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Castle
Swansea Castle (Castell Abertawe)
Ruined castle founded in 1107, now surrounded by the city centre and cared for by Cadw.
Directions Website Report a problem with Swansea Castle (Castell Abertawe)
A mini guide to
Gower & Swansea (Abertawe)
A waterfront city, Mumbles and the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK
Photos
1 / 10Welcome to the area
A waterfront city, Mumbles and the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK
Swansea (Abertawe) is the second-largest city in Wales and sits on Swansea Bay. Its centre has a Cadw-run castle, the National Waterfront Museum, the Swansea Museum, the largest indoor market in Wales and the Dylan Thomas Centre in the Maritime Quarter. Mumbles, on the western side of the bay, has a Victorian pier, a castle and a lighthouse.
The Gower Peninsula starts at the city's western edge. In 1956 most of it became the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK. It has sandy bays such as Rhossili, Three Cliffs and Oxwich, ruined castles, Neolithic burial chambers and Cefn Bryn, the ridge known as the backbone of Gower.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Museum
National Waterfront Museum (Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau)
Free museum with exhibitions on history and industry, part of Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales.
Directions Website Report a problem with National Waterfront Museum (Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau)
Museum
Swansea Museum
The oldest museum in Wales, opened in 1841 in a Grade II* listed building.
Market
Swansea Indoor Market
The largest indoor market in Wales, under a steel and glass roof in the city centre.
Directions Website Report a problem with Swansea Indoor Market
Arts centre
Dylan Thomas Centre
Grade II* listed arts centre in the Maritime Quarter, dedicated to the poet Dylan Thomas.
Pier
Mumbles Pier
Grade II listed Victorian pleasure pier of 835 feet (255 m), opened in 1898.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Gower & Swansea (Abertawe) and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Take a bus to Gower
Visit Swansea Bay says local buses to Gower and Mumbles leave from Swansea Bus Station, and that Plus Bus tickets are not valid in most of Gower. Check a timetable before you go.
2
Check the tides at Worm's Head
Worm's Head is a tidal headland at the western tip of Gower. Check tide times and local advice before setting out, and allow time to return.
3
Combine the castles
Cadw runs Swansea, Oxwich and Weobley castles; Oystermouth Castle at Mumbles and Pennard Castle above Three Cliffs Bay are also worth a stop.
4
Walk Cefn Bryn
The five-mile ridge of Cefn Bryn runs through the middle of Gower and gives views over the peninsula; Arthur's Stone, a Neolithic burial chamber, sits on it.
Tips from the Britlens editors
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Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Gower & Swansea (Abertawe) (area photo): Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Swansea Castle (Castell Abertawe): Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National Waterfront Museum (Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau): Reading Tom from Reading, UK, CC BY 2.0, source
- Swansea Museum: Jaggery, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Swansea Indoor Market: Robin Drayton, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Dylan Thomas Centre: Ham, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mumbles Pier: Wiccasha, Public domain, source
- Oystermouth Castle (Castell Ystum Llwynarth): No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mumbles Lighthouse: Lilo Lil, CC BY 2.0, source
- Three Cliffs Bay (Bae y Tri Chlogwyn): Keith Lawson 11, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pennard Castle (Castell Pennard): Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Oxwich Castle (Castell Oxwich): Philip Pankhurst, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Weobley Castle: RobinLeicester, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Parc Le Breos Burial Chamber: Jo Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Arthur's Stone: David Tyers, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Rhossili Bay (Bae Rhosili): Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Worm's Head (Pen Pyrod): Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cardiff (Caerdydd) & the Bay: Tevfik Teker, CC BY 3.0, source
- Eryri (Snowdonia): Julian Herzog (Website), CC BY 4.0, source
- Conwy, Llandudno & the North Coast Castles: Source: Llywelyn2000Derivative: User:MathKnight, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pembrokeshire Coast (St Davids & Tenby): Ввласенко, CC BY 4.0, source
- Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons): Dave.Dunford at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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