From Wikitravel

Bala [1] is a small picturesque town located near the shores of Lake Bala (Welsh: Llyn Tegid) in Gwynedd, North Wales. It lies at the south-eastern edge of the Snowdonia National Park.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By Road

Bala lies on the main A494 Mold - Dolgellau road, just a few miles south of its junction with the A5 London - Holyhead trunk road.

[edit] By Bus

Bala is served by Traws Cambria[2] service X94, Wrexham - Barmouth. Connections with services from South Wales and North-West Wales can be made at Dolgellau.

[edit] By Train

Bala is not connected to the national rail network. The nearest connections are at Wrexham or Blaenau Ffestiniog. The Bala Lake Railway[3] makes the 9 mile journey to the village of Llanuwchllyn at the southern end of Bala Lake. This follows part of the route of the old Ruabon - Barmouth line, which was closed in the 1960s.

[edit] Get around

[edit] Talk

According to the 2001 census, Bala ranked 11th most Welsh-speaking town in the country, with 80.1% of the town's population able to speak the language fluently. As with anywhere in Wales, visitors will encounter no problems conversing in English, though a "Bore da" (Good morning) or "Diolch" (thank-you) will always be appreciated.

[edit][add listing] See

• Bala Tourist Office, Penllyn, Pensarn Road. Tel:+44 1678 521-021. Fax+44 1678 521-021.
• The National Eisteddfod of Wales[4] has been held in Bala on two previous occasions, and will visit the town again in 2009. An Eisteddfod is a traditional festival of literature, music and performance, conducted in the Welsh language.

[edit][add listing] Do

Canolfan Tryweryn - The National Whitewater Centre[5], Frongoch, Bala. Tel: 01678 521083. White-water rafting and canoeing on the River Tryweryn. The flow of water in the river is governed by a dam controlling the flow of water from Llyn Celyn reservoir, meaning that conditions in the water are predictable - though this does not make the experience any less exhilarating once you are actually on the river!

For a more sedate water-borne experience, it is possible to hire rowboats, canoes and sailing dinghys on Bala Lake.

Aran Fawddwy, at the southern end of Bala Lake, is the highest mountain in the old county of Meirionydd (Merionethshire, the southern part of the modern county of Gwynedd). Bala is the main centre for walking in both the Aran and Arenig mountain ranges, which are considerably less frequented by walkers than Cadair Idris to the south or the ranges around Snowdon in the north of Snowdonia, and can therefore offer a peaceful days walk.

Angling/Fishing It is possible to fish Bala Lake from a boat or from the shore. River Angling is also available in the area.

The Bala Lake Railway[6] makes the 9 mile journey to the village of Llanuwchllyn at the southern end of Bala Lake. This follows part of the route of the old Ruabon - Barmouth line, which was closed in the 1960s.

Look out for Tegi, Bala's answer to the Loch Ness Monster, which is said to inhabit the deep waters of Bala Lake. Visitors can make up their own minds as to the likelihood of her existence. The lake does actually house a genuinely (scientifically verified) unique creature - the Gwyniad (Coregonus pennantii), a freshwater fish of the salmon family. The Gwyniad is native only to Bala Lake and until recently existed nowhere else in the World. A project to introduce it to another nearby lake has recently been undertaken, to mitigate the risk of it's extinction should some tragedy (pollution or similar) befall Bala Lake.

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit][add listing] Eat

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[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Bala Backpackers' Hostel, 32 Tegid Street, Tel:+44 1678 521-700. [7]

[edit] Get out

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