North Wales village paying price for waterfall amongst 'most famous' in Europe
Also known as Aber Falls, the 120ft cascade and its surrounding area have been popular tourist destinations since the Romantic Period in the 18th and 19th centuries. As the waterfall gathers increasing attention on social media, the flow of people wanting to see it has turned into a stampede.
An access road to the falls have now become so busy that the nearby village of Abergwyngregyn can become traffic gridlocked at peak times. Residents complain of being trapped in their homes, unable to leave a village that was home to the last native prince of Wales.
In terms of popularity, the waterfall was ranked 10th in Europe, placing it alongside some of Iceland's iconic cascades. Another North Wales waterfall to feature prominently in the study was Horseshoe Falls on the River Dee in Llangollen, Denbighshire, which was placed 12th.
To arrive at its findings, German travel provider SpaDreams analysed 219 European waterfalls. Search volumes were aggregated from Google, Bing, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and TikTok.
The Hamburg-based company said waterfalls have long held a certain allure. 'Anyone who has ever stood in front of a waterfall knows its magic: the hypnotic roar of the water, the caress of the spray on the face, the feeling of being in touch with the pure energy of nature,' it said.
With a total search volume of 202,330, Rhaeadr Fawr is not the biggest waterfall in Wales but it's regarded as one of the most impressive. Billed as a 'must-visit' attraction, with scenic walks, it's within easy reach of families from Liverpool and Manchester wanting a day out.
The waterfall has attracted celebrity endorsements too: last year model and TV personality Christine McGuiness described it as 'the most magical, beautiful thing I have ever seen' after visiting it on BBC's Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales.
As it lies just a mile from the A55, the waterfall is easily accessible. A narrow road winds through Abergwyngregyn up to Aber National Nature Reserve where ticketed car parks are run by Eryri National Park and Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
At busy times, villagers say queuing traffic can snake back all the way to the dual-carriageway.
Cyngor Gwynedd is sympathetic to the issues and has met representatives to discuss solutions. But it said there are 'no easy fixes'.
In the past, Horseshoe Falls (search volume 166,020) has also faced illegal and inconsiderate parking, though enforcement has helped ease the issues.
According to the SpaDreams study, Europe's highest profile waterfall is Rhine Falls in Switzerland (search volume 674,250). One of the Continent's biggest falls, spanning 150 metres, it sees up to 600,000 liters of water per second plunge over a 23-metre drop.
In third spot was 165-metre Marmore Falls, Italy, the world's largest man-made waterfall having been created by the Romans.
Otherwise, seven of the top nine were waterfalls in Iceland, crowned by the majestic Skógafoss (search volume 551,950). Cascading from more than 60 metres, it creates an imposing curtain of water that creates large, rainbow-forming mist clouds.
Other Welsh waterfalls to feature in the European list were Swallow Falls near Betws-y-Coed, Conwy (search volume: 62,660, 36th place) and Henrhyd Falls in Bannau Brycheiniog (search volume: 62,660, 44th place).
One of the tallest in Wales, Pistyll Rhaeadr in the Berwyn Mountains, was ranked 60th with a search voume of 33,120. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
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