The tiny UK village facing the cost of Europe’s ‘most beautiful’ waterfall

As more people find out about the waterfall, the number of visitors has turned into a rush, causing heavy traffic in a nearby village.

Big crowds are arriving to see a waterfall that’s now been called one of the “most famous” in Europe, and it’s making life difficult for locals.

The 120-foot drop at Aber Falls has been a favourite spot for visitors since the 1700s, but social media has made it even more popular, leading to huge numbers of people turning up.

Now, the small road that leads to the waterfall is so busy that the nearby village of Abergwyngregyn in Snowdonia (Eryri in Welsh) can come to a standstill.

People living there say they sometimes can’t even leave their homes in the village, which once belonged to the last native prince of Wales.

The waterfall, also called Rhaeadr Fawr (which means “big waterfall”), is now ranked as the 10th most popular in Europe. That puts it in the same group as some of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland. Another one in north Wales, Horseshoe Falls in Llangollen, came 12th.

Even celebrities are fans of the site. Last year, model and TV star Christine McGuinness said it was “the most magical, beautiful thing I have ever seen” after visiting during BBC’s Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales.

Because it’s only a mile from the A55, the waterfall is easy to reach. A small road runs through Abergwyngregyn to the Aber National Nature Reserve, where there are paid car parks managed by Eryri National Park and Natural Resources Wales.

When it gets really busy, traffic can back up from the village all the way to the dual carriageway. Gwynedd council says it understands the problems and has spoken with local groups to find answers.

However, the council also said that finding a good solution won’t be simple.

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