Wales - Land of the Red Dragon

Drive through Alsace to Rotterdam. Board a P&O ferry for the crossing to England. On board, restaurants and cafés will take care of your needs (overnight on board).

Disembark in Hull. You cross England to reach Wales. Just before the border, you arrive in Chester, a modern city with medieval charm, featuring striking black-and-white half-timbered houses and a long Roman city wall of red sandstone. The unique two-storey "Rows" are galleried arcades with numerous shops and walkways above, perfect for a leisurely stroll.

Excursion to the small town of Conwy, whose castle is a masterpiece of medieval fortress architecture. You can walk almost the entire way around the historic old town on the well-preserved city walls, and from some of the 22 towers you enjoy fine views of the town, the sea and the surrounding hills. You visit the expansive Bodnant Garden, one of the most beautiful in Great Britain. The upper part consists of terraced gardens, lawns and trees, while the lower part drops steeply into a stream valley and transforms into a splendour of magnolias, camellias and roses.

(Optional excursion) In the morning, visit the impressive Caernarfon Castle. In this stately castle, Charles was named Prince of Wales in a ceremony in 1969. You then climb Wales' highest peak on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. The only cog railway in Great Britain covers around 7.5 km and overcomes a height difference of roughly 1,000 m to just below the summit of Snowdon, which rises to 1,085 m. Along the way, you enjoy breathtaking views of the mountains and lakes of Snowdonia National Park. Continue to Llanberis. The rugged beauty of the Llanberis mountain range and the twin lakes Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris shape the landscape. Slate was originally quarried here, but since the decline of this industry, the village has lived off tourism.

Drive to Portmeirion, a small village in Italianate style, built by an eccentric architect. Alongside its architectural highlights, you can also explore subtropical Victorian pleasure gardens and woodland covering 70 acres, offering wonderful sea views and rich flora. Then follow the Welsh coast to Aberystwyth, whose sheltered position on Cardigan Bay and Victorian seafront promenade make it a popular seaside resort. Via Cardigan, you reach Burton on the banks of the Cleddau Ddu on the south coast of Wales.

The mighty castle of Pembroke was the birthplace of Henry VII, a Welshman and founder of the Tudor dynasty. Pembroke provides the perfect backdrop for any knights' film. In the Middle Ages, St David's was a popular place of pilgrimage, as two pilgrimages to St David's were said to equal one to Rome. In this town of 1,500 inhabitants, you will find the cathedral, well hidden and well sheltered from the Welsh weather in a small stream valley. In the afternoon, take a break on the banks of the magnificent Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, one of the most scenic stretches of coastline in Europe.

In the morning, you explore the Brecon Beacons National Park. With a little luck, you may catch a glimpse of Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in South Wales. The Welsh capital, Cardiff, made a dynamic start to the new millennium. The former industrial port has become Millennium Waterfront, and the city proudly built its new parliament building.

Near Chepstow, you cross the Severn and leave Wales. When you think of England, the Cotswolds probably come to mind first. This region, with its gentle limestone hills, is England like a picture book. You visit Castle Combe, one of the most beautiful villages in Great Britain. Its honey-coloured stone houses, a medieval church and a handful of small shops and cafés make Castle Combe a wonderful place. Passing around London, you reach Harwich for the ferry crossing to the Netherlands (overnight on board).

Return journey from Rotterdam to Switzerland.