Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons): majestic, dramatic, unique

The park falls naturally into four geographic areas. These are (from west to east): Mynydd Du (the Black Mountain), Fforest Fawr, the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains (Y Mynyddoedd Duon). These all have different characters, making the park unique in offering such varied walking experiences.

Mynydd Du has some of the remotest upland wilderness in England and Wales. This is the area to choose when you really want to get away from it all.

The most impressive summits of Bannau Sir Gaer are found in the northern part of the upland massif. The peaks of Picws Du, Fan Foel and Fan Brycheiniog tower majestically above the glacial lakes of Llyn y Fan Fach and Llyn y Fan Fawr.

To the south is a featureless wilderness incised by the beginnings of the Afon Twrch, Gwys Fawr, Afon Giedd and Afon Haffes. Ancient bridleways run from south to north and are known as the coffin routes as they were used to transport the bodies of men back from the industrial towns of the Twrch and Tawe valleys to their rural homes around Llanddeusant.

In contrast, Fforest Fawr (the Great Forest), a former royal hunting ground, has both friendly upland walks and deeply incised river gorges and waterfalls to rival any in the UK. Sgwd is Welsh for waterfall and comes from the verb ysgwd, which means to toss or fling.

This is the clue you need for discovering just how many waterfalls are concentrated into this compact geographical area allowing them to be all visited in one good day on foot.

This is widely recognised as the finest waterfall walk in Britain and, although it is not strenuous in terms of ascents or descents, the distance covered at 18km is considerable and the ground may be rough and slippery so that progress is slow.

There are at least 15 falls in all along the rivers of the Mellte, Hepste and Nedd Fechan with the largest, Henrhyd, lying just to the west on a tributary of the River Tawe.

TheBrecon Beacons are the highest summits in the park, with Pen y Fan falling just short of the 3000ft threshold. Although this area lacks the challenges of the narrow rocky ridges of the Lake District and Eryri (Snowdonia), it does provide opportunities for a real mountain expedition in exciting winter conditions.

The high summits are best approached from the north via the four glacial-cut valleys and their five ridges. The most impressive of these is Cwm Sere, the valley that leads into the amphitheatre created by the north-east face of Pen y Fan and the north-west face of Cribyn.

Finally, the Black Mountains, on the English border, have a softer feel to them, without the coarse and rugged Welshness of Mynydd Du. Llanthony Abbey in the Vale of Ewyas is a great starting point for the walk that takes in the ridges on either side of the valley and has the bonus of an inn within the Abbey buildings.

There is a plethora of things to see and activities for visitors of all ages and tastes, making the park a great place for families to visit. Favourite attractions for children include the Dan-yr-Ogof Show Caves in the Swansea Valley, the Brecon Mountain Railway at Penderyn and the Big Pit National Coal Museum near Blaenavon.

Picturesque market towns lie on the edges of the park, such as Llandovery, Brecon, Crickhowell and Abergavenny, and are also great places to explore.

The National Park is a day trip from Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol and the Midlands and an ideal short-break destination from London, only 200km (120 miles) away. There are excellent rail and motorway links with the rest of the UK and Cardiff International Airport is just over an hour from the park.

The park has accommodation to suit all pockets, from grand country hotels to secluded campsites. Tourist information can be found at Brecon Beacons National Park. The main towns that are good bases for walking holidays are Brecon, Crickhowell and Abergavenny, which all lie in the picturesque Usk Valley.