Tourist Attractions in Swansea

Swansea - Art and Culture
The cultural life of Swansea, which counts the eloquent poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) among its sons, is lively, with the theater and the arts well supported. The Swansea Music Festival, the high-point of the town's musical life, takes place every October in the Guildhall, which is decorated with murals by Frank Brangwyn, originally intended for the House of Lords in London. The superior Grand Theatre in Singleton Street has its own company, Brangwyn Hall is mainly used for concerts. During the summer there is a full program of variety shows, dancing, concerts and performances for children in the Patti Pavilion near the Guildhall. The Gower Festival stages smaller concerts in the surrounding churches annually in July.

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Port Talbot
Anyone approaching Port Talbot will probably share the impression of the British historian Roscoe who, while passing through in 1854, wanted to leave "the dirty town of Aberavon" as quickly as possible. An overview of Port Talbot shows a narrow stretch of coast with a bright sandy beach and a narrow bay at the mouth of the Afan, from which a thin densely-populated valley leads inland, steep cliffs falling into the sea, on which rows of houses hang like garlands, all dominated by the smoking chimneys of steelworks and petrochemical factories, and by warehouses, production lines and electricity grids. This bizarre industrial "beauty" seems to smother the town, but it also lends it a provocative fascination. Port Talbot was founded in 1093, shortly after Glamorgan was conquered by the Normans. Aberavon, as the town was initially called, was first documented in the 12th century, and it received its town charter in 1835 through parliamentary decree. In 1921 the settlements of Aberavon and Margam were combined into Port Talbot. Since administrative reforms the town, which in the meantime bore the name Afan, has comprised the town center of Aberavon and the communities of Taibach, Margam. Cwmavon, Baglan and Bryn. In the center, located half-way up a hill, stands the town's oldest church, St Mary's. The new Civic Center, an attractive administrative complex opposite the bulky purpose-built Aberfan Shopping Center, was opened in 1988. Only a short distance away from the pedestrianized area rows of traditional red-brick two-story workers houses line Mansel Street, Ty Drawl Street, Court Lane and Oakwood Street. Functionally built with only austere charm, they offer few exceptional features. More spacious are the houses of the "residential people" of Baglan, situated higher up the hill, where the raised social standing is reflected in the dimensions of the architecture. Visitors to Aberavon's almost 2mi/3km-long sandy beach will find an impressive promenade with many entertainment facilities. The town's most famous son is the actor Richard Burton, who came from the suburb of Pontrhydyfen, near Cwmavon. The house in which he was born bears a plaque inscribed to the Hollywood star and stands on a street corner in the Afan Valley, a few miles from Afan Argoed Country Park.

South Wales - Gower Peninsula
The Mumbles form the gateway to the Gower Peninsula, a limestone massif of great scenic beauty. The charming Welsh south coast has been classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is a nature reserve which, apart from the towns and villages, is only accessible on foot. There are a number of beaches, while Langland and Caswell Bay are popular sandy beaches, particularly popular among surfers. The peninsula boasts a mild oceanic climate and good soil on its chalky clay deposits and is thus ideal for agriculture. This is reflected by, among other things, Rhossili's early potatoes and the growing of a variety of crops in the market gardens around Bishopston and Killay. The formerly independent villages of Newton, Killay and Mumbles have been absorbed into Swansea to form a connected area of settlement.

Swansea - Maritime Quarter
An attractive quarter has developed around the modern yacht harbor of Swansea, which offers 600 moorings. In addition to the Dylan Thomas Theatre, the quay is lined with small fishermen's pubs and hotels. Working traditional looms can be seen in the industrial and marine museum housed in the Abbey woolen mill, as can part of the former Mumbles railroad and museum ships such as the former lightship "Helwick" and the 500 ton cutter "Katie Ann". Swansea's long sandy beach offers good water sports facilities. from the Mumbles Pier the White Funnel Fleet operates boat trips, particularly to the attractive Mumbles.

Swansea – Market
Whenever Wales' largest market is held in Swansea, the whole town throbs with visitors, who discover at the brightly-colored stalls all manner of agricultural products, including varieties of strong Welsh cheese, mussels from nearby Burry Bay, and laver bread, made from seaweed, which is served with oatmeal. Wide Kingsway lies at the heart of the town center, while the main shopping streets are Union Street, Oxford Street, High Street, Princess Way and Portland Street. There are few historic buildings, the remains of the castle are buried behind modern buildings and only in Castle Street and Castle Lane can medieval masonry still be seen.

Swansea – Mumbles
The Mumbles comprises a wide bay with a long promenade, piers, cafes, restaurants and numerous entertainment facilities, and is a popular destination for the inhabitants of Swansea.

How to reach Swansea

By Road :
By Car

From London : Take the M4 into Wales through Newport and Cardiff, proceeding on the motorway to Swansea. At Junction 42 leave the motorway and proceed into Swansea on the A483.

From the West : From the M4, take Junction 47 onto the A483 into Swansea.

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