Culture & Traditions

Hay Festival in Hay-on -Wye (The Town of Books) is a world renowned literary event that promotes itself as a catalyst for change. Well-known writers from around the world, discuss and share stories, and posit theories on the state of the world. Nobel prizewinners, novelists, scientists, politicians and historians and environmentalists come together to share the latest thinking in the arts and sciences and conduct debates on current affairs, politics and social issues. Former president Bill Clinton once called the festival the ‘Woodstock of the mind’. It has a reputation for fostering intellectual discourse. The festival president is Stephen Fry.

Dylan Thomas, poet and writer, had his childhood home in Swansea and had a deep connection to his homeland. Roald Dahl, the author of many beloved children’s stories, was born in Cardiff. One could pick up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with a different perspective and just about read it as a Welsh industrial novel.

The village of Portmeirion is situated on the north-west coast of Wales and is famous for being a miniature replica of a picturesque Italian village. It is located on a promontory next to the beautiful 70-acre Gwylt Gardens. Many rare species are planted here including monkey puzzle trees, pines, magnolias, camellias, giant redwoods, and ginkgo bilobas, and dozens of varieties of rhododendrons. There is a mix of very fine and Instagrammable manicured gardens and many wild areas to explore. Forest bathing here is a true pleasure.

The Royal Welsh Show is a large agricultural show held in July, in Llanelwedd, Powys, central Wales. It’s been an event since 1904 and was granted Royal status by Queen Elizabeth II in 1963. The show isn’t simply an agriculture show, it showcases Welsh music, food, and culture and is attended by more than 200,000 people each year.