Dolgellau

12th-century ruined Cistercian abbey

This lovely old building in the centre of Dolgellau had fallen into disuse after variously being used as a town hall, assembly room, cinema, dancehall and grain store since being built in around 1870. It has been fully refurbished and re-opened as Ty Siamas in June 2007. The centre has an interactive exhibition on Welsh traditional music, as well as a shop and cafe. There is also an auditorium which hosts regular concerts - check websites or local advertising for details. It is named after Elis Siamas, from the nearby village of Llanfachreth. He lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and is credited with the development of the triple harp which is synonymous with Welsh harp music. It is said that he was court harpist for Queen Anne (reigned 1702-1714).

Walk to the summit. Parts of the route are very steep, but once on the shoulder of the mountain, the going is easier. There are several routes, but the closest to Dolgellau takes the so-called Pony Path, and takes about two and a half to three hours to reach the summit.

Dolgellau was at the centre of a "gold rush" in the 19th century and its mines at Clogau and Gwynfynydd were worked on and off right up until the 21st century. You're extremely unlikely to strike it rich but it can be fun trying.

Walk or cycle along the 9-mile stretch of former railway line, that runs along the scenic estuary of the Mawddach river, through Penmaenpool and on to the sea at Morfa Mawddach. From here you can cross the toll bridge to Barmouth.

Walk the 49-km-long circular footpath walk around the Mawddach Estuary.

Follow one of the 6 mountain bike trails in the forest. This was the first UK forest to be developed for mountain biking, and there are a range of tracks to suit everyone from families to expert mountain-bikers.