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Places to visit

Meandering its way through Victorian spa towns, idyllic villages and sweeping countryside, the Heart of Wales line is one of the most beautiful railways in the United Kingdom. Travelling south from the English Tudor town of Shrewsbury to Swansea, the 120-miles long journey offers a feast of panoramic views, swooping Red Kites, the Radnor Forest and imposing Victorian viaducts.

To give visitors ideas on things to do, the Heart of Wales Line Forum has launched an exciting programme of days out along the route. The booklet, ‘100 Heart of Wales Experiences’, outlines a host of activities for both families and independent travellers alike, including rambles, guided minibus trips to local attractions, food sampling, real ale trails and cookery classes.

Elan Valley Dam Open Day and Scenic Tour: The Forum organises scenic minibus journeys from Builth Road Station along the Wye Valley to the Elan Valley Visitors’ Centre. Passengers are returned to Llandrindod Wells Rail Station for the 15:38 train to Shrewsbury.

Aberglasney: Dating back to 1470, Aberglasney Gardens have been transformed by a restoration strategy with new stonework and new gardens, as well as scores of rare and exciting plants.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales: Features a wealth of vivid and varied plants from all over the world plus the Great Glasshouse, said to be the world's largest single-span glasshouse. It is 95m long and 55m wide while the roof contains 785 panes of glass.

Local Towns: Meanwhile, if you’re looking to browse around the towns along the route then try the following

Knighton: Straddling Offa's Dyke, Knighton features a host of spectacular walks, from the Offa’s Dyke Path to Glyndwr’s Way. The town is also home to the Spaceguard Centre, located at the former Powys Observatory, and offers an outstanding panoramic view through 360 degrees.

Llandrindod Wells: The largest and most famous of the Mid Wales spa towns has finely preserved Victorian architecture. It is also home to the National Cycle Museum that holds a wide range of vehicles from Penny Farthings to Boneshakers.

Llanwrtyd Wells: With Red Kites soaring overhead, this spa town - the smallest in Britain - lies at the edge of the Cambrian Mountains. It also stages one of Wales’ most bizarre events - the annual man-versus-horse race which takes place on June 10.

Cynghordy: Features two of the line’s ‘engineering wonders’ - the 93ft high Cynghordy viaduct, which extends some 650 feet over 18 arched spans, and the 1,000-yard tunnel through the Sugar Loaf Mountain.

Llandovery: Lying in the fertile meadows of the Tywi Valley, this busy market town is a mix of Georgian and Victorian architecture is a far cry from the wild Wales and the tales of Twm Sion Cati, the Welsh Robin Hood, the 16th-century folk hero of these parts.

Find out more at www.visitwales.co.uk