Visiting Adelaide

Australia is rightly on the travel agenda of many who suffer from wanderlust. The appeal of travelling halfway around the world and getting to know the country, people and culture on another continent is often immeasurable. To visit Australia once in a lifetime – yes, that is the wish of every travel enthusiast. Adelaide is often one of the stops that should not be missed. What makes South Australia’s capital so unique is already apparent at first glance.

Balm for the soul – Adelaide is cozy

Just one look at the pictures says more than a thousand words. These colours, this architecture – it quickly becomes clear: Adelaide has an extraordinary flair. If you ask residents why they chose this city in particular, the answers are clear: “It is one of the most comfortable cities in the whole of Australia .” It is not uncommon to see tourists and locals riding through the streets on city bikes because you can even borrow them here for free. The bike tours usually end in one of the countless parks that surround Adelaide’s city centre. But even though it seems as if everything here is in harmony with one another, the city is divided into two districts. The names Adelaide Inner City and North Adelaide are not uncommon.

Discover Adelaide’s city centre

While North Adelaide boasts quaint pubs, traditional restaurants and bars, the inner city is on everyone’s lips because of one feature: North Terrace. If you want to get an idea of the city and make your first attempts to discover something here and there, North Terrace is the perfect place to start. A wide variety of museums and numerous sights are lined up here. From the Old and New Parliament to casinos and the Art Gallery of South Australia, you will find everything here that makes the city what it is today. Pure culture awaits you here on a grand scale. If you like, you can take part in free city tours offered by the citizens of Adelaide.

The city centre is no less well-known for shopping and strolling. No matter what you are looking for, you can be sure that you will find it here. Rundle Mall is particularly popular for strolling, but the Adelaide Arcade also has a wide range of products on offer. A visit to the Central Market, the oldest market in Adelaide, is also a must. Although it may seem like an extreme sensory overload at first, you will soon feel like you are in paradise. Fruit and vegetables almost steal the show from each other regarding freshness and smell, and regional products are sold to men and women. This is more or less how I imagine the land of milk and honey!

But Adelaide isn’t just a paradise for shopping. Its restaurants, bars and clubs are just as hip and modern as the city itself! So it’s no wonder that vegan and gluten-free dishes are not a foreign concept here and can be found on most menus. The bigger problem is deciding where to sit with so many restaurants. As soon as your stomach starts growling, you’re spoiled for choice – everything looks so tempting. My tip: you’re on holiday, so treat yourself! Just eat more often and perhaps smaller meals a day, so you can visit one restaurant after the other. It might cost a bit, but it’s worth it!

A little journey through time in Port Adelaide

If you want to catch a glimpse of Adelaide’s past, we recommend a visit to Port Adelaide. These beautiful buildings you can admire mostly date back to the 19th century. But to really soak up the nostalgia, classic, rustic pubs invite you to take a seat. So if you come to Port directly from the city centre, it will feel like a little journey back in time. But if you really want to top off your day, a little kayak trip on the Port River is a must. Or maybe you don’t like dolphins…? As you leisurely sail along the Port River, you’re sure to see one or two dolphins.

Take a deep breath of nature

You’re slowly realizing that a day trip to Adelaide would be a shame; after all, there is so much to discover and enjoy here. This is also the case in the Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills. What’s special about this park? Here, visitors and animals alike can move around freely and sniff each other, just like on a safari. Well, you shouldn’t take sniffing literally; after all, wild animals living in the wild are not without danger. But you should take a snapshot of the cute koalas home with you!

And you should also treat yourself to a few relaxing hours on the beach when you visit South Australia. My absolute favourite is Grange Beach because you can find both beach cafes and quaint pubs in the immediate vicinity. This makes you feel like you’re not just a visitor but part of Adelaide.

Festivals and events in Adelaide

When you visit Adelaide, you definitely can’t miss the many festivals and events this city offers. There really is always something going on here! The cultural offering is particularly huge. It’s practically impossible to give a brief overview of Adelaide’s events, but I’ve picked out a few of my favourites for you.

This year’s Adelaide Fringe will take place from February 17th to March 19th, 2017. Anyone can register their own self-organized exhibition or event, making the Fringe one of the most diverse festivals. New ideas, spontaneity and fun, are the focus here! Then, in March, comes WOMA Delaide. WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance, and this name is also the program of the popular outdoor festival. The line-up is as diverse as the audience.

Also in March is the Adelaide Festival, which brings international theatre productions, musicians, well-known writers and much more to the stage. Other highlights for the rest of the year include the SALA (= South Australian Living Artists) Festival in August, the Film Festival in October and Ozasia, which celebrates international art with a focus on Asia.

What is particularly great about Adelaide is the cultural offerings for children and families. Come Out, in which schools and families are involved, encourages many children and young people to get involved in the arts and is unparalleled in its form anywhere in the world.

In addition to art and culture, Adelaide also celebrates its culinary side with numerous wine tastings, the Adelaide Beer and BBQ Festival and many other events that take place regularly.

And there’s plenty of sport going on in South Australia too! The Santos Tour Down Under around the capital is Australia’s biggest cycle race. Australia’s biggest motorsport event, the Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar Championship, is also based in Adelaide.

Travel to Australia

When I think back to my trip to Adelaide, I just can’t stop raving about it. So if you ever want to travel to Australia, you have to promise me you’ll make a detour to Adelaide. It’s best to do a round trip because you should see as much as possible there when you’re on the other side of the world. The renowned airline Qatar Airways, for example, flies to Adelaide using the world’s most modern aircraft, the A350. Thanks to the comfort and first-class service, the quite long journey time literally flies by so that you can set off to explore Australia straight away after landing. So what are you waiting for? In my travel calendar, you can find all the information about the best time to travel to Australia.