Aberystwyth is a university town on the west coast of Wales, perched between the sea and some of the finest countryside in Britain. The name is famously hard for English speakers to pronounce — roughly "ab-er-IST-with" — but the town itself is disarmingly easy to like.
The presence of Aberystwyth University gives the place an energy and bohemian streak that you don't often find in Welsh market towns. There's a lively bar scene, good cafes, and an independent bookshop culture that punches well above its size. Out of term the pace drops, but the town never feels sleepy.
The setting is striking: Cardigan Bay stretches to the west, the Cambrian Mountains rise to the east, and the Rheidol Valley cuts inland toward some spectacular upland scenery. The Heritage Coast of Ceredigion runs north and south, with a string of award-winning beaches within easy reach. The Vale of Rheidol Narrow Gauge Steam Railway runs 12 miles up the valley to Devil's Bridge — a trip that doubles as one of the best days out in mid-Wales.
Historically, Aberystwyth has been a place of Welsh cultural significance well beyond its modest size. The National Library of Wales houses the oldest surviving manuscript in the Welsh language. The Old College — originally built as a failed hotel and converted into the first University of Wales campus — stands on the seafront as one of the most dramatic Gothic Revival buildings on the Welsh coast. The Aberystwyth Castle ruins and the Electric Cliff Railway up Constitution Hill complete the main attractions.