Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (Llanfair PG for short) is a small, quiet town on the island ofAnglesey off the northwest coast ofNorth Wales, famous for having the longest place name in Europe. Apart from its name, it is similar to other nearby villages.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (llan-vire-pooll-gwin-gill-gore-ger-ih-queern-drorb-ooll-llandy-silio-gore-gore-goch), usually shortened toLlanfair-pwll orLlanfairpwllgwyngyll, is a Welsh word that translates roughly as "St Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near a Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the Red Cave".
The name was coined as a publicity gimmick in the 1860s by linking the names ofLlanfairpwllgwyngyll ("St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel"), the nearby hamlet ofLlantysilio Gogogoch ("the church of St Tysilio of the red cave"), and thechwyrn drobwll ("rapid whirlpool") between them.
Locals refer to the village asLlanfair, or asLlanfair PG (pronounced roughly "Hlan-var Pee Gee"), to distinguish it from other places in Wales called "Llanfair(something)". Although typed as 58 characters, it is only 50 letters, because in Welshllng andch are treated as single letters.
The village is divided into two sections. The upper village has mostly older residences, while the lower village has newer commercial buildings and the train station.
53.221-4.2091Llanfairpwll railway station is a request stop on the main line betweenHolyhead, where ferries fromIreland berth, andBangor, just across the Menai Strait on the Welsh mainland.
The main route is the A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, which skirts the town. This is the main route from the Welsh mainland across the Britannia Bridge in one direction and from Holyhead in the other. A secondary route is the A5 from Bangor, which crosses the Menai Suspension Bridge to the town ofMenai Bridge and thence to Llanfair.
Walking is recommended.
(updated Jul 2019)
There are many hand craft shops in Llanfairpwll, including Pringles (near the train station). Loads of hand crafted goods.
The other villages ofAnglesey offer similar small-town Welsh character and remote seaside landscapes, including lovely beaches and rugged cliffs.
| Routes through Llanfairpwllgwyngyll |
Follows toHolyhead← | W  E | →Menai Bridge→Bangor |
| Holyhead←Llangefni← | W  E | →Bangor→Llandudno |
| Thiscity travel guide toLlanfairpwllgwyngyllis ausable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but pleasefeel free to improve itby editing the page. |
