The Taff Trail takes you on a 55-mile journey from the waterfront of Cardiff Bay up to the pretty little market town of Brecon through the heart of Merthyr Tydfil’s historic villages.
The Merthyr Tydfil section of the Taff Trail (National Cycle Network Route 46 & 8) is a 14-mile, mainly traffic-free route, designed for walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders.
Using former tramways, railways, canals and towpaths you can enjoy all that Merthyr (once the iron capital of the world) has to offer. Travelling north through Merthyr Town takes you across the spectacular Grade II listed Cefn Coed Viaduct. You’ll pass through woodlands and nature reserves crossing the historic Pontsarn Viaduct as you climb gently to Pontsticill Reservoir and onwards to Brecon through the National Park. Following Route 8 from Merthyr Tydfil to Brecon Town is a 25 mile (40k) route that takes around 2hrs on a mixture of Asphalt (60%) and loose (40%), and it's 60% traffic-free.
With the heart of the Taff Trail running through Merthyr Tydfil, there's plenty of occasions to stop off for a spot of lunch or explore many of the historic villages and sites that are situated nearby.
The Taff Trail is just a part of the spectacular NCN Route 8, also known as Lôn Las Cymru. It's an exciting long-distance route that will challenge and amaze you as it passes through wild and beautiful Welsh landscapes. The route starts in Cardiff and passes two national parks - Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia, before finishing on the island of Anglesey. It's 243 miles long and takes around 20hrs to complete. Follow the link to the Sustrans website to find maps of the whole route.
Our latest video helps to capture the essence of the majestic Taff Trail.
