Capel Curig in Snowdonia National Park

© Sebastian Wasek/Sime/eStock Phot

Snowdonia turns 70

These windswept uplands and jagged peaks surround the small village of Capel Curig in the heart of Snowdonia National Park. Renowned for its rugged, mountainous landscape, Snowdonia is the largest national park in Wales and home to over 26,000 people and even more sheep - which outnumber people three to one in Wales. About 60% of the park’s population speak Welsh, one of Europe’s oldest languages, and today they will be wishing this spectacular setting a ‘pen-blwydd hapus’ (happy birthday) as Snowdonia celebrates its 70th anniversary.

Established on 18 October, 1951, Snowdonia boasts nine mountain ranges that cover just over half the park’s 823 square miles. Its most popular peak is Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh), the tallest mountain in Wales and England, which you can see in the background of our photo. At 3,560ft (1,085m), Snowdon is one of 15 mountains within the park that top 3,000ft, and they're clustered closely enough together to make it possible to reach all 15 summits within 24 hours, a challenge known as the Welsh 3000s.