Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining community in Wales, in the historic region of Merionethshire, although currently part of the unitary authority of Gwynedd. The population of the area of Ffestiniog was 4,875 according to the 2011 demographics, including the close-by village of Llan Ffestiniog, which makes it the 4th most populated neighborhood in Gwynedd, after Bangor, Caernarfon, and also Llandeiniolen. Llan Ffestiniog's population of 864 places the population of Blaenau itself at around 4,000. Blaenau Ffestiniog went to one time the 2nd largest town in North Wales, behind just Wrexham. After getting to 12,000 at the peak growth of the slate market, the population dropped with the decrease in the demand for its slate. Today the town depends greatly on visitors, that come for destinations that consist of the close-by Ffestiniog Railway as well as Llechwedd Slate Caverns. As the slate industry decreased, the population of Blaenau Ffestiniog has actually also decreased, to 4,875 in 2011. At the same time the tourism industry has ended up being the town's largest employer. The revived Ffestiniog Railway and the Llechwedd Slate Caverns are preferred tourist attractions, as is the Antur Stiniog downhill mountain cycling centre. Current tourist attractions consist of the Zip World Titan zip-line site, which likewise currently features the Bounce Below slate mine task centre.
