, showing the large waste heaps that dominate the town.]]
is a small town in
North Wales . It has a population of 4,830 (2001 census).
Located in the mountains of
Snowdonia , the town was once a major centre of the
Slate Mining industry. This industry declined during the early
20th Century . The town's economy is now largely dependant on
Tourism . Although the town is in the centre of the
Snowdonia National Park , the boundaries of the Park are specifically arranged to omit the town with its substantial slate waste heaps from the Park.
Blaenau Ffestiniog boasts several major
Tourist Attraction s, including the
Ffestiniog Railway , and also the
Llechwedd Slate Caverns , a former slate mine open to visitors.
The hills around Blaenau Ffestiniog form the watershed between the
River Conwy flowing to the north and the
River Dwyryd flowing to the west.
Blaenau Ffestiniog hosted the
National Eisteddfod in
1898 . It is
Traditionally part of
Merionethshire .
The "official" Welsh pronunciation of Blaenau Ffestiniog (
IPA ) is but the first word is more commonly pronounced by local
Welsh speakers, and variants such as are sometimes heard from English speakers.
At one time the town was the terminus for three separate railway lines, each with its separate station or stations:
Today
Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway Station on the site of the former Great Western station serves as a combined station for the Ffestiniog Railway and the Conwy Valley line, their previous stations being no longer in use.
Blaenau Ffestiniog is on the
A470 Road which runs from the north to the south of Wales. Immediately to the north of the town the road climbs steeply to the
Crimea Pass .
