![Portmeirion aerial view](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemxlarge_1x/public/media-library/2018-12/NVW-C13-1516-0010-small.jpg?h=32ce6c53&itok=FR95eOww)
This is Wales
Welcome to Wales! It's a country with a warm heart, a rich history, and an exciting future.
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© Hawlfraint y Goron / Crown Copyright
![A Welsh flag blowing in the wind across a beautiful mountainous moorland scene](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemlarge_1x/public/media-library/2022-09/SVW-E01-2122-0099.jpg?h=3bd126db&itok=ZIrjylon)
The basics
![view across to Castell Coch, with Welsh flag in the foreground.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2020-11/SVW-D23-2021-0001.jpg?h=aa81dfca&itok=tQsMsAki)
Facts about Wales
Find out about the population, climate, symbols, national anthem and more interesting facts about Wales.
![An image of buildings on the waterfront at Cardiff Bay](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2021-08/DJI_0097_EXP_2009%20%281%29.jpg?h=2d66e5ab&itok=-EMVtbq-)
Living in a devolved nation
How is modern Wales governed - learn about the Welsh Government and our Senedd (parliament)
![hundreds of one pound coins.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2019-06/SVW-C92-1819-0047-small.jpg?h=e5aec6c8&itok=_RuQkCts)
Money matters
Find out the facts about currency, making money and the cost of living in Wales.
![King Charles III accompanied by the Queen Consort, walking down some stairs and waving at crowds](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2022-10/52354679831_e9ec7d6907_k.jpg?h=c051c501&itok=ROwtlR)
Welsh connections to the Crown
Find out more about the links between the Royal Family and Wales.
![A huge mural of a woman wearing a yellow football shirt, on the side of a building.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemlarge_1x/public/media-library/2023-04/DSC_6602.jpg?h=14579d16&itok=VrUPIzty)
The stories behind creating inspirational, inclusive art installations
Find out how a Cardiff-based collective is leading the way in creating dynamic street art.
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Our people
![A person wearing a yellow helmet handles wood with a saw.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemmedium_1x/public/media-library/2024-03/DSC_7323.jpg?h=fc416925&itok=rDKV-IAm)
Getting their hands dirty - the women behind the hard graft
From chainsaws to chickens: the challenges facing the women caring for our land.
![Inside a wooden garden shelter with 'Tafarn y Plu' written on a sign.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemmedium_1x/public/media-library/2023-02/Tafarn%20y%20Plu.jpg?h=07edc84d&itok=sgdbv3tN)
Local communities breathing life back into their pubs
Rhys Iorwerth discovers the growing trend of communities regaining and breathing life back into local hubs.
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Siarad Cymraeg?
![Welsh placenames beginning with Llan](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemmedium_1x/public/media-library/2019-01/Placenames_header_Welsh.jpg?h=ce8b556d&itok=3jVmXcui)
![A group of children playing with a parachute.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2022-04/Ffoaduriaid.jpg?h=8a33d6d1&itok=8yBGK3RN)
Celebrating 100 years of the Urdd in Wales
The national youth movement of Wales is celebrating its centenary this year. Read about the celebrations and what the future holds for the Urdd.
![Ifor ap Glyn with views of the Sea](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2018-12/DR_VISIT-WALES_2902-small.jpg?h=dcc81107&itok=MGH7KtaX)
Heart of the nation
Former National Poet Ifor ap Glyn explains how language is at the heart of Welsh daily life.
![](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2022-11/280_ffN_SteddfodUrdd_Sad_1493.jpg?h=3719a9fc&itok=aoI97j8g)
Land of my fathers: Wales’ national anthem
Evoking passion and pride - find out more about the Welsh national anthem.
Where is Wales?
![Portmeirion aerial view](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2018-12/NVW-C13-1516-0010-small.jpg?h=32ce6c53&itok=rRfH9x9j)
Find your bearings
Get to know Wales with a guide to the Welsh geography.
![Prince of Wales Bridge](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2019-01/bridge%20edit-small.jpg?h=80642c95&itok=1wxjqx48)
Take me there
You can get to Wales by train, plane, car or even by boat.
![Aerial view of city centre and Bristol Channel, Cardiff, South East Wales](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2019-06/SVW-C17-1011-0251-small.jpg?h=e5aec6c8&itok=gfbA29OD)
Cities in Wales
Find out more about what cities Wales have to offer: Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Bangor, St Davids, St Asaph and Wrexham.
![An aerial shot of a car driving along a mountainous coastal road](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2022-03/DJI_0015.jpg?h=a4cd3ebc&itok=7pTG3ASw)
Hit the road
The Wales Way, a series of epic road trip routes, helps visitors see the best of Wales on four wheels.
Sweet music
![Lisa Jen sitting on a wall in Snowdonia.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemmedium_1x/public/media-library/2020-02/Lisa%20Jen%20header-small.jpg?h=cb59b5ff&itok=uXwlMep4)
Celtic connections: the story of folk music in Wales
The musical connections between the Celtic nations run deep. Charles Williams explores the history of Welsh folk music and its modern expressions.
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Wales and the world
![Exterior shot of the entrance to an old castle.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemmedium_1x/public/media-library/2019-12/Castle-1.jpg?h=49d1add1&itok=3w89U0vh)
Crossing the Atlantic: the links between America and Wales
The Welsh were among the first to settle in the USA and Canada in the late seventeenth century, and the links between Wales and North America are still strong.
![A Welsh flag and a Japanese flag in front of Himeji Castle.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2019-12/dsc8099_himeji-small.jpg?h=ff8f6240&itok=PZmhTeoF)
The cultural links between Wales and Japan
There are strong links between Wales and Japan, from arts and culture to sport and business
![large group of people around memorial outside chapel.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2020-01/dwb00074-small.jpg?h=8391a551&itok=NGKLWfVQ)
Patagonia: a small slice of Wales in South America
The incredible tale of why 150 people set up a remote Welsh settlement in South America.
![Ice cream in a freezer](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2021-06/sidolis-icecream-parlour.jpg?h=0c2904f9&itok=Fbwolbxk)
Ice cream, rugby, and a night at the opera
Although you’ll see Wales and Italy regularly facing off on the rugby pitch, the relationship between the two countries goes back a few hundred years.
![External shot of a large museum building entrance](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2021-06/DR_Visit_Wales_Oct18-3369.jpg?h=e5ebbfda&itok=108-CdkP)
Close connections across the water
Learn about the ties that bind us - the shared history between Wales and France.
![A crowd of people cheering at a football match, with a Welsh flag flying amidst them in the stadium seating](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemlarge_1x/public/media-library/2022-08/GettyImages-1238389511-small.jpg?h=b62ff66e&itok=nlflzQkl)
Wrexham AFC’s rise to stardom
Wrexham goes Hollywood: the story of Wrexham AFC’s rise to stardom - and back into League One
Traditions
![An old postcard showing Welsh women wearing traditional dress](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2022-12/wdad-36_0.jpg?h=2ba378be&itok=SW9fmsd-)
Black hats, petticoats and bedgowns - exploring traditional outfits in Wales
Bedgowns and tall black hats: the 19th-century style we still love today.
![interior of church with highly decorative walls.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2019-12/SVW-C53-1920-0104_small.jpg?h=e5aec6c8&itok=Vqwt4w5G)
Christmas and New Year Traditions
When Welsh people wish you 'Nadolig Llawen', they’re not just thinking about ordinary festivities. They're thinking about horses’ skulls, 3am hymn-singing, odd apples, mountain races and seaside swims too. Jude Rogers dips into the deep Welsh midwinter traditions
![A Mari Lwyd and dancers.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2020-01/WNS_121217_St_Fagans_Christmas_Nights_37-small.jpg?h=43c6f2b9&itok=LksGVL20)
The midwinter majesty of the Mari Lwyd
Jude Rogers uncovers the origins of one of Wales' most eerie midwinter traditions, the Mari Lwyd.
![Woman wearing a Welsh hat and sticking her tongue out](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2023-02/randomacts-7-cutout_web.jpg?h=24485d9f&itok=yFMnkIY9)
Random Acts of Welshness
Doing the little things in celebration of St David's day. Try out some Random Acts of Welshness.
Events
![Ocean Colour Scene Concert at Caerphilly Castle](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemmedium_1x/public/media-library/2018-12/SVW-C35-1617-0028-small.jpg?h=49739ec4&itok=_Q9NaSEO)
Putting on a show
There’s nothing we like better in Wales than a live performance. Discover more about Welsh festivals and events.
![Sarah Price, steward of the Steelhouse Festival with the countryside in the background.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2019-08/SteelHouseFestival-20-small.jpg?h=41f41d7d&itok=QCCNTmwh)
Steelhouse: a steward's welcome
Go backstage at Steelhouse Festival as volunteer Sarah Price welcomes visitors from around the world to the event in her home town of Ebbw Vale.
![Huw Stephens looking through records in Spillers, Cardiff's Victorian Arcades](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2019-01/DR_Visit_Wales_Oct18-3564.jpg?h=fe6846db&itok=G8Tdq2SD)
The vision behind the sound
Learn about how a golden age in Welsh music moulded BBC Radio 1's Huw Stephens and why he aspires to keep that culture alive.
![Colourfully dressed people amongst large Hay Festival letters.](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2021-05/Hay%20Festival%20Queretaro%20-%20letters%20by%20Daniel%20Mordzinski.jpg?h=2e867e32&itok=XEVx6IfK)
The Hay Festival – celebrating culture across the world
Find out how the Hay Festival began and has since inspired cultural events across the world.
![Three people dressed in bright festival costumes raising their arms to wave](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemsmall_1x/public/media-library/2023-03/NEB_3407-green-gathering.jpg?h=4e8b66cd&itok=hKUCsPQ-)
Meet the original off-grid festival
Come for the music, the good vibes, or the weighty discussions on how to change the world.
![Illustrated sketch image of a woman's face](/sites/wales/files/styles/o_listingitemlarge_1x/public/media-library/2021-12/shirleybasseyorange_jonathanedwards-wide.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=SfYJ-VaL)
National treasures – get to know these Welsh celebrities
Meet our national treasures: Welsh celebrities and famous people
Before you start...
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