The daffodils are up, the Hay Festival brochure is released, and the season is slowly turning. Hay Festival is of course a highlight of the year, but there is so much more to this town than the festival and the bookshops. Nestling in a beautiful landscape in the Brecon Beacons National Park, or Bannau Brycheiniog as it is now called, Hay is a walker’s paradise any time of year. You can take a gentle stroll along the river Wye, stretch a bit further into the surrounding hills, or push your limits with a hike in the Black Mountains or further.
There is also a brilliant resource called Walk Hay, run by Sarah Price. You can join guided walks of any type, or even have a bespoke walk organised for you. If you don’t have the greatest map reading skills, or are short of time, or perhaps have special needs, this is the place to go to ensure an interesting walk, or a memorable walking holiday. Having lived here for three years now we have barely scratched the surface of the huge network of footpaths in the area. The wild landscape was a big factor in our move here. Whenever we are returning from a trip away from Hay, we are always slightly amazed that we actually live here. If you haven’t visited Hay, put it on your list – at the top!
