Stay : In the footsteps of industrial heritage

For 200 years, the small town of Blaenavon, today so peaceful, was a nerve center of industrial activity in the south of the country. At the World Heritage Site, an exploration of the bowels of the Big Pit, a coal mine, gives an immediate insight into the titanic works that mobilized the combined forces of thousands of miners! Inside the mine, guides - all former miners - explain the structure of the mine and its operation.

The development of transport was one of the levers of the coal and iron industries. Viaducts, canals and railroads linked the mines to the ports from which the raw material was then exported all over the world. Start in Pontypool, at the Griffithstown Railway Museum, where you'll discover an attractive collection of exhibits relating to the life of railwaymen and adorable models of railway tracks, including model locomotives.

Among other things, raw materials were transported from Blaenavon along the Brecon canal to Abergavenny. Stop by the Goytre Wharf visitor center in Abergavenny for maps and suggested routes. This canal, dotted with bridges and aqueducts, is now a popular destination for pleasure barges, ideal for short trips.

In 1830, Merthyr was the largest town in Wales and the iron capital of the world! From the station, board the world's oldest steam locomotive for a splendid journey through the Brecon Beacons National Park. Here you'll see some of the most beautiful man-made lakes in the heart of green valleys, designed to hold back water for power stations. You can then visit the workshops where the locomotives are maintained.

Minerals were shipped from Cornwall and Anglesey to the port of Swansea which then exported them to the four corners of the world. The Waterfront Museum describes the evolution of the port which was the largest coal exporter in the world in the 19th century! Interactive videos and archive displays take you back to the docks' past, revealing both the incredible energy and the darkness and poverty. The commercial activity of the port having attracted many scientific talents, there is also room for discoveries in the fields of medical engineering, optics, navigation... A wing of the museum is also devoted to new advanced technologies. If you're travelling from Merthyr, you might want to drop by the South Wales Miners' Museum on the way. Located in Afan Forest Park, a few kilometres from Port Talbot, the site is surrounded by beautiful valleys, also ideal for a stopover in the countryside!

Head north to the heart of Snowdonia, home to the country's largest slate deposits. The largest slate mine in the world is now closed, but another is still in operation. We'll visit the deep tunnels of Llechwedd Mine where an impressive sound and light system telescopes us into the life of the miners.

The town is home to the National Slate Museum. Built on the site of an old Victorian mine, it brings back to life the history of one of the country's most important quarries. Forges, foundries and sheds can be visited, with period tools restored to their original condition. The deposit is located at the foot of the Elidir mountain, which makes for a pleasant walk to round off the visit. To round off the themed tour in style, we then head to the Electric Mountain visitor center, a few kilometers from Llanberis, from where a bus takes you to visit an absolutely impressive hydroelectric power station. Although primarily associated with heavy industry, Wales is no stranger to new technologies. Set in the heart of an extraordinary natural site, an artificial lake has been created at the foot of a mountain, and a 16-metre-long tunnel dug beneath the power station floor. We travel underground by bus, to discover the gigantic turbines in operation! Considered a global engineering prodigy, the sight of this site in the heart of a mountain landscape is absolutely breathtaking.