During our last days as Bangor students, we decided to seize the day and take some last glances at landmarks we missed/did not necessarily see during our previous 9 months in the country. One of the first stops on this last-minute tourist mission was at Caernarfon Castle.

Yes, the name is a mouthful yet isn’t even as Welsh as these names get. The castle was located in the city of Caernarfon, approximately 20 minutes away from Bangor by bus. I know, I know, a CASTLE 20 minutes away? When does have ever happen to us Canadians?! Every castle in England, it seems, has spent more time on English soil (or even triple or quadruple the time) than any of our ancestors had ever spent on Canadian soil.

This castle was one of the two super close to the university campus, the first being Beaumaris, which I will blog about in the future. With thick stone bricks hundreds of feet high, this World Heritage Site fit in perfectly with the old townscape surrounding the castle and the gloomy weather. We first went up to the highest watchtower closest to the water, to get some breathtaking views of the surrounding coastline:

Next, we explored more of the inside of the castle. Emily channeled her inner evil queen as she pondered while looking out one of the many glass windows….

From the watchtowers, you could see the inside of the castle grounds, as well as the surronding town square (with the dramatic filter setting turned “on” for my camera, of course)!

Finally, we figured the trip wouldn’t be complete without one inside the castle grounds (taken for our mothers mostly, but also to say we set foot in yet another castle)!

Definitely an interesting – and inexpensive must-see if you ever make your way out around the North Wales coastline! On a scale of Buckingham palace to Hogwarts, I give this one a solid 8.34/10.

Note: this post is a recapture from when I studied abroad for the year during 2013-2014. It was rewritten to enhance the included media and writing quality for this blog. The original post can be found here.