Wales

Whether your interest is cultural, industrial, geographical or military heritage, you will find every corner of Wales has something new to discover and surprise you in its museums and art galleries.

The diversity of the places waiting to inspire visitors ranges immensely and typically had a strong focus looking at its proud national heritage which is invariably broken down further from a more regional perspective depending on where you visit.

The seven museums which make up National Museum Wales - National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans National Museum of History, National Waterfront Museum, Big Pit National Coal Museum, National Slate Museum, National Wool Museum and the National Roman Legion Museum - are a great starting point as they all preserve, present and promote the culture of Wales in their own distinctive fashion.

One region of the Principality which captures the essence of its unique heritage so well is Ceredigion in West Wales. In particular at Ceredigion Museum, the venue for a proverbial celebration of Welsh heritage and all housed in a beautifully preserved Edwardian theatre described as 'one of the most beautiful museum interiors in Britain'. It is situated in the heart of Aberystwyth near the seafront and explores Ceredigion's heritage, culture and art and traces the history of this fascinating county from across the ages, encompassing farming to food, clothes and transport across a number of valuable collections. Along with its permanent exhibitions which provides a deep the understanding of the history and culture of the county to the community of Ceredigion, this lovely museum is host to a lively events programme and a string of temporary exhibitions which are staged throughout the year.

Also in Aberystwyth is the award winning Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales' largest arts centre and recognised as a 'national flagship for the arts'. This creative home and national arts hub for the people of Aberystwyth, Mid Wales and beyond is also revered as one of Wales' best-known venues. It presents a wide-ranging programme across all art forms including drama, dance, music, visual arts film and new media whilst also being home to the largest community engagement programme in Wales.

Other notable museums to also consider visiting in and around the Ceredigion region include the Welsh Quilt Museum at Lampeter, The Internal Fire Museum of Power at Tan-y-groes near Cardigan and the Borth Station Museum which traces the history of the local railways.