market town, historic and present county of Denbighshire, Wales, in the valley of the River Dee. It is the home of the International Musical eisteddfod (festival), held there since 1947 to promote international goodwill, and it also has a thriving tourist trade, located as it is on a main route into the mountains of North Wales. Historic local features include Valle Crucis Abbey (established c. 1200), Eliseg's Pillar (a remarkable 9th-century stone cross), Castell-Dinas-Bran (a 13th-century Welsh prince's stronghold gateway), and a 14th-century bridge across the Dee. Pop. (2001) 3,412.