50 Interesting Facts on Wales and Information About Wales For Your Visit!

If you’re looking for interesting facts of Wales, this is the best source for Wales trivia and discovering what is Wales famous for. I’m a Welsh native and love to share my knowledge about interesting facts Wales has with the world!

Read on to find Wales history facts, facts about castles in Wales, and unusual facts about Wales and Welsh culture. All the below are facts about Wales for kids as well as Welsh trivia to prepare for pub/ Welsh fact quiz, and general learning about Wales country.

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Contents

Facts About Wales UK

I have listed all the cool facts about Wales from the Welsh language history, places to visit that are exclusive to the country to famous things about Wales and Wales culture facts. Read on for amazing facts about Wales and please share if you learn something new!

Facts of Wales / Wales History

1. Wales is one of the four countries that make up the UK (the other three being England, Northern Ireland and Scotland).
2. The currency is Pound Sterling / GBP / £.
3. The time zone is GMT.
4. Capital city of Wales is Cardiff. Interesting facts about Cardiff include it has been the capital since 1958 and it’s a multi-cultural city due to the Docks history. Other cities include Bangor, St Davids, Newport, Swansea, and St Asaph. 
5. Wales is a Celtic country along with Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, Isle of Man, and Brittany.
6. The official language of the country is Welsh (which is over 4000 years old) but English is widely spoken.

Facts About Wales You Should Know!

1. There used to be a royal family but Wales is now governed by the British Royal Family and the heir to the throne is titled Prince of Wales.
2. Although Governed by Westminster, Wales does have a devolved Government, The Welsh Assembly, with headquarters at the Senedd in Cardiff. This means Wales has some different laws/legislations such as different Covid rules, Welsh people get grants for University and prescriptions are free in Wales.
3. The Welsh language is quite difficult to learn, it is nowhere near English and made up of 29 letters (e.g. ‘LL’ is one letter and ‘FF’ is one letter).
4. Interesting facts about Wales always include the hard-to-say words such as Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch which is the second longest place name in the world and is found in Wales! Learn how to pronounce it here.
5. The population is around 3 million, which is a small nation but with a mighty passion because …
6. The Welsh people are immensely patriotic!
7. We have the best National Anthem called ‘Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau‘ which translates to ‘Land of My Fathers’. The song is not about war or conquering but celebrating our lush land and people. At football games, the music is cut and the Welsh fans sing the anthem a cappella and it’s moving to hear.
8. Rugby is considered the national sport but in recent years Welsh Football has been doing very well. I don’t think you’ll find a nicer bunch of fans who celebrated hard when Wales came 3rd in Euros 2016.
9. The biggest insult to Welsh people is calling them English!
10. And saying Wales is a place in London or Googling ‘Wales England’. There’s no such thing.
11. Everyone is British but only people from England are English.
12. Also, there’s no such thing as an English passport. It’s a British passport.

Fun Facts About Wales

1. Famous Welsh people include Tom Jones, Katherine Jenkins, Gareth Bale, Shirley Bassey, and Colin Jackson. Actors from Wales include Micheal Sheen, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins. Kylie Minogue and Olivia Newton-John are also part Welsh. 
2. One of the best British TV Sitcoms is set and filmed in Wales called Gavin & Stacey. It’s hilarious and put Barry Island on the map!

Read This Gavin & Stacey Filming Locations Guide!

1. Lots of people in Wales have surnames such as Jones, Jenkins, Davies, Williams, Evans, Hughes and Thomas.
2. Some great literature has derived from Wales such as Roald Dahl, who was born and raised in Cardiff and Dylan Thomas, the most famous Welsh poet from West Wales.
3. Wales has one of the world’s first ‘Book towns’. Hay-on-Wye is a haven for bookworms with over 20 bookshops and home to the Hay Festival of Literature.
4. Harry Potter used a West Wales beach as the site of Dobby’s Grave in the last two films. Read this guide to finding the filming location!

Geography Facts About Wales

1. The highest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, was named after a Welshman, George Everest. The Tibetan name is Chomolungma.
2. There’s also old Welsh folklore and can be explored in places like Betws-Y-Coed, where the waterfall is said to be home to fairies and Beddgelert, the grave of the bravest hound in Welsh history facts.
3. There’s a Welsh-speaking village in Patagonia, Argentina called ‘Y Wladfa’. Welsh people migrated to the area in the 1870’s and has been a Welsh settlement ever since. I would love to visit one day!
4. Tom Jones’s song, The Green, Green Grass of Home was written to describe the country of Wales. It’s truly a beautiful landscape to witness!
5. Wales is home to three National Parks: Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia, and Pembrokeshire Coast.
6. Wales has five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Gower (the very first AONB in the UK), Anglesey, Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, Llyn Peninsula, and Wye Valley.
7. The highest mountain in Wales and England is Mount Snowdon in Snowdonia National Park at 1,085 metres (3,560 ft).
8. A more easier mountain to climb though is called Pen Y Fan in South Wales. This mountain range is used by the SAS selection too!

How To Climb Pen Y Fan At Sunrise!

1. Wales is one of only a few countries in the world to have a continuous coastal footpath stretching its entire length coastline (according to Wales Coast Path website). The Wales Coast Path is 870 miles long!
2. There are 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales: Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd, The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal, and Blaenavon Industrial Landscape.

Learn Other Facts About Wales:

History of Wales Facts

1. The universal symbol for ‘equals’ (=) was invented in the 1500s by a Welsh Mathematician, Robert Recorde, born in Tenby, Pembrokeshire.
2. The National Health Service in the UK (the NHS) was created by Aneurin Bevan, a Welshman who was inspired by his hometown’s care system, the Tredegar Medical Aid Society.
3. Coal plays a huge part in historical facts about Wales. In the late 1800s/early 1900s, Cardiff was the largest Coal Exporter in the world.
4. You can stay in the place where the world’s first £1 million pound deal was signed in Cardiff‘s Coal Exchange. Click here to stay at the Coal Exchange!

Welsh Culture Facts

1. Wales’s national symbols are Leeks and Daffodils. The Welsh names are Cenhinen (leek) and Cehhinen Bedr (daffodil) and have been famous things about Wales since Shakespeare days.
2. Great gifts include interesting things about Wales such as Welsh love spoons, Welsh Slate and Welsh Gold (which the Royal Family still use).
3. Wales has their own Valentines Day called St Dwynwen’s Day on 25th January.
4. The Patron Saint of Wales is St David and St David’s Day is a day of festivities in Wales on 1st March.
5. Although English is spoken, we have our own version of English with our phrases and sayings which are always funny facts about Wales!

Facts About Welsh Food

1. Welsh cakes are the best sweet treats to try. They are a mix of a cookie and a scone, circular shaped with raisins or sultanas and covered with sugar. Best served warm!
2. Other Welsh dishes include Cawl and Glamorgan sausage.

Read More: Ultimate List of Traditional Welsh Food

Interesting Facts of Wales

1. There are a few facts about Welsh castles including the UNESCO site (as above) and that Wales has more castles per square mile than anywhere else in Europe with over 400 castles. Take a dedicated haunted Wales tour including mansion accommodation here.
2. More Welsh facts about Wales is that there are 10 million sheep and many English people use this to mock the Welsh especially on Rugby days.

1. Facts about the Welsh flag include: Wales has the best flag in the world, it has a dragon on it, it was made the flag in 1959, and it does not appear on the Union Jack.
2. The Welsh people are known as being friendly and warm. Facts are facts.
3. You must visit Wales! Find your stay at the capital city here:

Booking.com

Thanks for reading facts about the country Wales! I hope you’ve learned more about my homeland and want to visit!

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