Car Hire Aberystwyth - Mini guide to Aberystwyth

Located in the middle of the west coast of Wales at the mouth of the Ystwyth River, Aberystwth’s sublime collection of ancient ruins, charming buildings, venerable educational institutions, acclaimed museums and picturesque countryside make this rather isolated Welsh town a rewarding holiday destination.

The ruins of the once-formidable concentric-shaped Aberystwyth Castle make an enthralling morning or afternoon outing. Built in 1277, the diamond-shaped Aberystwyth Castle contained two twin-towered gatehouses, a barbican, four gateways, and several round towers placed along the curtain walls. Today, all that remains are parts of the outer ward's curtain and angle-towers and fragments of the inner ward's east and northwest gateways and angle-towers. The most notable relic is a tall tower in the inner ward. Despite its ruinous state, the castle’s magnificent location on the shore subject it to the mercies of the powerful wind and waves of the Atlantic, creating a bleak atmosphere that immediately takes you back to the Middle Ages.

Llanbadarn Fawr's historic church is well worth a stop, as is the National Library of Wales, where many of the greatest literary treasures of Wales and the other Celtic countries are securely stored, including the illuminated "Black Book of Carmarthen", the oldest surviving manuscript written in the Welsh language. The very first college of the University of Wales was established at Aberystwyth, as was the very first Welsh medium Primary School. The University of Wales Aberystwyth now encompasses the College of Librarianship Wales and the Welsh Institute for Rural Studies.

The town has ample comfortable accommodation and excellent restaurants. The nightlife is rather subdued, in keeping with the traditional atmosphere of the town, and is centered round several charming pubs and bars.

Aberystwyth is surrounded on three sides by some of the most glorious countryside in Great Britain -the Plynlimon Mountains and the Rheidol Valley - which you can explore on one of Wales's Great Little Trains: the Vale of Rheidol Railway, not to mention Ceredigion's Heritage Coast and the most concentrated collection of award-winning beaches in the UK.

Birmingham International is the most convenient airport for Aberystwyth, but international visitors need to arrive in London and catch rail services via Birmingham (duration 5 hours). Motorists can reach the town via the A44 through Northern Wales.