As the River Dee meanders its way across Wales, it passes through the idyllic town of Llangollen, where the locals boast about a climate that receives “more sun than Cornwall and less rain than the Lake District”.

Llangollen has much to offer tourists beyond its favourable climate, with some of Wales’ best-loved countryside surrounding the town, as well as some incredible stories.

The legend of King Arthur is strongly linked to Llangollen, with sites like Craig Arthur (Arthur’s Seat) and Guinevere’s Cross bearing names that suggest Arthur himself may have once lived in Llangollen, evoking images of the heroic adventures of the Knights of the Round Table, amongst other ancient stories.

The scenery around Llangollen is certainly fit for a king and makes an ideal setting for adventures both historic and modern. Such is the dramatic beauty and historic significance of the Ruabon and Halkyn Mountains, they have been suggested as the possible site of the Celtic Underworld, or Annwn, known in myth and legend as ‘The Land of the Dead’. The Dee Valley contains more bronze and iron-age burial chambers than anywhere else in the world, leading storytellers to suggest that this was where mythical overlord Gwynn ap Nudd led his pack of supernatural hounds as they escorted the souls of the dead.

Short breaks and longer stays in Llangollen cottages give visitors the chance to enjoy the town’s ancient ruins at the Caer Drewyn hill fort, Dinas Bran Castle and Valle Crucis Abbey, as well as the town’s many shops, cafes and restaurants.