Llanberis. Llanberis takes its name from, an early Welsh saint. It is twinned with the Italian town of in Lombardy. The ruins of Castle, which were painted by Richard Wilson and J. M. W. Turner, stand above the village. The 13th century fortress was built by the Great and is a grade I listed building. The church of St is grade II* listed, as is the chapel of. In the 18th century was the home of the legendary strong woman. According to the United Kingdom Census 2011, the population of was 1,844, with 74.7% of those aged 3 years and over able to speak Welsh, compared to 61.6% across Anglesey according to the Annual Population Survey. Places of interest in and near the village include the Snowdon Mountain Railway, the National Slate Museum, the Lake Railway, country park and Electric Mountain. Tours of Power Station are also available from a purpose-built visitor centre. The village is a common starting point for ascents of Snowdon because the Path begins in the village. Although it is the longest route, it is the least strenuous route to the summit, largely following the line of the Snowdon Mountain Railway. This makes it the most popular walking route on the mountain. Castle, a fortification built by the Welsh prince the Great during the early 13th century, is located at the base of the Pass. The castle was important both militarily and as a symbol of's power and authority. It castle features a large stone keep, which historian Richard Avent considers the finest surviving example of a Welsh round tower. In 1284 was taken by Edward I of England, who removed some of its timbers to build his new castle at. was used as a manor house for some years, before falling into ruin. In the 18th and 19th century it was a popular destination for painters interested in Sublime and Picturesque landscapes. It is now owned by and managed as a tourist attraction, and is protected as a grade I listed building. Mountain Rescue Team deals with 150-200 incidents a year and is one of the busiest mountain rescue teams in the country. The team is run entirely by volunteers who rely solely on donations from the public for funding. Mountain Film Festival, which is held in annually in February, began in 2004. It was placed on hiatus in 2019 due to a lack of funding. It is the home of the Slateman Triathlon which runs in early summer each year. It attracts over 2,000 triathletes and many more spectators over two days. It is a mountain triathlon which begins in, follows on the bike up to, and finishes with a run in the Snowdonian mountains. It is also the start and finish of the Snowdonia Marathon. Former operator Padarn Bus, which went into receivership in 2014, was based in the town and ran several routes to it, including a number of open-top routes. Another local bus company, Express Motors, based in, ran services to but had its bus licence revoked in 2017. The village used to be served by railway station on a branch line of the Carnarvonshire Railway. Passenger services ceased in 1932; freight continued until closure in 1964. The heritage Snowdon Mountain Railway and Lake Railway both have stations in the town, but serve primarily as tourist attractions rather than local transport links.
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