About Bangor

Bangor, Gwynedd

Bangor is a small but beautiful city in North Wales that thrives from the university and the students coming to study there. It lies between the Irish Sea, the peninsula Anglesey, and the national park Eryri, so the views are breathtaking all around. The fact that Bangor is basically made of two hillsides with the city centre in the valley between makes for many great views but also means that everyday life includes a lot of workouts there ;)

I stayed in Ffriddoedd, one of the campus villages. It is on the same hill as the Main Arts building where most of my courses were held. The Main Arts building is always worth the trip with its Hogwarts-like style, endless corridors to get lost in, and its beautiful library that everyone finds excuses to spend more time in. 

In the valley, Bangor has a long High Street with lots of shops, bars, and cute cafés. A fifteen-minute walk down to the coast from there lies the pier, where families and students spend their afternoons drinking hot chocolate while looking at the mountains and sea. 

In my four months in Bangor, I went on quite a few walks around the area (whenever the rain and storms stopped, of course). There, I got to see Bangor from the impressive Menai Bridge and the beautiful hills at Roman Camp and next to St Mary’s Village, where you can catch beautiful sunrises and sunsets and meet the local dogwalkers who still stop to take in the view.

However, Bangor is more than its stunning landscape. It also has extensive nightlife, many cafés, and places to spend the afternoon in. Another highlight is the Arts and Innovation Centre Pontio, where you can catch film screenings or live performances of plays, musicals and much more. With the free uni societies on top, it is very difficult to get bored. And whenever I needed a break, I only took a ten-minute walk to be able to stop and take a deep breath while looking over the mountains of Eryri. 

Generally, life in North Wales (including signs around town etc.) is bilingual in Welsh and English. There is no need to learn Welsh to manage your life. However, just learning a few simple phrases or taking a free Welsh course at Uni is very much appreciated. I can only recommend using this opportunity to learn some Welsh while you are there. If you have not done so beforehand, make sure to attend a walking tour or history event in the welcoming weeks.