The top Welsh festival: The Eisteddfod 2010

if you have grown used to travelling abroad during the summer for your vacactions, you might be interested in something more 'local'. Look west to a small country, with its own charm and unique culture.

Anyone considering weekend breaks in Wales or looking for things to do in Wales would be well served by a visit to the biggest annual Welsh language and cultural festival – The National Eisteddfod. Alternating venues between north and south Wales, during the first weeks of August 2010 it will be held in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent and then in Wrexham in 2011.

The National Eisteddfod the largest cultural festival of its kind in Europe and a key event in the Welsh calendar. Events are conducted mainly in the Welsh language as it is a celebration of the nation's culture, although many events are conducted in English and attract visitor numbers in excess of 150,000. If you are not a Welsh speaker it is not a problem, and you will still receive a warm welcome and, if necessary, a translation kit.

You don't need to have a wide knowlede of the language, it is possible to absorb the rich offerings of music, dance and crafts. The main field where most of the events take place is known as the Maes and the main pavilion is the hub of the festival where the music, dance, poetry and recitation competitions are held. These include the Crowning (best work in free verse), Daniel Owen memorial prize (best unpublished Welsh novel), the Prose Medal, and the Chairing of the winning poet.

There are also theatre, arts and crafts exhibitions, a literature pavilion, an area for Welsh learners to hone their language skills and plenty of plenty of food and drink. Or travel a little further afield and experience some of the first class restaurants in Wales that are nearby. There are evening entertainments galore as part of the Eisteddfod including plays, concerts, comedy shows and performances by local groups. If you are looking for music groups whilst on a weekend break, there are lots of gigs in both Welsh and English in the main pavilion and nearby venues.