Explore the ‘7 Wonders’ of This Overlooked European Gem

It’s no surprise that the Seven Wonders of the World are bucket-list-worthy destinations for globetrotters and dreamers. Tourists spend the night at this five-star hotel to enjoy a luxurious front-row seat to view the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. People flock to the Colosseum in Italy on the first Sunday of the month to see it for free. Or they roam amongst the remains of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, picturing what once stood there thousands of years ago. These iconic attractions are found all over the world, with many people making it their travel goal to visit each one of them. Meanwhile, in Wales, an underrated European country with breathtaking coastline, you don’t need to book flights in every direction to experience the Seven Wonders. This outstanding mountainous paradise, with its coastal plains, historic castles, and rich past, has a list of its own, comprising waterfalls, mountains, towers, and other marvels. The landmarks on the list weren’t designated officially by the government, but by an anonymous poet from the 18th century.

“Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple,

Snowdon’s mountain without its people,

Overton yew trees, St Winefride’s well,

Llangollen bridge and Gresford bells.”

All it took was four lines of rhymes to spotlight these seven cultural sites. The poem does give us a hint about these locations — its unknown author was specifically exploring the northern region of the country. And since Wales is tiny, you can drop by all the places listed in one day, starting from the first wonder mentioned in the poem. However, it’s always smarter to turn it into a weekend-long road trip so you can cross them off one by one, take your time at each attraction, and enjoy the scenery along the way.

You can either visit all the places following the poem’s order or organize a different route to maximize your time. For the latter, start with Pistyll Rhaeadr, then Llangollen Bridge and Overton, with a stop at Wrexham Steeple. From there, head to All Saints Church to see the Gresford Bells, then St. Winefride’s Well, and end it at Snowdon. For the sake of ease, we’ll describe each landmark in the same order as the poem.

Hidden in the Berwyn Mountains is the breathtaking Pistyll Rhaeadr. Dropping down 240 feet, this cascade is the tallest in Wales, located near the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant. You can hike around the area to admire the waterfall from different perspectives before making your way to the second wonder of Wales: Wrexham Steeple. Boasting a height of 130 feet, Wrexham Steeple juts out of St. Giles’ Church, about an hour’s drive from Pistyll Rhaeadr. Unfortunately, we’ll never know why the poet singled out the church’s tower — or why they referred to the tower as a steeple in the first place. The medieval architectural masterpiece is adorned with intricate carvings, and inside, you can ascend the spiral staircase to get a bird’s-eye view of Wrexham’s Georgian and Victorian cityscape.

An hour-and-a-half drive east will get you to Snowdon. At 3,560 feet, Snowdon is not only Wales’ highest mountain but also its most prominent feature. This majestic peak is by no means a secret, but why appreciate it from afar when you can be right in the heart of it? Six different routes guide you to the top of the mountain, and make no mistake — they’re all hard to conquer, so be well prepared if you wish to tackle the climb.