Welcome to Aberystwyth!
About the town
Aberystwyth is the principal holiday resort and administrative
centre of the west coast of Wales. It is also home to the University of
Wales Aberystwyth and the National Library.
The town is nestled between three hills and two beaches, and hosts some
castle ruins, a pier and a harbour. The surrounding hills hold the visible
remains of a iron age fort and also a monument to Wellington and once
climbed offer stunning views of Cardigan Bay.
Aberystwyth is a University town with some seven thousand students, ensuring it a vibrant throughout the year and not just during summertime. Incidentally, there are now ‘only’ fifty pubs left in Aberystwyth!
The seafront hosts Victorian / Edwardian buildings mostly 4/5 stores high. The wide promenade protect the buildings from the revenges of the Irish Sea and offers space to sit, soak up the sun and view the surrounding hills and mountains which in winter are often covered in snow. On a clear day you may see the tallest mountain in Wales, Snowdon.
About the Location
The harbour was once one of the busiest in Wales and is
fed by the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol (which incidentally, is the steepest
river in Britain). Geographically, Aberystwyth may be considered isolated
from the rest of Wales. However, this isolation made it necessary for
the local people to look after themselves and over the years it has acquired
more resources than a town of this size would normally have. It is now
the centre of local rural life and is visited by many to sample the numerous
cafés, bars, and restaurants including, Chinese, Indian, Italian
and Mediterranean cuisine.
The local weather is dominated by the sea and the Gulf Stream which warms
the whole region and makes for pleasurable visiting.