Are there still parts of Wales where Welsh is the primary language? As in, if I walk into a shop/restaurant/etc, the shopkeeper will greet me in Welsh, presume that I speak Welsh, etc? Or is it mostly kept alive in family environments and community groups where it's a "safer space"?
This is a map of people who understand spoken Welsh, according to the 2021 census. As you can see, it's mostly northwest Wales that has the strongest concentration of Welsh speakers!
Gwynedd and Ynys Môn are your best bets for finding strong communities of Welsh; I genuinely don't think I've ever heard any English being spoken in Llanuwchllyn, which is located in that dark green spot. Towns and villages like Bala, Caernarfon, Llanrug, Bethesda, Llangefni and Penygroes are all particularly associated with a high percentage of Welsh speakers, and all of those can be found in Gwynedd or Ynys Môn.
But that isn't to say the Welsh language isn't present and thriving in other areas! Machynlleth, Rhuthun, Crymych, Llambed, Abertawe, Aberystwyth, Dinbych, Wrecsam - there are pockets of us everywhere; you just need to know where to look (usually in pubs).
However, I will say that this map really drives home the importance of having spaces to celebrate and support the Welsh language outside of the classroom (which unfortunately causes a lot of people to have a negative association with the language due to the general state of education in Wales).
Our two travelling festivals - Eisteddfod Genedlaethol in August and Eisteddfod yr Urdd in May - are absolutely invaluable. They pop up for a week in different parts of Wales every year, and it's incredible to be surrounded by the Welsh language for a solid week. Growing up, my family would use it as a chance to basically organise a massive extended family holiday and spend the entire week there in our neighbouring caravans!
As luck would have it, the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol in Pembrokeshire starts TOMORROW! So if you live nearby or fancy a roadtrip, I really, really, really recommend a visit.
While it goes without saying that this is a festival celebrating the Welsh language, this doesn't mean it's exclusive to fluent or native speakers only - anyone and everyone with an interest in Wales is not just invited to attend, but hugely encouraged to do so!
There are competitions and events specifically for Welsh learners, and Maes D is an area dedicated to those learning Welsh as a new language.
But yeah; the older I get (and the more time I spend in the lighter green parts of Wales!), the more I appreciate events like yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol and Eisteddfod yr Urdd.
