Along the Wales Coast Path

TRAVEL | Britain
Along the
Wales Coast Path
Der walisische Küstenpfad ist einer der spektakulärsten Wanderwege Großbritanniens.
JULIAN EARWAKER hat sich auf der Llŷn-Halbinsel umgesehen und sich von ihrer Landschaft,
Geschichte und ihrem außergewöhnlichen Charakter inspirieren lassen.
The view north along
the Llŷn Peninsula from
the Iron Age fort of
Tre’r Ceiri
14
Spotlight 9|14
The weather forecast for my trip is what the British call
“variable”, which means wind, rain, sun and anything inbetween. But the sun is shining as I start my walk the next
day by the thick granite walls of Saint Beuno’s Church
in Clynnog Fawr. St Beuno was a seventh-century Celtic
missionary and head of the abbey here. I am following in
the footsteps of medieval pilgrims who travelled the long
route to the holy island of Bardsey, which lies off the end
abbey [(Äbi]
lie off [)laI (Qf]
medieval [)medi(i:v&l]
outline [(aUtlaIn]
pilgrimage [(pIlgrImIdZ]
platinum [(plÄtInEm]
treasure [(treZE]
unspoilt [)Vn(spOI&lt]
walled [wO:ld]
Abtei, Kloster
vor etw. liegen
mittelalterlich
Silhouette
Wallfahrt
Platin
Schatz
unberührt, urwüchsig
von einer Stadtmauer umgeben
Fotos: Alamy; J. Earwaker
W
ales has many treasures, but few as special as its
coastline. The Wales Coast Path provides 1,400
kilometres of continuous, unspoilt footpath
around the nation’s edge. The Llŷn is located in the northwest of the country, not far from the famous Snowdonia
National Park. I am here to explore a section that includes
the Llŷn Peninsula, a place of ancient pilgrimage, proud
Welsh culture and dramatic coastal scenery.
My first night is spent in the walled town of Caernarfon, famous for its enormous stone castle. As I enter
a restaurant, I hear the couple in front of me talking in
a language that is not English. When I take my seat, I
realize that many people are speaking in the same tongue
— Welsh. The north-west is the strongest Welsh-speaking
area in the country, with more than 62 per cent able to
read, write and speak the language. After supper, I walk
round the castle walls. The waters of the Menai Strait turn
to platinum in the late evening light as the sun sinks behind the dark outline of the Isle of Anglesey.
A CLOSER LOOK
Snowdonia National Park was named after the most
famous mountain in Wales: Mount Snowdon. At 1,085
metres, it is the highest mountain in Wales and England. Snowdonia was established in 1951 as the very
first national park in Wales and is today among the
most-visited natural areas in Britain. It is known for its
nume­rous pretty villages — 26,000 people live within
the park — and for beautiful panoramas.
A marker post
along the coast
path; one of
many wild orchids
of this nearly 50-kilometre-long peninsula. With a heavy
rucksack on my back and a hilly 19-kilometre hike ahead,
I will be happy to reach my hotel by evening.
I see my first route marker: a blue-and-yellow circle
with a white shell at its centre. I am walking into the sun
and into the wind. Shadows chase each other across the
Irish Sea, which turns from grey to dark blue and green. I
pass stone walls and stone houses with slate roofs. Walking
beside the busy A499, the traffic should be disturbing me.
But my eyes are on the dark outline of Yr Eifl ahead, at
561 metres the highest mountain on the Llŷn Peninsula.
chase [tSeIs]
hike [haIk]
shell [Sel]
slate [sleIt]
jagen
Wanderung
Muschel
Schiefer
Starting point: Caernarfon Castle and harbour