Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon Castle was begun by Edward I in 1283 as a seat for his eldest son, Edward of Caernarfon, the first Prince of Wales. The power and might of the throne is symbolized by the great stone eagles on the Eagle Tower and the layout of the castle walls and towers, which calls to mind the Roman wall at Constantinople. The massive building with its 13 towers and two gates belongs to the most impressive and externally best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. It occupies the site of an earlier Norman castle, washed by the waters of the River Seiont and the Menai Strait, while on the landward side it is protected by a moat. The building of the castle took almost 37 years: the Eagle Tower, Queen's Tower and Chamberlain Tower were built between 1285 and 1291, the Black Tower and Queen's Gate 1295-1301, the rest of the structure 1315-22. The castle has had an eventful history and withstood many sieges; more recently, it was the scene of Prince Charles's investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969, an event marked by a special exhibition.

Audio-visual programs are presented in the Eagle Tower. The Queen's Tower houses the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Regimental Museum.