Caernarfon Castle (Gwynedd, Wales)

Built by Edward I from 1283 as the administrative centre for English rule in Wales and symbolic seat of power, Caernarfon Castle boasts polygonal towers, the Eagle Tower with eagle stone carvings, curtain walls, battlements, and the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum inside.

Caernarfon, together with Beaumaris, Conwy,  and Harlech castles—and the fortified towns at Conwy and Caernarfon in Gwynedd, North Wales—are Europe’s premier examples of late 13th- and early 14th-century military architecture, distinguished by their intact layouts, immaculate preservation, clearly organized domestic spaces and remarkable repertoire of medieval architectural forms. Caernarfon is included in a UNESCO World Heritage listing as a result.

Facilities include toilets, baby‑changing, Induction loop, pop‑up and café, shop, guided tours, exhibitions, free Wi‑Fi, and partial wheelchair access to battlements after £5 M restoration in 2023.

Caernarfon Castle was home to the 1969 investiture of Prince Charles—echoing its imperial symbolism. Some historians believe Edward patterned the castle on Constantinople’s imperial walls.

Photo credit: Hefin Owen