Europe > United Kingdom > Wales > Crickhowell
Crickhowell is a small market town in the Usk Valley, tucked under the Black Mountains in Bannau Brycheiniog, the Brecon Beacons National Park. It is not a town of grand monuments, but it has the rare Welsh combination that makes a spare day feel well spent: a handsome centre, a river bridge, castle remains, good independent shops, and a mountain rising straight above town.
The hill gives Crickhowell its name. Crug Hywel, usually called Table Mountain in English, is an Iron Age hillfort and a natural balcony over the Usk Valley. Down in town, the 18th-century Crickhowell Bridge and the remains of Crickhowell Castle give the place enough history to reward a wander before or after a walk.
This is still partly gateway territory, so be honest with your expectations. Crickhowell is strongest if you like towns where the landscape is part of the street scene: browse the centre, cross the bridge, climb the hill if the weather is clear, and use the town as a gentle base rather than a checklist of attractions.