A POWYS tourist attraction has been named among the top 10 destinations in the world to walk to improve mental health.
The Brecon Beacons came in sixth in a study of national parks with visitors experiencing a mental health boost and reduced stress and anxiety.
According to a YouGov survey by The Mental Health Organisation, 73 per cent of UK adults said that connecting with nature has been important in terms of managing their mental health, 70 per cent agreed that being close to nature improves their mood, and 49 per cent said being close to nature helps them to cope with stress.
Zion National Park.
The team at YESSS Electrical, creators and suppliers of sensory light tool Visualite, studied the most popular national parks across the globe to reveal which are the most calming to visit.
Researchers measured the heart rates of participants a total of 2,118 times, across the 66 most popular national parks across the globe to reveal the areas that create the largest calming effect.
The Peak District in the UK comes out on top with 71.1bpm with California's Joshua Tree National Park second with 736bpm, just ahead of The Broads National Park in Norfolk with 73.7bpm.
Tierra del fuego.
Next is the Tierra del Fuego in Argentina with 74bpm, Zion National Park in Utah, USA and Brecon Beacons with 74bpm.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is home to some of the most amazing scenery in Wales, with stunning reservoirs, high mountains and waterfalls.
It covers a large 520 square miles with he highest point of the Brecon Beacons National Park at Pen y Fan at 886 metres.
The Brecon Beacons National Park provides a range of different trails for walkers, runners and cyclists, perfect for those who love the outdoors.
As an International Dark Sky Reserve, the park is great for those who love star gazing. There are around 3.4 million day visits to the national park, per year.
The Hollywood Blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises, was filmed at the Henrhyd Falls, the tallest waterfall within the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
The Beacons are joined by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales with 74bpm with the latter called the second top coastal destination in the world by The Geographic Traveller Magazine.
The top 10 is completed by Durmitor in Montenegro with 74.2bpm the South Downs National Park in England with 74.4bpm and Snowdonia with 74.6bpm.
The National Park of Snowdonia is home to Wales’ highest mountain, Snowdon, reaching a staggering 3,560ft. Around 10 million people visit The National Park of Snowdonia per year.
Snowdonia National Park.
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