Llanberis

The village of Llanberis is magnificently situated at the foot of Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in England and Wales . The founding of the village, however, was not related to its scenic location. Only a short distance away, the slate quarries on Elidir mountain had expanded rapidly, with the need for building materials during the nineteenth century industrial revolution. The workforce of these 'Dinorwic Quarries' grew to over 3000, and Llanberis developed to provide homes for these workers.

The 1897 opening of the Mountain Railway, from Llanberis to the top of Snowdon , resulted in a considerable increase in the number of holiday visitors, and since then the importance of tourism to the local economy has steadily expanded, just as the quarrying activities have steadily declined.

The year 1969 was a major milestone in the history of the village, for in that year the quarries closed down completely, and much land and other property was thereby released for other uses. Much of this was reserved for the enjoyment of visitors, and has since been developed as Padarn Country Park .

Today Llanberis village has a busy high street with a number of interesting shops and a wide range of eating establishments and accommodation providers. Many walks in the mountains start from here and full details are available from our Tourist Information Centre on the High Street.

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