Discover Caernarfon
A castle at the foot of the square, walls you walk round, a Roman fort up the road and steam from the quay, on the Menai Strait
Two forts and a square
Caernarfon's name means a fort, and it has had two. Segontium, the Roman one, is laid out in the grass east of the centre; Cadw says the Romans held it from AD 77 to about AD 394. Edward I's castle stands at the foot of Y Maes, and with the town walls it is one part of the UNESCO site it shares with Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris.
Between them is the old town inside the walls, still on its medieval streets: the Black Boy Inn on Northgate Street, Pen Deitsh facing the castle, and the Anglesey on the harbour, built against the outside of the wall with the Menai Strait in front of it. People from here are Cofis, and the Welsh you hear on the Maes is theirs.
Where To Eat
From fine dining to casual favourites
Black Boy Inn
The old inn inside the walls on Northgate Street: walk-in tables, a list at the door.
Palace Vaults (Pen Deitsh)
Pen Deitsh to locals: the Grade II* pub facing the castle on Castle Ditch.
Caffi Maes
A cafe on Y Maes with tables out on the square.
What's On
Upcoming events and things happening in Caernarfon
The Fright Express (Y Trên Brawychus)
An evening Halloween steam run from Caernarfon to Dinas, 28 to 31 October 2026.
Trick or Treat Trail at Castell Caernarfon
A Halloween trail round the castle, 31 October and 1 November 2026, normal admission.
Santa has Lost his Reindeer: a trail at Castell Caernarfon
A Christmas trail for children at the castle, 19 and 20 December 2026.
Galeri Christmas Market
RecurringChristmas market at Galeri on Doc Victoria, Saturday 28 November 2026.