Dolbadarn Castle, Llanberis, Wales May 18, 2026

Dolbadarn Castle, Llanberis, Wales

Some people chase peaks, others follow lakes. In Wales, the Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park is one stop that quietly combines both—Dolbadarn Castle. Standing beside the serene waters of Llyn Padarn, this 13th-century fortress was built by Llywelyn the Great—Prince of Gwynedd from 1199 to 1240—to guard the route through Llanberis Pass. Built from purple and green slate, the castle was largely assembled using dry stone techniques without mortar, apart from the keep. Its distinctive round tower once stood watch over the valley. History here has its twists. Owain Goch ap Gruffudd, Llywelyn"s nephew, is believed to have been imprisoned inside these walls after a family feud.

© Allan Hartley/Alamy

palette

Today in History

May 18, 2024Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Canada
May 18, 2025Pont St-Pierre across the Garonne River, Toulouse, France

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 23, 2024Madame Sherri Forest, New Hampshire, United States
Apr 3, 2024Rainbow across the Kakshaal Too mountains, Kyrgyzstan
Jul 5, 2025Cize-Bolozon viaduct, France
Feb 9, 2026Amur leopard cat, Russia
Feb 15, 2026Humpback whales, Monterey Bay, California, United States
Nov 22, 2025Monte Sirente, Abruzzo, Italy
Apr 26, 2025Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada
Jul 1, 2024Fisgard Lighthouse, Colwood, British Columbia, Canada
Oct 16, 2024Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England
Dec 5, 2023Castles in the Bavarian Alps
June 4, 2026Snowy egret preening, central Florida, United States
Sep 17, 2025A young bull moose
May 19, 2025Mount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
Oct 22, 2024Palazzo Zuccari, Rome, Italy
Nov 17, 2023Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin, USA
Mar 27, 2025Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis of Athens, Greece
Jun 6, 2025Common pheasant, Normandy, France
Dec 7, 2023Verdon Gorge, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
Apr 26, 2024Kalaloch Tree of Life, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Feb 12, 2026Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Jul 15, 2024Tateishi Park, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Mar 13, 2026Mute swan with chicks in Hesse, Germany
May 18, 2024Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Canada
Mar 3, 2024Leopard in a tree, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Oct 21, 2024Cypress trees in George L. Smith State Park, Georgia, United States
Mar 17, 2024St. Finians Bay, County Kerry, Ireland
Nov 28, 2023Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, Canada
Sep 30, 2024Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
Apr 3, 2026Armbrug bridge, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dec 23, 2024Two red-crowned cranes in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan