Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historical mining town in Wales, in the historic county of Merionethshire, although currently part of the unitary authority of Gwynedd. The population of the community of Ffestiniog was 4,875 according to the 2011 demographics, consisting of the close-by village of Llan Ffestiniog, which makes it the fourth most heavily populated neighborhood in Gwynedd, after Bangor, Caernarfon, and also Llandeiniolen. Llan Ffestiniog's population of 864 puts the population of Blaenau itself at around 4,000. Blaenau Ffestiniog went to one time the 2nd biggest community in North Wales, behind just Wrexham. After reaching 12,000 at the peak growth of the slate sector, the population fell with the decrease in the demand for its slate. Today the town counts greatly on visitors, who come for attractions that consist of the nearby Ffestiniog Railway as well as Llechwedd Slate Caverns. As the slate industry decreased, the population of Blaenau Ffestiniog has actually also declined, to 4,875 in 2011. At the same time the tourist industry has actually become the community's biggest employer. The revived Ffestiniog Railway as well as the Llechwedd Slate Caverns are popular visitor destinations, as is the Antur Stiniog downhill mountain biking centre. Recent tourist attractions include the Zip World Titan zip-line site, which also currently features the Bounce Below slate mine task centre.