We love a good waterfall walk in Wales, especially one that can be reached by a heritage steam railway. Located a short hop from Aberystwyth , Devil's Bridge is a relatively small area, but here you'll find stacked bridges, the boutique Hafod Hotel, artisan chocolate and a rather vigorous waterfall trail. Board the Vale of Rheidol Railway train from Aberystwyth and slowly journey through the countryside to reach the Devil's Bridge Waterfalls, a world-famous tourist attraction in Devil's Bridge village, or Pontarfynach in Welsh, which means ‘The bridge on the Mynach’. These cascading waterfalls have attracted visitors since the 18th century, including William Wordsworth, who wrote about the “Torrent at the Devil’s Bridge”. Devil's Bridge and the surrounding area have also featured extensively in the exciting television detective series Hinterland , filmed in both Welsh and English. Today, the Waterfalls Nature Trails allow curious hikers to see this beautiful natural feature in the Rheidol Gorge. While you can drive to Devils Bridge, the best way to reach these falls is by taking the train from Aberystwyth on the popular Vale of Rheidol. This narrow-gauge heritage railway offers a fun steam train experience in retro carriages. The track follows the contours of the countryside and takes you through some remarkable scenery at a leisurely pace. This log-serving railway has been in operation for 122 years, having first opened back in 1902. The original primary purpose of the line was to carry timber (for pit props in the south Wales valleys) and lead ore from the Rheidol Valley to the sea and the mainline railway at Aberystwyth. These days, it's a unique tourist rail experience in the Cambrian Mountains that offers superb views of the Welsh countryside. The 12-mile journey takes one hour in each direction and runs in either direction from Devils Bridge to Aberystwyth through Welsh woodlands, fields and meadows. There are a few stops along the route, all immaculately kept with signage proudly displaying names like Glanyrafon, Capel Bangor , Nantyronen, Aberffrwd, and Rhiwfron. Around 40 minutes in the journey, the carriage climbs and winds to a height of 680ft above sea level, showcasing a huge drop into the valley below and revealing an epic view of the Afon Rheidol in all its splendour as it opens up into the Cwm Rheidol Reservoir. Once you arrive at the Devil's Bridge station, a short walk takes you down to the main part of the village, which was once part of the Hafod Estate and owned by 18th-century MP Thomas Johnes, who built a small hunting lodge, which has been expanded and upgraded to become the swish Hafod Hotel. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What’s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here After exploring the small village, head to the Devil's Bridge Waterfalls. This popular, paid-for attraction has a turnstile entrance, and you can pay the on-site attendants or by cash or card through the turnstiles. There are two walks to choose from: the shorter Punchbowl walk and the longer Nature Trail . You can see the famous 'three bridges' from both and the spectacular waterfalls if you take the Nature Trail walk, which takes about 45 minutes and is a circular walk. If you're up for a trekking challenge, I highly recommend exploring the Nature Trail to see the waterfalls. Traverse the 675 steep, uneven natural stone steps as you follow in the footsteps of monks and towards the spectacular 300 ft waterfalls deep within the Rheidol gorge. The start of this woodland walk features a brilliant view of three bridges stacked one on top of the other, standing high above the rushing Mynach and Rheidol streams. According to local legend, the ‘Devil’s Bridge’ is said to have been constructed by the Devil himself. According to local folklore, Lucifer constructed the bridge for a little old lady in exchange for her soul, or the soul of the first person to cross. The wily old gal outwits the Devil by having a dog (sometimes it's a cow in other tellings) go over the bridge, thus becoming the first ‘being’ to cross the new bridge, do doubt enraging the dark lord. While we love a good yarn in Wales, it's likely the bridge was actually constructed in the 12th century by the monks of Strata Florida on the route to Ysbyty Cynfyn. The second bridge was built in 1753, and the top bridge was put in place in 1901. Continuing from the bridge, follow the path through the ancient oak woodland deep down into the Rheidol gorge. At the halfway point, there is a viewing gazebo from where you can enjoy views of the 300ft Mynach waterfalls. According to Visit Wales, technically, Devil's Bridge waterfalls can be classified as segmented or tiered falls with five major drops and intervening cascades which add up to a 91 m total drop, and therefore are among the highest in Wales. Leading onwards and further down the gorge, the path and steps get steeper. The last run of downward steps consists of ‘Jacobs’ Ladder,’ with a flight of 100 steps in one run. Once you have descended Jacobs’ Ladder you will cross over the ‘humped bridge’. You should now be halfway around the walk, but you'll need to ascend to the other side of the gorge to get back. Up the steps are views of the Mynach waterfalls, and there are stopping places where you can rest and enjoy the view. After your hike, why not have lunch in the Hafod Hotel, mere steps away from Devil’s Bridge waterfalls and near Sarah Bunton's chocolate shop, which is packed with Sarah's artisan chocolate and sweet treats. Book a table at their charming Bar and Brasserie, the dishes are rather delicious and feature lots of lovely Welsh produce. Typical menu offerings include local rainbow trout, Welsh Ale Battered Haddock, Welsh Rarebit Quiche, Welsh sirloin steak and the towering Devil’s beast burger. You can then ride the Vale of Rheidol train back to Aberystwyth, rest your weary legs, and reflect on how lucky we are in Wales to have such magnificent natural features and charming villages. Find out more information here .