were the first to sell beer in cans, outside the US
- 1.13 13. The national symbols of Wales
- 1.14 14. Rugby is our national sport
- 1.15 15. What ‘The Mumbles’ are, and where they get their name from
- 1.16 16. The world’s first suspension bridge is in Wales
- 1.17 17. The UK’s deepest cave can be found here
- 1.18 18. The tallest mountain in Wales
- 1.19 19. The most visited waterfall in the UK is in Wales
- 1.20 20. Home to the longest zip wire in Europe
The most interesting facts about Wales
1. Where Wales gets its name from
The traditional Welsh name for Wales is ‘Cymru,’ meaning ‘friends.’ However, the Anglo Saxon meaning of the English name, ‘Wales’ is ‘foreigner’, or ‘outsider.’ How contradictory, yet fascinating!
2. Prince Charles is also the Prince of Wales
English kings and queens had been passing down the title of Prince of Wales since 1301. Prince Charles is the longest living Prince of Wales, who also inherited the title of ‘Duke of Edinburgh’ upon the death of his father, Prince Philip. For this reason, ‘Charles’ remains one of the most popular Welsh boy names even to this day.
3. Welsh gold is used to make The Royal Family’s wedding rings
The late Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, started using gold from the Welsh mines in 1923. Since then, it has been a tradition for Wales to provide The Royal Family with Welsh gold from our mines, to use in making their wedding rings.
4. We have lots of castles!
Did you know that Wales is home to 427 castles? In fact, we have more castles per mile than any other country in the world! Some people even refer to Wales as the ‘land of castles’, for this reason.
5. The unusually long town names
With many Welsh towns and villages still bearing their traditional Welsh titles even to this day, Wales is no stranger to unusually long, hard-to-pronounce names. Did you know that Wales is home to the village with a name longer than any other destination in the world, except for one other place?
It’s the Welsh village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, located on the island of Anglesey in North Wales. In English, the village’s name translates to ‘St Mary’s Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave’. Now that’s a mouthful!
6. The famous personalities who you didn’t know were Welsh
Mount Everest is named after the man who initially mapped the mountain, Sir George Everest, who was himself a Welshman. What’s more, Bill Frost, the first scientist to make the concept of flying practical back in 1895 – even before the Wright Brothers – is also Welsh. Furthermore, Jack Daniels, the creator of the world-famous whiskey brand, is also a Welsh descendent!
Other famous Welsh people include Saint Patrick of Ireland, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Shirley Bassey, Michael Sheen, and Roald Dahl.
7. Home of the very first ‘deep science’ photography
Did you know the very first ‘deep science’ photograph was taken by a man from Denbighshire, north Wales, known as Isaac Roberts?
The son of a Welsh farmer, Roberts took the first photograph of the Great Nebula of our closest neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda, after calculating that he’d need to take long-exposure photographs in order get a clear picture of the galaxy – a method still in use today. In doing so, he discovered that Andromeda is spiral-shaped, leading to the discovery of other spiral nebulae.
8. The first mail-order started in Wales
Price Jones, a Welsh draper who owned his own little shop, started the very first mail-order business, as far back as 1861. He used the Post Office and local rail links to send his goods to people living in remote rural areas.
9. The world’s first radio message was sent from Wales
Do you know who sent the world’s first radio message? It was the Italian inventor and electrical engineer, Guglielmo Marconi, who sent the message back in 1897, from Lavernock Point, just south of Penarth in South Wales, over to the Welsh island of Flat Holm in the Bristol Channel – around 6km away.
10. The (=) sign came from Wales!
A little-known fact about Wales is that a Welsh mathematician, known as Robert Recorde, invented the equal sign (=) in 1557. He also introduced Britain to the plus sign (+), the minus sign (-), and the theory of algebra.
11. More sheep than people!
Yes, you read that correctly! Believe it or not, Wales has more sheep than it has human beings, with the Welsh sheep population estimated to be over three times that of humans!
12. The Welsh were the first to sell beer in cans, outside the US
The oldest brewery in South Wales, Felinfoel Brewery in Llanelli, was the first place in Britain to sell its brewed beer in cans back in 1931. This makes it the first place outside the United States to sell canned beer.
13. The national symbols of Wales
Wales has three national symbols: the red dragon, which appears on their flag, and the country’s national emblems, the daffodil and the leek.
An interesting fact is that, although Wales is one of the four countries comprising the UK, its flag doesn’t actually appear in the flags of the UK; when they created the Union Jack flag, England and Wales were already united.
14. Rugby is our national sport
Although rugby is often associated with England and America, it’s actually the national sport of Wales. The first Welsh international rugby match took place in 1881, between Wales and England. Currently, the Welsh rugby team is ranked 9th in the new World Rugby rankings table.
15. What ‘The Mumbles’ are, and where they get their name from
Traditionally, the area known as ‘The Mumbles’ referred to two islets (small islands) located just off the coast of Wales at the beginning of the Gower Peninsula coastline, near Swansea.
They were named after the French word, ‘mamelles,’ meaning ‘breasts’. Once you see The Mumbles for yourself, you’ll understand why.
Today, however, The Mumbles refers to the entire village surrounding the islets.
16. The world’s first suspension bridge is in Wales
One of the most interesting facts about Wales is that the very first suspension bridge ever to be built in the world was the Menai Bridge on the island of Anglesey, in North Wales. It was designed by the famous engineer, Thomas Telford as a traffic-controlling measure back in 1886 and, at the time, it was also the longest bridge in the world.
17. The UK’s deepest cave can be found here
The deepest cave in Great Britain, Ogof Ffynnon Dddu, can be found near Abercraf, in South Wales. It’s 1,010ft deep, and consists of over 30 miles of tunnels and passages.
18. The tallest mountain in Wales
It’s no secret that Wales is home to a vast number of iconic mountains. The tallest mountain of all, Mount Snowdon, is located in Snowdonia, North Wales. The Welsh name for this mountain is ‘Yr Wyddfa Fawr’, meaning ‘The Great Throne.’ n
On a clear day, you can see across to England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man from the top of Mount Snowdon – if you can muster the energy to climb it, that is!
19. The most visited waterfall in the UK is in Wales
Wales is home to no less than 20 iconic waterfalls, with the most famous and most visited of all being Swallow Falls in Conwy, North Wales.
However, the real hub of Wales’ waterfalls is widely regarded to be the Brecon Beacons National Park, otherwise known as ‘Waterfall Country’ after the four picturesque waterfalls that can be found here.
The Four Falls Trail takes in Sgwd Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd y Pannwr and Sgwd yr Eira, with the latter being the most photographed of all, also known as the ‘Waterfall of Snow’.
20. Home to the longest zip wire in Europe
The longest zip wire in Europe – and also the fastest – is located at Zip World Slate Caverns in Bethesda, North Wales.
If you’re an adrenaline seeker, you simply have to add it to your bucket list for visiting Wales!
While Wales is perhaps best known for its breathtaking natural landscapes and scenery, there is much more to our wonderful country than meets the eye. Not only do we have a fascinating history and culture, but we also have a number of interesting landmarks and sites worth exploring during your time in Wales.
Can you think of any other interesting facts about Wales? Let me know, and I may even add them to my list!
Wait! Before you leave, PIN this post so you can come back to it during your visit to Wales.
