Wales

“Do you know where Wales is? Most people in the world have no idea. It is a peninsula standing at the heart of the British Isles, on the western flank of England facing Ireland.”

-- Jan Morris

One of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, Wales (“Cymru” in Welsh) is officially bilingual (around a quarter of the population still speaks the ancient Celtic language) and has a distinctive literary tradition and culture. South Wales was heavily industrialized during the 19th century, and today, it remains the most populous part of the country. The rest of Wales is mountainous, extremely picturesque and a walker’s paradise. The immense Caernarfon Castle, built in 1283 by English King Edward I, is one of the most spectacular fortresses in Europe.