Bannau Brycheiniog listed one of the best places in the world to visit
One of Wales’ national parks Bannau Brycheiniog has been named as one of the top places in the world to visit.
The New York Times publishes an annual list of the 52 best places to visit in the world – and the national park was revealed by the leading US newspaper as one of its special places.
The list was put together by the media organisation’s travel desk who researched, discussed and debated a variety of locations whether they be urban or rural.
Coming in at number 18 on the list, the national park was praised for the name-change in April of last year which saw the national park decide to scrap its English name – Brecon Beacons, and officially call it by its Welsh name only – Bannau Brycheiniog, to underline its commitment to Welsh culture, language and heritage.
The name change also came about a response to the climate emergency. In Welsh, Bannau means ‘peaks’ while Brycheiniog is reference to the old kingdom of Wales’ fifth century ruler, Brychan. Its former English name, was a reference to wood-burning, carbon-emitting beacons, which no longer fitted with the park’s eco ethos.
The New York Times praised the national park for the official name change, and for ‘conserving Welsh culture amongst scenic mountains’.
Journalist Susanne Masters wrote: “Reclaiming the name Bannau Brycheiniog for a beloved national park in Wales last year was more than a linguistic change to Welsh from English; it was a shift to spotlight the Welsh culture of the 520-square-mile park, formerly known as Brecon Beacons. The park’s emphasis on the relationship between nature and local culture is also shown in a new logo.
“Instead of the burning brazier of Brecon Beacons, the logo now has an ancient Welsh crown set within a green forest under stars, a reflection of the park’s commitment to a future where planting native trees restores temperate rainforest, the revegetation of peatland captures carbon and the dark sky is protected from light pollution.
“While visiting Bannau Brycheiniog, ‘the peaks of Brychan’s kingdom,’ make use of the park’s public transport and bike rentals, including the Explore Wales Pass for trains and buses, or take in the views by hiking through waterfall country from the village of Pontneddfechan.”
Also included on the list were places such as Maui in Hawaii, Waterford in Ireland and Tasmania in Australia.
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But nobody will visit, because they dont know where it is, but its an insult to name it in Welsh because we know it as its English name, but it will ruin the local economy by changing the name, but its racist against the English language, but nobody will be able to pronounce it. Have I left anything out ( he said with a sneaky grin). After this great news, what will people like Alexander Armstrong have to take the p*$$ out of, and Torys to moan about.
Whats racist about calling a Welsh National Park in Wales by its Welsh name. Get real
Don’t you recognise sarcasm when you read it?
What wrong with calling the park by the name it’s been known as by the people who live in and near the park the majority of whom speak English as their mother tongue.
There’s no doubt that Wales has some of the most stunning landscape on the world. And compared to larger landlocked nations we have such a varied landscape from vast mountain ranges , imposing castles, deep misty valleys, to golden sandy beaches. The beauty of our countryside speaks for itself. But I what I find is that we as a people lack is confidence, confidence to promote our vast history and Wales as a tourist destination, this sadly a throwback to our subjugation, because when you are told you are not good enough you start believing it.
Spot on! You notice how often our people just take crap from others without putting up a fight. Even in the election period all I’ve heard from outside politicians is negative comments about our country, and most of our brothers and sisters just shrug their shoulders. The most positive comments I’ve encountered in the last few months have come from a couple from Chicago who were on holiday and a Basque woman who was attending a conference. They kept saying how lucky we were to live in Cymru (and why do we put up with some of the garbage dumped… Read more »
There is nowhere else in the world that comes close to matching the incredible natural beauty of Cymru, there is certainly no other place I would rather be!
You need to travel more
Agree – Wales is definitely top 10 when it comes to scenery. It’s a mini Switzerland or New Zealand. There is a Streamer from Wales who is a voice actor in Japan and he loved coming back home, claiming although Japan is also beautiful, it just wasn’t the same as Wales!!! Implying he thought Wales was better (in terms of scenery), do I agree? No! But Wales wouldn’t be that far behind Japan.
All good stuff.
Anyone thinking this has clearly never traveled much.
This is coming from the New York Times, not some local rag.
The no doubt over time the name will become normal and familiar. Pen Y Fan is a Welsh name, it doesn’t seem to put non Welsh speaking people off climbing it. The media likes to over-state things and create division; the people who holiday in Llandudno, Rhyl, Harlech or Aberystwyth visit somewhere with a Welsh placename without thinking about the fact it’s not an English name. If English people had a problem with such mountain and hill names they’d have changed their own ones like Pen Y Ghent and Caer Caradoc, among many others. The tacked on excuse of claiming… Read more »
Yes, you’re right. The English have got their own versions of Welsh place names, e.g. : Penny Fan (Pen-y-Fan) Betsy Co Ed (Betws y Coed) Clan Ellie (Llanelli) Sly Ditch (Clydach) False a******e (Ffostrasol) Munt (Mwnt) Both (Borth) Idol (Idole) Soughton (Sychdyn) Llantwit Major (Llan Illtud Fawr)…. That is an insult to the Welsh saint!! The closest they could get to pronouncing Illtud (or Illtyd) was Twit and the people living there haven’t done a thing about it. Shame on them. etc. etc. Having lived nextdoor to Cymru for over a thousand years one would think the English would have… Read more »
That’s a bit complaining that French people don’t also speak German. Most Welsh people, Welsh speakers, would mangle Gaelic placenames. I don’t because I made an effort to learn the rules of pronunciation. I know people from Brynmawr who pronounce Abercynon as “Aber sign-on”, I got laughed at and ‘corrected’ there once for pronouncing it properly. People in Varteg won’t allow the Welsh spelling because everyone locally will pronounce it like flatulence. They’re not worried about English visitors, they don’t have any. I’ve also heard plenty of Welsh people refer to the “Carnedow” while my uncle from Birmingham, who’s never… Read more »