Brecon Beacons Park is located in the center of Wales in the UK, and was founded in 1957. The large Fforest Fawr forest within its territory was officially recognized as a Geopark in 2005, one of the most important geological areas in Europe.
Your trip to Wales would be incomplete without a visit to the Brecon Beacons National Park. The name "Brecon Beacons" refers to a group of six main peaks, (beacons in local dialect) - the highest being Pen y Fen at 886 m (2,907 ft). 
The name "lighthouse" comes from the ancient practice of lighting fires on mountaintops to warn of attack. 
Today, it is a popular destination for hikers, cyclists, horseback riders and climbers. The park extends over 520 square miles and includes caves, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, ancient Neolithic monuments and, of course, the peaks themselves. 
The national park's main attractions include Fforest Fawr Geopark, Llangors Lake and Llyn y Fen Fac. The Brecon Beacons are also known as one of the best places in the world to admire the night sky. 
Attractions in Brecon Beacons
In the Brecon Beacons National Park you will find small towns, ancient villages, ruined Welsh castles, ancient Celtic menhirs and relics from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. 
Four mountain ranges run through the national park, each with its own archaeological history and distinctive landscapes. To the west of the Brecon Beacons lies the Black Mountain. An area of wild limestone cliffs and magnificent panoramas. 
Fforest Fawr (an ancient name meaning "hunting ground"), an area loved by walkers, has lush vegetation and wonderful waterfalls. 
Abergaveney is a small town in Monmouthshire in south-east Wales at the confluence of the rivers Haveney and Usk, standing on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The strategic importance of this site, which controls the valley between the Black Mountains, was recognized by the Romans, who built the Gobannium fortress here, and the Normans, who erected a castle on the site in the 11th century. 
The town that grew up around the castle was attacked repeatedly over the next 500 years. From the 18th century Abergaveney lost its strategic importance and developed only as a trading centre. Nowadays, the city has become an attractive resort and tourist center. 
You can explore the area on foot, bike or horse, climb the highest peaks or go rafting or canoeing down the river. Lovers of golf or fishing will also find something to do here. 
How to get to the Brecon Beacons
Getting to the Brecon Beacons is very easy. There are direct trains from Cardiff to Abergaveney every hour. Traveling from London from Paddington Station takes just 2 hours 10 minutes. Located at the crossroads of the Welsh railway line, trains from Llanelli, Swansea and Shrewsbury pass through it four times a day. 
Regular bus services from National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) and Megabus (www.megabus) connect the Brecon Beacons with Cardiff and each other. 
It is very convenient to use the Wales Pass for traveling around Wales. This is a travel pass for all rail services and most local bus routes in Wales. 
What is Wales Pass
The Wales Pass is valid for eight calendar days contract. During this period, trains can be used for four days, and buses for eight days. 
This pass is convenient to use if you are staying in a city in Wales and using it as a starting point for travel. You can purchase them at railway stations or in advance on the Internet.
Train travel must begin after 09-15 on weekdays and without restrictions on weekends, and end before midnight. 
The Wales Pass can be used on the following train routes:
From Chester to Crewe, North Wales and Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth, Chester, Crewe, Newport and Swansea
From Newport to Lydney and Shrewsbury. 
Wales Pass holders are entitled to reduced rates from:
Welsh Tourist Railways;
Tourist buses for sightseeing;
Cadw Welsh Historic Sites; 
Visits to National Trust properties and gardens;
Housing Association of Youth Hotels.
Prices 2013
Adult: £94. for all of Wales / £64. for North and Central Wales (including Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth) or South Wales.
For a child aged 5-15 years inclusive: £47/32.
For a child under 5: free.
Brecon Beacons (the Brecon Beacons National Park)– a national nature park in the central part of Great Britain, founded in 1957. The park covers an area of 1,347 square kilometers, which amazingly combines a wide variety of landscapes. National Park The Brecon Beacons are a conservation area of international importance, maintaining eleven designated areas of conservation and over 70 sites of special scientific interest.
The park is divided into four regions: the wild and lonely Black Mountain (Mynydd Du) in the west with its raised bogs and glacial lakes; Big forest (Fforest Fawr or Great Forest), where in the upper reaches of the Tau rivers (Tawe) and Neath (Neath) rapid streams form picturesque waterfalls; Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog), a group of unusual flat-topped hills including Peng-ai-Fan (Pen-y-Fan) 886 meters high - the highest peak of the park; and rocky ridges of the Black Mountains (Y Mynyddoedd Duon)- not to be confused with the lonely Black Mountain in the west.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is home to about 33 thousand people. Human. Here you'll find small towns, quaint villages and tiny hamlets scattered throughout the park. Here you can also stumble upon ruined Welsh castles, Celtic standing stones and religious buildings dating from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Some inscriptions on the stones date back to the 5th and 6th centuries AD.
There's something for everyone, whether you're an expert or a beginner. Some people want the thrill of a walk in the mountains, others just enjoy walking on fresh air. You can travel on foot, by bike or horse, climb to the highest peak or go down into a cave - the choice is yours. Sailing, mountaineering or canoeing? Or maybe golf or fishing? IN last years Hang gliding and sailing became very popular.
Visitors unprepared for active recreation can explore the park by car.
The rich natural and historical heritage of the Brecon Beacons National Park will provide many visitors with the pleasure of observing birds and animals in their natural habitats, taking photographs, visiting archaeological and historical sites and, of course, shopping.
Brecon Beacons National Park: How to get there
The park is located just an hour's drive from Cardiff International Airport in Cardiff. There are no railway lines in the national park, but trains stop in neighboring towns: Abergavenny (Abergavenny), Llandeilo (Llandeilo), Llandovery (Llandovery) and Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tydfil). Also, during these settlements buses operate and provide connections to small communities within the park. Please note that most buses only operate from Monday to Saturday. Choose one of the routes depending on where you are and where in the park you want to go:
T3 – Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Brecon (Brecon), Llandrindod Wells (Llandrindod Wells), Newtown (Newtown);
"T42" - Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Libanus, Brecon, Talgarth, Built Wells, Llandrindod Wells, Newtown;
"X4" – Abergavenny, Llanvihangel Crookorney (Llanvihangel Crucorney), Hereford (Hereford);
"39" – Hay-on-Wye (Hay-on-Wye), Hereford;
“39B” – Brecon, Talgarth, Hay-on-Wye;
"43/X43" – Abergavenny, Crickhowell (Crickhowell), Llangattock (Llangattock), Talybont-on-Usk (Talybont-on-Usk), Llanfrynach (Llanfrynach), Brecon;
"63" - Brecon, Den-air-Ogof (Dan-yr-Ogof).
Brecon Beacons National Park: Lifehacks
The park has its own official website, where you can find the necessary information.
Any time of year is suitable for traveling to the Brecon Beacons National Park. However, on public holidays and on Sundays in summer you can take the Beacons Bus bus (Beacons Bus), which departs from Brecon and follows a route around the park. You can make stops at any point along the route if you wish.
Bookworms and literary lovers from all over the world flock to Hay-on-Wye every year in late May and early June. (Hay-on-Wye), city from 40 bookstores, to participate in the Hey Literary Festival (Hay Festival).
But the Brecon Beacons are first and foremost a nature park with an incredible range of recreational and tourism opportunities. Therefore, we should not forget that any type active rest potentially dangerous to health and sometimes to life. Please check your health insurance coverage carefully before you travel. Comprehensive insurance that covers theft, loss of personal belongings and health issues is highly recommended. Some Insurance companies specifically exclude from the list of insured events dangers associated with swimming, skiing, bicycles, motorcycles, etc. Be sure to read footnotes and fine print. Make sure your insurance covers ambulance calls or emergency flights home. Find out in advance whether your insurer will pay the provider directly or reimburse you later for medical care abroad. Keep all documentation as you may need it later.
Fans of mountain walks should know that despite their harmless appearance, Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) These are serious mountains. The weather is very changeable and sudden fog can completely limit visibility for a few minutes even on a fine day. Wear your hiking boots and bring warm clothes, preferably waterproof, as well as food, water, a map and a compass (or GPS). Don't forget to check the weather forecast.
- Address: Libanus, Brecon LD3 8ER, Wales
- Telephone: +44 1874 624437
- Website: www.beacons-npa.gov.uk
- Square: 1340 sq. km
- Working hours: Mon-Fri: 9:00 – 17:00
- Entrance: free
Brecon Beacons National Park is one of the oldest in the world. High slopes covered with grass and heather, snowy peaks rising above wooded valleys and offering stunning views of magnificent rural landscapes - all this natural wealth is located 70 km from the town of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire.
Its name translates as “Brecon Beacons” - because of the series of mountain peaks 700-800 m high, on which the Welsh in ancient times lit fires to warn of enemy attacks. The entire park is divided into 4 regions:
- lonely Black Mountain with high swamps and glacial;
- Forrest Favre – a large forest with picturesque waterfalls;
- The Brecon Beacons are a group that includes Pen y Fan (886m), the highest peak in the park;
- the Black Mountains are ridges overgrown with wastelands.
The Brecon Beacons National Park includes small towns, ancient villages, dilapidated buildings, and Celtic menhirs.
For the sake of green valleys with mountain ponies and sheep grazing on them, mysterious grassy swamps, lakes, streams and waterfalls lost in the forests, secluded caves and gloomy mountain peaks. The Brecon Beacons have hundreds of walking routes ranging in difficulty from leisurely strolls to strenuous climbs. You should definitely purchase a tourist guide map so you don’t get lost and choose for yourself best option. Those interested are offered walking tours, in particular, the “Path of the Lighthouses” tour – a 160-kilometer hike over 8 days along the tops of all the highest mountains.
The park also offers off-road cycling, horse riding, sailing, canoeing, fishing, rock climbing and mountaineering, caving, and hang gliding. You can stay in a hotel, lodge or campsite within the park.
Attractions inside the park
It’s impossible to count them all, but it’s definitely worth a look:
Tourists planning a trip to the Brecon Beacons will be interested in the following:
- Due to its relative remoteness and harsh weather conditions on some of the mountains, the park is used for military training for British Special Forces.
- The park has the status of a dark sky reserve, which means that you can see the stargazing here with the naked eye. There are only seven such places in the whole world.
- Red kites are rare birds that are on the verge of extinction. Gorgeous bright plumage, a forked tail and a wingspan of 2 m - the Brecon Beacons Park is one of the few places in the world where this beauty can be seen up close while birds feed.
- The end of May - beginning of June is marked in one of the towns of the park with the holding of the literary festival “Hay Festival”.
From just an hour you can get to the Brecon Beacons by bus or train to the neighboring towns of Abergavenny, Llandeilo, Llandovery, Merthyr Tydfil, or by car on the M4.
Welsh Reserve Brecon Beacons is located on the territory of four mountain ranges. Also within the protected area, quite significant areas are occupied by sheep pastures.
A cultural site within the reserve is also noteworthy - the beautiful trading town of Brecon.
The western area of the park, called - Forrest Favre, it was here that UNESCO awarded the status of a geopark in 2005.
The Brecon Beacons Nature Reserve itself was created in 1957 in southern Wales on an area of 1,347 km2 (520 mi2). The Brecon Beacons Nature Reserve measures approximately 24 miles from north to south and 45 miles from west to east.
However, this did not become an obstacle to the spread of very, very diverse landscapes within the protected boundaries, among them the most outstanding: mining valleys, bare slopes, limestone hills, forest ravines, caves, places for sheep grazing, etc.
The main part of the park is occupied by heather heaths formed Welsh ponies And sheep.
The best information about the Brecon Beacons Nature Reserve can be found on the walking trail. Offas Dyke, it stretches along the entire eastern border of the reserve, through the Black Mountains. It is within these mountains that the richest and most remarkable landscapes and natural monuments of the Brecon Beacons Nature Reserve are found. Among the local attractions are the highest peak of Won Fach, the ruins of the Llanthony monastery, the river Honddu, the unique church in Patrishow and so on.
Another trail in the Brecon Beacons Nature Reserve has also gained a significant share of popularity - Tuff, it leads to the south of Brecon. The main stops on the Taff Trail tend to be the historic market town of Brecon itself, as well as the self-styled 'gateway to Wales' town of Abergavenny and the slightly eccentric Hay-on-Wye.
The name "Brecon Beacons" refers to a group of six main peaks, (beacons, in local language)- the highest of them is Pen y Feng 886 m (2907 ft).
The name "lighthouse" comes from the ancient practice of lighting fires on mountaintops to warn of attack.
In general, for those who want to conquer Pen y Fan or Corn Du (twin peak), the following should be said. There are many hiking trails in the park, some shorter, others longer.
Other attractions in the national park include Lake Llangorse and Llyn at Fen Fac. The Brecon Beacons are also good for viewing the night sky.
Attractions in Brecon Beacons
In the Brecon Beacons National Park you will find small towns, ancient villages, ruined Welsh castles, ancient Celtic menhirs and relics from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.
Four mountain ranges run through the national park, each with its own archaeological history and distinctive landscapes. To the west of the Brecon Beacons lies the Black Mountain. An area of wild limestone cliffs and magnificent panoramas.
Forest Fawr(Geopark status), a name derived from antiquity and meaning "hunting ground", the area is loved by walkers, has lush vegetation and wonderful waterfalls.
A significant part of the attention of tourists is attracted by local waterfalls, of which there are a great many in the reserve. The most popular local waterfall is Genrgid, 27 meters high.
Abergaveney is a small town in Monmouthshire in south-east Wales at the confluence of the rivers Haveney and Usk, standing on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The strategic importance of this site, which controls the valley between the Black Mountains, was recognized by the Romans, who built the Gobannium fortress here, and the Normans, who erected a castle on the site in the 11th century.
The town that grew up around the castle was attacked repeatedly over the next 500 years. From the 18th century Abergaveney lost its strategic importance and developed only as a trading centre. Nowadays, the city has become an attractive resort and tourist center.
Evidence suggests that the Welsh, or as they are also called, Welsh ponies existed already in 1600 BC. They are believed to have descended from the prehistoric ponies of the Celts. These ponies are native to the rolling hills of North Wales, from which they get their name. The breed began to develop after the invasion of the Romans, who crossed imported eastern horses with short local horses, so now Welsh ponies are distinguished by refined features and a characteristic “Arabian” profile.
You can explore the area on foot, bike or horse, climb the highest peaks or go rafting or canoeing down the river. Lovers of golf or fishing will also find something to do here.
How to get to the Brecon Beacons
Getting to the Brecon Beacons is very easy. There are direct trains from Cardiff to Abergaveney every hour. Traveling from London from Paddington Station takes just 2 hours 10 minutes. Llandovery is at the crossroads of Wales' railway lines, with trains from Llanelli, Swansea and Shrewsbury passing through four times a day.
Regular bus services from National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) and Megabus (www.megabus) connect the Brecon Beacons with Cardiff and each other.
February 14th, 2013
Here's what they look like from his side:
They say that in dry, clear weather you can see Bristol Bay and Cardiff from the tops of the Beacons.
They must be somewhere over the horizon. In the ever-calling haze.
The ridge of Lighthouses is crowned by two peaks - Corn Du (smaller) and Pen y Fan (=Top of the Peak, larger). The climb to the tops itself is steeper.
But the peaks themselves are flat, even if you play football.
The summit of Corn Du (pronounced Corn Di, possibly translated as Black Horn).
But the clouds are blown away from them.
The haze in the center is precisely the cloud blown away from the top.
The northern slope is steep and sharp, with almost regular semicircular amphitheatres. Which makes the views from here even more breathtaking.
Peaks:
The path from the pass is simpler - the trails are clearly visible, the peaks are clear and easy to read on the ground.
From Brecon the path is more difficult, since you will have to enter the paths through pastures.
You need to leave the city over the bridge over the Usk River (the one that is wide) along Bridge str and then turn either onto Bailihelig Road or onto Ffwdgrech Road and straight ahead, keep to the mountains
Near the slopes, it is important to track the beginning of the trail, sometimes marked with an inconspicuous sign.
Further, the main subtlety is that this sign often points not to a gate, but to a stile. And most often you have to guess the next climb, rather than there being clear signs. But by sticking to the mountains you can still find the right path - there are a lot of them there.
After climbing Pen y Fan and crossing to Corn Du, to get to the bus stop at the Storey Arms you need to avoid going straight south along the spur:
And, having descended onto it, turn right (to the southwest), down.
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