It looks like the Amalfi Coast: it's a unique place in the UK inspired by Italy
Once upon a time, there was a small Welsh village that evokes fairy tales with the joyful colors of the Mediterranean. Its creator: Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, an architect who clearly drew his inspiration from the aesthetics and ambiance of the villages of the Amalfi Coast in the 1920s.
Stepping into this village is like experiencing colorful and fragrant Italian street scenes. The houses are painted in pastel or vibrant shades like ochre, pink, red, or blue, and the tropical gardens are perfectly landscaped, a characteristic feature of the coastal towns of Italy's capital.
To discover this wonder, head to the village of Portmeirion, located in North Wales on a peninsula jutting into the Dwyryd estuary. The village, which took 50 years to build, is entirely pedestrianized and organized around a central square, creating a convivial space like an Italian "piazze," surrounded by ornamental gardens and fountains.
And you won't believe your eyes when you enter its gardens: there are exotic plants like palm trees, tea trees from Australia, lantern trees from Chile, but also magnificent camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons. These plant species grow here thanks to the specific microclimate of the estuary.
The village is a mix of styles ranging from Baroque, Palladian (an architectural style originating from Veneto during the Renaissance), and Italianate (a 19th-century architectural style of English origin inspired by Italian Renaissance architecture). Everything is reminiscent of Italy: there are ornate facades, loggias, porticoes, and even bell towers.
On the web, Internet users are full of praise for the village: It's very reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast . A pleasant walk along the water to return to the village , says one Tripadvisor user. Unique, breathtaking, unusual, friendly, it's definitely worth the detour , says another.
The only downside is that you have to pay to get there, although the entrance fee will cost less than a trip to Italy, especially for the English: expect to pay around £20 per adult, £17.50 for seniors and students, and £13 for children aged 5 to 15. While booking online is recommended in the summer, entry is also paid at the toll booth. Note that the village is free for those staying in one of the two hotels in the village (the Hotel Portmeirion with magnificent views of the estuary created by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis himself, or the Castell Deudraeth, a neo-Gothic castle) or booking a meal in their gourmet restaurants.
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