Places to visit! Southern Wales Attractions

Cwmcarn Forest offers the best of the South Wales outdoor world- there are both beautiful, quiet woodsand sweeping, open mountain views. It's a testament to just how much can be done to restore a former industrial landscape. If it weren't for the historical information provided there, visitors would never know that the area was once heavily mined.

You'll also find a family-friendly cafe, excellent camping facilities, and a gift shop.

Although there are walking trails and even scenic drives in Cwmcarn Forest, it's most popular with cyclists and mountain bikers. There are a range of trails to suit all abilties and inclinations. Young children can ride in safety in some places, but expert mountain bikers rate the Twrch Trail as one of the best and most challenging MTB tracks in the area.

Cwmcarn woods skirt around one of the best lookouts in the area, and no visit is complete without making the short walk up to the top of Twmbarlwm. The remains of an old hill fort provide stunning views- on a good day it's possible to see Newport, Cwmbran, the edges of Cardiff, and many towns further north to the edge of the Brecon Beacons. The River Usk, the Bristol Channel, and the Severn Bridges are all visible.

Summer may be the most popular time to enjoy the beautiful outdoor parks that are dotted around South Wales, but forest areas like Cwmcarn are also gorgeous in spring, when the bluebells come out, and in the autumn, as the leaves begin to change colour. The winter snow and ice bring their own kind of scene, but the roads do sometimes close in poor driving conditions.

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