Why travel all the way to southern France to see one of Europe's finest medieval castles? While not on the scale of Carcasonne, Caernarfon has plenty of excitement of its own to offer.

It retains an angular, massive, military and almost industrial character (the closest comparison I can think of are 1940s flak towers I once saw in Vienna). As its purpose was to help subjugate the last area of strong Welsh resistance to the invading Anglo-Normans and symbolise royal authority, this isn't surprising. Come to think of it, Prince Charles' investiture as Prince of Wales in the castle doesn't seem too surprising either.

Though dominating the town, the castle really comes into its own when you (literally) get inside the walls. These are thick enough to contain a labyrinthine maze of passages linking the multi-layered, multi-levelled towers. You can easily become disoriented and enjoyably lost: I'd say it's the kind of place you could scamper round for hours with the kids, but to be honest I had hours of entertainment scampering round it with Richard Hammond-esque glee as a supposedly responsible adult.

Add beautiful views across the Menai Straits and Snowdonia from the ramparts and the relatively unspoilt walled town (there's also a particularly good curry restaurant in one of the side streets yards from the castle) and you have a near-perfect day out.

www.caernarfon-castle.co.uk
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The castle is one of the best in my experience in Wales, with a lot of it remaining intact. The size of it is relatively large (larger than Conwy). Well-kept gardens and great location on waterfront.

The town is nice, as it has a lot of historic buildings and friendly people. Good location for day visit and then explore nearby Bangor or Snowdonia.

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