The imposing Lake Vyrnwy Hotel stands proud against the backdrop of the Berwyn Mountains in North Wales, reflecting the bright blue skies in the waters of the lake itself.

But don't for one minute be lulled into the belief that this sylvan scene is a panorama of natural splendour. It's not.

The lake, some six miles long, was once a river running through the parish of Llanwyddyn in Montgomeryshire.

In 1877, a visiting engineer had a brainwave to dam the river in its beautiful setting and create a lake containing 10,000 million gallons of water to supply Merseyside's expanding population.

The hotel, built soon after the giant reservoir's completion, stands in a remarkable position 200 feet above the lake itself and, to my mind, commands one of the finest outlooks in the British Isles.

Today it is fast becoming the spiritual home for stressed-out city types keen to immerse themselves in a dozen activities absolutely guaranteed to get you seriously muddy and wet - all at the same time.

Yet, after a hectic day quad-biking or exploring, you step into the dining room and relax over steaming plates of delicious, freshly-cooked ingredients.

Pheasant, duck, grouse and rabbit are available, according to the season, and, as the hotel has exclusive fishing rights to the lake, you can even make believe you landed one of the plump brown or rainbow trout on your plate!

Alternatively, you can have a robust portion of belt-busting bangers and mash at the hotel's Tavern Bar for just £5.50p a head.

However, if you wish to shoot our feathered friends with a camera, the surrounding mountains are home to peregrine falcons, buzzards sparrow hawks and red kites.

But, as I discovered, sport is certainly not compulsory. Like me, many of the hotel guests simply wanted to unwind,

chill out and view the glorious changing scenery.

One of my best experiences during my break was waking up in my lake-view bedroom to the muted tones of Vivaldi piped indoors as swifts dipped and circled outside.

And I contemplated that I shared the same views as the King and Queen of Siam who spent two years at the hotel with their family during the Second World War - a real Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

Away from the tranquility, I went in search of something really electrifying First Hydro's Electric Mountain Visitor Centre, set on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park at Llanberis. The split-level complex is crowded with interactive displays and models and really lives up to its promise of providing 400,000 volts of educational fun entirely free.

The centre offers an illuminating insight into how the power feeds into the national grid system and transmits across the whole of England and Wales.

And from here, you can patch into a guided tour around Dinorwig Power Station which ends with plumbing the depths of the ancient Elidir Mountain's dark and imposing labyrinth of tunnels to see one of man's greatest engineering achievements.

However, for something really different, visit the exciting city of Chester that offers a pastiche of fascinating history linked to sophisticated shopping.

The De Vere St. David's Park Hotel, just a couple of miles away at Ewloe, or the Holiday Inn at Cheshire Oaks, recently reopened after a £4.5 million refurbishment, offer reasonably priced short-break packages.

For something really luxurious, you could stay in the Holiday Inn's super new penthouse with stunning country and river views and an opportunity to visit the award-winning Blue Planet Aquarium.

For more information on North Wales, including accommodation, and destinations to visit, click on the website: www.visitwales.com or phone 08701-211-251.

For booking inquiries at the

Lake Vyrnwy Hotel call: 01691-870692, or log on to their website at: www.lakevyrnwy.com For details of holiday and short break packages at De Vere St. David's Park Hotel, Ewloe, near Chester, call: 01244-520800.

Information, including special family room and penthouse suite prices at Holiday Inn, Cheshire Oaks, is available by calling 0151-356-8111.

February 13, 2003 12:01