Bangor, cathedral city, Gwynedd county, historic county of Caernarvonshire, northwestern Wales. It commands the northern entrance to the Menai Strait, the narrow strip of water separating the Isle of Anglesey from the mainland. Bangor Cathedral is dedicated to the Celtic St. Deiniol, who founded a church there in the 6th century; the community was a leading centre of Celtic Christianity.

Bangor, which grew up beside a Norman castle (few traces of which remain), is notable mainly as a cultural centre. It has the University College of North Wales (1884), a group of denominational theological colleges, and a museum of Welsh antiquities. Port Penrhyn nearby grew as an outlet for slates from the quarries near Bethesda. Penrhyn Castle, northeast of Bangor, is a modern copy, in Penmon marble, of a Norman castle

Visit the iconic Pontio, a venue for theatre productions, film, music, circus, dance and other innovative performing arts. And don’t miss dramatic Penrhyn Castle, the National Trust mansion set in beautiful grounds on the outskirts of town, and nearby GreenWood Family Park, a popular family attraction.