
A highly impressive Royal Fortress-palace, Caernarfon Castle was designed by Master James of St George during Edward I's reign.
Along with Conwy Castle and Beaumaris Castle, it is part of the World Heritage Site called 'Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd'.

Opening times and admission
March 1st - October 31st open from 9.30 am to 5 pm (and until 6 pm in July and August)
November 1st - February 29th open from 10 am to 4 pm.
Closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day
An Adult entry ticket was £13.70 when I went there, for up-to-date prices, please check their website
Toilets and baby changing facilities are available onsite

How to get there
Address: Castell Caernarfon Castle Ditch, Caernarfon LL55 2AY
A Pay and Display Car park is adjacent to the Castle.
The Castle is a short (5-6 minute walk) from Caernarfon Bus Station
Caernarfon Castle is a 30-minute drive from Conwy Castle (1.5 h via public transport) and a 25-minute drive from Beaumaris Castle (1 hour 10 min via public transport)

After visiting Beaumaris and Conwy, both works of the same military architect - James of St George, I had to visit one of his most impressive works - Caernarfon Castle

Construction for the castle began in 1283 and ended in 1330 even though some parts were not finished.

The entrance is on the North side of the castle, through the King's Gate.
As you walk in, on the left-hand side, going around the walls (clockwise), you will see the Granary Tower, the North-East Tower, the Queen's Gate, the Black Tower and Chamberlain Tower, opposite the entrance (and King's Gate).
On the right-hand side, next to the Chamberlain Tower, you will see the foundations of the Great Hall, the Queen's Tower, the Eagle Tower and the Well Tower as well as a 15m (50ft) deep well.

Caernarfon Castle was used as a place of investiture for the Prince of Wales in 1911 and 1969.

The castle itself was impressive, and so were the views from the towers. If you're able to, please try to climb up to at least one of them, as the views are well worth it, even on a cloudy day.
There is a lift close to the entrance, which will take you to the top of the King's Gate Tower. Before you get there, please check their website to make sure the lift is in use during your visit.

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In some of the towers, there are small displays - military decorations, miniature models, as well as some of the objects used for the investitures.
One of the towers houses the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum. There you will find displayed various objects including uniforms and medals, all accompanied by a significant amount of information.
There is much to see and enjoy at Caernarfon Castle, so please give yourself enough time to explore all the towers, read all the info and perhaps take a break or two as it can get a bit tiring climbing up all those stairs.
I would suggest anything between 1 and a half to 2 and a half hours, depending on how committed you are to exploring everything.

Have you ever been there? If so, I would love to hear about your visit there, in the comment section below.
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