Beddgelert
is situated at the foot of Mount Snowdon in Gwynedd North
Wales. It is a 
lovely
little village in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park at the confluence
of the Afon Colwyn and the Afon Glaslyn. The A4085 road from Caernarfon
meets the A498 Porthmadog to Betws-y-Coed road at Beddgelert - so there
is no shortage of day trip destinations.
But you don't need to travel far afield to enjoy
a holiday in Beddgelert. There are beautiful riverside walks, along
the Glaslyn and the Colwyn rivers, or down the dramatic Aberglaslyn
Pass, an area of tumultuous river running between steep wooded hills.
The Cwm Bychan hill walk offers views over Llyn Dinas, Moel Hebog, and
the Glaslyn estuary. And a walk to the top of Snowdon offers even more
splendid views over the National Park. While a short walk along the
A498 leads to two of Wales' most beautiful lakes Llyn Gwynant and Llyn
Dinas.
Mountain Biking is
becoming ever more popular and the bikers are well catered for in Beddgelert
with a number of mountain bike trails in the Beddgelert forest at the
foot of Mount Snowdon. Mountain Bike hire is available at the start
of the trails.
The village, though small, has a church, cafe and tea garden,
a riverside restaurant, ice cream parlour (that also makes Pizzas!),
a village shop, Post Office, gift shops, craft shops, a Bistro, and 2
pubs..oh and it is a several times winner of the Wales in Bloom competition.
But Beddgelert is probably most famous for the legend of Gelert, Prince
Llywelyn's faithful hound. Gelert's 
grave is to found in the field alongside
the River Glaslyn. An inscription on the grave reads thus :
"In the 13th century Llywelyn, Prince of North Wales, had a palace
at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without Gelert, "The Faithful
Hound", who was unaccountably absent.
On Llywelyn's return the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang
to meet his master. The prince alarmed hastened to find his son, and saw the
infant's cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood.
The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound's side, thinking it had killed
his heir. The dog's dying yell was answered by a child's cry.
Llewelyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but near by lay the body of
a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain.
The prince filled with remorse is said never to have smiled again. He buried
Gelert here".
