Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining town in Wales, in the historic county of Merionethshire, although now part of the unitary authority of Gwynedd. The population of the community of Ffestiniog was 4,875 according to the 2011 demographics, including the nearby town of Llan Ffestiniog, that makes it the 4th most populous area in Gwynedd, after Bangor, Caernarfon, and also Llandeiniolen. Llan Ffestiniog's population of 864 places the population of Blaenau itself at around 4,000. Blaenau Ffestiniog went to one-time the second biggest town in North Wales, behind just Wrexham. After reaching 12,000 at the peak growth of the slate market, the population fell with the decrease in the need for its slate. Today the community relies heavily on vacationers, that come for destinations that consist of the close-by Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. As the slate industry decreased, the population of Blaenau Ffestiniog has also decreased, to 4,875 in 2011. At the same time the tourism market has come to be the community's biggest company. The restored Ffestiniog Railway as well as the Llechwedd Slate Caverns are preferred vacationer attractions, as is the Antur Stiniog downhill mountain cycling centre. Recent attractions consist of the Zip World Titan zip-line site, which also currently includes the Bounce Below slate mine task centre.