Conwy is a true one-off. Well-preserved ancient walls, the most intact in Europe, enclose a town of narrow cobbled streets, nooks and crannies chock-full of historic buildings. And that’s just the half of it.

The walls radiate out from a gritty, dark-stoned castle that, even after all these years, still preserves an authentic medieval atmosphere – and still has the power to dominate and intimidate.

Conwy Castle, a World Heritage Site, was a key part of the ‘iron ring’ of fortresses built around Snowdonia in the 13th century by Edward I to contain the Welsh. The views from the battlements, with the mountains of Snowdonia one way, the Conwy Estuary the other, are stunning. And it’s from here that the entire town comes into perspective, ringed by a circuit of walls over three-quarters of a mile long and guarded by no less than 22 towers.

A Conwy ‘must-do’ is a walk along these walls, before venturing into the streets below to visit places like Aberconwy House (a rare 14th-century merchant’s dwelling), Plas Mawr (the UK’s best-preserved Elizabethan town house) and the dinky Smallest House (see if you can fit inside). And complete your history lesson by calling into Conwy’s Tourist Information Centre to see the flagship exhibition that tells the story of the Princes of Gwynedd.

Other attractions include the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art and Thomas Telford’s Suspension Bridge. Maritime Conwy lives on along the quay – especially when the summer River Festival is in full nautical swing. And back in town there’s a unique mix of shops to delight and entice – everything from award-winning butchers to trendy boutiques and galleries.