A view of Orion above the glacial cirque of Cwm Idwal. Snowdonia is one of two National Parks in South Wales acclaimed for their low light pollution, earning them international certification for the quality of the night sky.
The sleek Hafod Eryri replaced the famously squalid Snowdon Cafe as Wales's highest building in June 2009. Built from local slate, the visitor centre – which also serves at the Snowdon Railway's top terminus – was built to blend in with the mountainside from below, and also withstand the weather at over 1,000m, which often sees it near-buried in snow in winter.
Dusk along the summit ridge of Cadair Idris. The mythology of the mountain is complex, with its summit a lightning rod for various mythologies. The name of the mountain is said to refer either to a giant named Idris, who used the summit of the mountain as a chair, or King Idris Gawr.
The summit of Snowdon sees probably the highest footfall of any mountaintop in the world, with an estimated 500,000 visitors each year on average – and a record 700,000 in 2021. This is aided by the mountain's network of good paths and a mountain railway that carries those unable to make the journey on foot to a view that can stretch as far as Ireland on a clear day. While crowds queue for the summit of England and Wales' highest peak, many of the surrounding mountains stand near-empty.
The peak of Cnicht, a notably pointed miniature mountain that stands above the valley of Cwm Croesor. The hills surrounding this valley near Beddgelert were once mined for their slate; ruins of the workers huts and disused shafts still remain on the mountainside.
Built in the early 13th century as a defensive fort, Dolbadarn Castle stands above the town of Llanberis in western Snowdonia, guarding the twisting Llanberis Pass, which snakes across the mountains and links key parts of the rugged region. The evocative ruin has since been painted by artists such as JMW Turner.
A view near Dolwyddelan, with the mountain of Moel Siabod beyond.
A view from Snowdon to the Llanberis Pass – an ancient trade route that snakes between Pen y Gwyrd and Llanberis, with steep mountains on both sides. Today the pass is one of the most popular and scenic in the National Park.
The Afon Mawddach at dawn. The river enters the Irish Sea at Barmouth, and immediately inland widens into a broad tidal estuary nestled between the mountains.
Snowdonia's slate mining heritage is notable everywhere around the park, from huge open quarries now repurposed for adventure, to more subtle signs – such as these shard fence panels at Croesor – of the industry that once provided fine slate for rooftops all over the world. The quarry town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, almost central in the area of Snowdonia National Park, was famously excluded from its boundaries, leaving a town-sized hole in the centre. Residents have since campaigned for its inclusion, citing a natural heritage and singular atmosphere that earned the 'slate landscape' UNESCO protection in 2021.