Dolbadarn Castle stands on a rocky promontory at the foot of the Llanberis Pass, its round tower — the finest surviving Welsh tower keep — rising above Llyn Padarn. Built by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (the Great) in the early 13th century, it belongs to a different tradition from Edward I's concentric fortresses: native Welsh architecture, designed for control of the pass rather than colonial domination. Its contrast with Caernarfon, barely 15km away, says everything about the political history of Eryri. This is Experience #42 of the Snowdonia 100.
The Castle
| Built | Early 13th century by Llywelyn the Great |
| Ownership | Cadw (free access — open site) |
| Location | Between Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris, Llanberis |
| Time needed | 30–45 minutes |
The Tower
The round tower at Dolbadarn is three storeys high and still largely intact to wall-head level — a significant survival given the castle's history. Owain Goch ap Gruffudd, brother of Llywelyn the Last, was imprisoned here for twenty years by his own brother. The castle later fell into the hands of Edward I, who used its timbers to build Caernarfon. The tower was painted by Turner in 1799 and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1800 — one of the paintings that made Eryri fashionable as a landscape destination.
The View
From Dolbadarn's tower the Llanberis Pass opens to the southeast, with Yr Wyddfa at its head. The Dinorwig Quarry terraces rise above to the north. Llyn Padarn stretches west below the castle. The view gives an immediate sense of why the site was chosen: control of the pass and the lake, the two most important strategic features of this part of the valley.
Experience #42 of 100 — Heritage category.
Independently written — Snowdon.com