Swansea

Second-largest city in Wales yet often overshadowed by Cardiff, Swansea punches well above its weight when it comes to green spaces and sporting heritage. The city sprawls across seven hills, with more parks per square mile than most Welsh urban centres - and they're proper parks too, not token patches of grass.

Singleton Park Boating Lake sits at the heart of the city's most impressive green space, where families feed ducks while joggers lap the perimeter. Cwmdonkin Park, meanwhile, was Dylan Thomas's childhood playground and still feels wonderfully untouched by modern life. For something completely different, seek out the Cockett Standing Stone - a Bronze Age monument that somehow survived urban development.

The Swansea.com Stadium dominates the southern skyline, home to the Swans and visible from miles around on match days. Football aside, Morris Castle offers a glimpse into the area's medieval past, though it's more ruin than castle these days.

Getting here couldn't be easier - the M4 sweeps right past the city, and trains from London take under four hours. The surrounding Gower Peninsula stretches westward with some of Wales's finest beaches, while the Brecon Beacons rise to the north.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense for exploring both city and countryside. Three Cliffs Bay Holiday Park puts you within striking distance of the Gower's legendary coastline, while Riverside Holiday Park offers easy access to the city centre and beyond. You're perfectly positioned to sample proper Welsh hospitality without the Cardiff crowds.