Guarding one of the main routes through Snowdonia, Dolwyddelan Castle was built between about 1210 and 1240 by Llewelyn the Great, probably on the site of an earlier Welsh castle. Unlike many other castles in the area, it began as a stronghold of the native Welsh princes. The castle consisted of a keep and tower joined across the ridge by stone walls. Restored in the Victorian period, Dolwyddelan is a striking landmark. From the castle, there are magnificent views of the Lledr valley.