North East Wales is a region shaped by centuries of legend, stretching across the three counties of Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. In 2017, Visit Wales launched its Year of Legends campaign to celebrate the area's extraordinary heritage & culture, channelling over £1.28 million into 35 tourism projects across the country. Denbighshire County Council produced this visitor guide to showcase the legendary attractions, events and landscapes that make North East Wales a remarkable holiday destination. Whether you are drawn by Iron Age hillforts, UNESCO World Heritage waterways or a thriving food and music festival scene, this corner of Wales offers something memorable for every visitor.
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1805, carries the Llangollen Canal across the River Dee at a height of 38 metres and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning 11 miles of canal corridor. Visitors can take boat trips along the waterway and experience one of the great civil engineering achievements of the British Industrial Revolution. The broader Clwydian Range and Dee Valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, home to Iron Age hillforts such as Moel Arthur, ridge paths, woodland trails and the ruins of Castell Dinas Bran overlooking Llangollen. Owain Glyndwr, the Welsh prince who led the last major Welsh uprising against English rule, is deeply associated with this landscape, and the Year of Legends campaign brought these stories to life for a new generation of visitors.
The 2017 Year of Legends programme was built on a rich calendar of events across North East Wales. Focus Wales, held in Wrexham, draws hundreds of live acts from across the UK and beyond and is one of the most distinctive music showcases in Wales. The Mold Food & Drink Festival celebrates the finest local and national produce, bringing together artisan food makers and award-winning chefs. Gladstone's Library in Hawarden – the UK's only residential library – hosts literary events, courses and retreats throughout the year, offering an intellectual dimension unique in Welsh tourism.
The North East Wales coastline along the Irish Sea offers traditional seaside towns including Rhyl, whose promenade has been substantially renovated in recent years. Families can explore sandy dunes around Rhyl Harbour, where local folklore features stories like that of Larry the Lizard of Horton's Nose. The region's wider trail network, including sections of Offa's Dyke Path and the Wales Coast Path, provides accessible walking and cycling routes for all abilities. North East Wales was ranked among the top 10 destinations in the world by Lonely Planet, recognising its combination of heritage, landscape and visitor amenities.
Year of Legends 2017 was a Visit Wales national tourism campaign celebrating Welsh history, myths and cultural heritage. The Welsh Government and local councils including Denbighshire invested over £1.28 million in projects to develop heritage attractions, events and visitor experiences across the country. It followed the successful Year of Adventure in 2016 and was designed to showcase Wales's historic sites, which 61 per cent of international visitors cite as a primary reason for travelling to Wales.
Yes. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. The site covers 11 miles of the Llangollen Canal in North East Wales, including the aqueduct itself – the longest and highest navigable aqueduct in Great Britain – along with associated canal infrastructure built between 1795 and 1808 under the supervision of Thomas Telford and William Jessop.
Gladstone's Library is situated in Hawarden, Flintshire, North East Wales, and is the UK's only residential library. It was founded using the personal book collection of Victorian Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, who moved the volumes himself by wheelbarrow. The library holds around 150,000 books and regularly hosts literary residencies, theology seminars, creative writing retreats and public events.
The region offers walking and cycling on the Clwydian Range ridge paths, Offa's Dyke National Trail and the Dee Valley Way. Coed Llandegla Forest near Wrexham is a well-known mountain biking and trail running venue. Canal boat trips on the Llangollen Canal are a popular family activity. The coastline provides beach walking, watersports and cycling routes along the North Wales coastal corridor.
Owain Glyndwr (c.1359 – c.1416) was a Welsh nobleman and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales. He led a major uprising against English rule beginning in 1400 and is a central figure in Welsh national identity. Much of his campaign unfolded across North East and Mid Wales, and Sycharth in Denbighshire was the site of his primary court. The Year of Legends campaign highlighted his story as one of the defining legends of the region.
Denbighshire County Council continues to support tourism in the region. Tourism information for the area is now coordinated through the North East Wales tourism portal at northeastwales.wales, which covers Denbighshire alongside Flintshire and Wrexham. Printed visitor guides have largely moved to digital formats, and the council works with North Wales Tourism to operate visitor information centres in towns including Rhyl.
This visitor guide is part of the Catalink archive and may no longer be available to order. The information above describes the North East Wales Year of Legends 2017 campaign published by Denbighshire County Council. For current details, visit the official North East Wales tourism website.
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