Castell Dolbadarn

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Welsh castle and solitary guardian of Eryri's (Snowdonia’s) Llanberis Pass

Occupying a lofty, lonely spot overlooking the waters of Llyn Padarn, native-built Castell Dolbadarn was once a vital link in the defences of the ancient kingdom of Gwynedd. Most likely constructed by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) in the late 12th or early 13th century, it stood watch over the strategic route inland from Caernarfon to the upper Conwy Valley.

Today the site is dominated by the sturdy round tower, very different in style to the unmortared slate slabs which make up the castle’s curtain walls. Standing 50ft/15.2m high, the tower’s design was probably inspired by that of similar fortresses built by Llywelyn’s rivals in the borderlands of the southern Marches.

Opening times & prices

Opening times

1st April - 31st March	Open all year
Open all year — during reasonable daylight hours

Visitor information

Dogs welcome

Dogs on short leads welcome to access ground floor levels of the site.

Pay and Display car park

Local authority paying public car park available across the road from the castle.

Walking difficulty

Terrain: Level 3 — Moderate

Drone policy

Please read our policy information about flying drones at Cadw monuments: read the guidance

No smoking

Smoking is not permitted.

Health & Safety

The site is approximately a 10–25-minute walk from where you park your car along farm tracks, which can be muddy, uneven and slippery during poor weather conditions.

The route up to the monument becomes steeper as you reach the castle. You will be required to follow a natural path to the steps of the castle.

There is historic stone at the base of the steps that lead to the castle entrance. This can be difficult to navigate when wet. A handrail has been provided for use on the main entrance steps, please use and keep away from the outer edges of the steps.

Lighting inside the monument relies upon natural lighting levels and may be dimmer during poor weather. A single ruinous staircase will lead you to the top of the monument, which itself requires access to steps.

Guardrails have been installed to prevent access to any areas of the site that we have deemed as dangerous or to prevent falls in specific areas.

Climbing may result in serious injury.

Please do not climb over or through any fixed installation. This includes the castellations. The castle may be exposed to weather conditions such as high winds, please take this into consideration when planning your journey.

As with all ancient monuments there is always a risk of stones being dislodged in bad weather, however, we manage this through extensive monitoring.

There are several wild plants and flowers, although these are great pollinators, they may be poisonous to visitors and animals, we strongly advise you not to touch or allow dogs to eat any vegetation.

Please watch our health & safety film before visiting Cadw sites.

Iechyd a Diogelwch / Health and Safety

Please report any anti-social behaviour such as climbing, setting fires, graffiti etc. to CadwAccidentsReports@gov.wales