6 Best Sights in Brecon, Wales

About 5 miles southwest of Brecon you encounter mountains and wild, windswept uplands that are tipped by shafts of golden light when the weather's fine, or fingers of ghostly mist when it's not. This 519-square-mile park is one of Wales's most breathtaking areas, perfect for a hike or scenic drive; it's also one of the world's few accredited International Dark Sky Reserves, which means it's an excellent location for star-gazing. Start at the visitor center on Mynydd Illtyd, a grassy stretch of upland west of the A470. Also known as the Mountain Centre, it's an excellent source of information about the park, including maps and advice on the best routes (guided or self-guided). There's also an excellent tearoom where you can fuel up for the journey or reward yourself with an indulgent slice of cake afterward. If you want to see it all from your car, any road that crosses the Beacons will offer you beautiful views, but the most spectacular is the high and undulating A4069, between Brynamman and Llangadog in the park's western end.

To explore the moorlands on foot, come prepared. Mist and rain descend quickly, and the summits are exposed to high winds.

On the edge of Brecon Beacons National Park, about 30 miles west of Brecon, this decaying clifftop fortress was built in the 12th century, and remains of earlier defenses have been found dating back to the Iron Age. The castle, though a ruin, has a partially intact barbican (fortified outer section) and some inner chambers hewn dramatically from the bedrock. The climb to get there is somewhat punishing—you have to trudge up a steep, grassy hill—but the views of the valley, with its patchwork of green fields framed by the peaks of the Black Mountains, are enough to take away whatever breath you have left. Thankfully, there's a tearoom in the farm below the castle to take a breather after the climb. Kids will love the Longhorn cattle, Welsh Mountain ponies, and sheep on the owners' farm.

Modest on the outside but surprisingly cavernous on the inside, this cathedral stands on the hill above the middle of town. The cathedral was built on the site of an 11th-century priory, which was destroyed during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s. It was rebuilt as a parish church fairly soon after and was remodeled in the 1860s. It became an Anglican Cathedral in 1923. The heritage center does a good job of telling the building's history, and there's also a handy café-bookshop called the Hours. Local choirs perform concerts here regularly; check the website for event listings.

This underground cave system was discovered by two local men in 1912—make that rediscovered, as one of the caves contained 42 human skeletons that had lain undisturbed for around 7,000 years. The main cave system, Dan Yr Ogof (Welsh for "beneath the cave"), is an impressive natural wonder, particularly the Cathedral Cave with natural stone archways and a dramatic waterfall. The whole thing is pitched at kids, with "dramatic" piped music to "enhance" the atmosphere, and a park featuring 200 life-size models of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. There's also a playground, shire horse center, and a Victorian farm where kids can pet the animals. The caves are 17 miles southwest of Brecon.

The military exhibits here span centuries of conflict; some relate to battles in which this famous regiment and its Welsh predecessors participated. There's a vast collection of militaria, which is of interest mostly to fans of military history. The 3,000 or so medals on display include copies of 16 Victoria Crosses (the British equivalent of the Purple Heart) owned by the regiment. The Zulu Room recalls the defense of Rorke's Drift in the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879, an action dramatized in the 1964 film Zulu.

In the colonnaded Shire Hall, built in 1842, this museum stages top-quality exhibitions by leading Welsh artists and holds artifacts of Welsh rural life, including a large collection of carved love spoons. Be sure to check out the perfectly preserved 19th-century law court. Y Gaer is also now a community center for the town and houses its library.