#22410 Being Bewitched by Portmeirion in Wales, Great Britain

Insisting that a planned community could—and should—be beautiful, eccentric architect Clough Williams-Ellis created fairytale Portmeirion. Hidden away in northern Wales, this little Italianate seaside village surprises you every step of the way: the Victorian Castell Deudraeth, a michelangelesque archway, a piazza with a fountain, lofty bell towers, colonnades, a Gothic pavilion, grottos, golden statues on tall pedestals, a gazebo, odd little balconies, a bandstand, gargoyles, evn a giant Buddha. Surrounding everything are the gardens: flowers in every imaginable colour and tall firs, oaks, willows, a giant sycamore; all of the lushest green. In fact, Portmeirion’s most striking feature is its vibrant colours: bright turquoise, warm lavender, rich persimmon, shimmering cerise, golden honey, all the shades of the desert in midday heat. Portmeirion is pure magic.