Adelaide - The Cultural and Festival City

Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and lies at Gulf St Vincent and the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges. With about 1.3 million inhabitants and an area of 1,826 km², the city is the fifth biggest metropolis in Australia. Seeing the city from the air, you notice the square city centre which is surrounded by a park and the River Torrens. The Adelaide Hills and the wine-growing regions of the Barossa Valley, McLarenVale and Clare Valley are characteristic of the city's surroundings. The Mediterranean climate creates hot, dry summers and cool winter months.

Adelaide was founded in 1836 and was named after Queen Adelaide, the wife of the British King William IV, by South Australia's Governor John Hindmarsch. In contrast to most of the country's metropolises, the city did not develop from a convict colony but was built by voluntary settlers, mostly by protestants, baptists, Methodists and Old Lutherans who were suppressed because of their religion. The inhabitants of the City of Churches are still proud of their extraordinary past, which you can learn about in the Migration Museum in North Terrace. There are other museums such as the South Australian Museum and the Old Parliament House which tell about the city's culture and history. Adelaide generally offers countless cultural facilities such as museum complexes, galleries, opera houses and theatres along the elegant boulevard of North Terrace and in the art complex of the Adelaide Festival Centre. Due to the many art events like the Glenelg Jazz Festival and the Adelaide Festival of Arts, which take place every year, the metropolis is also called "Festival City".

The countless festivals, magnificent architecture, elegant cultural facilities, varied entertainment facilities and the wide range of culinary localities give Adelaide a vibrant, easy-going and offbeat atmosphere. You see bars, restaurants, cafes, night clubs and discos at every corner in the city centre, which offer lively entertainment at day and night. Multiculturalism is offered by places like Chinatown and extraordinary events with street artists, live music and dance performances (e.g. Fringe Festival). But the metropolis does not only impress with regard to entertainment. It also offers many shopping facilities from typical shopping centres, elegant boutiques and luxurious arcades to charming markets. The pedestrian zone Rundle Mall and the Central Market are popular destinations for long shopping trips. The latter is a real treat for connoisseurs and amateur chefs. Delicious smells, vibrant activity and colourful stalls with fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish as well as other regional products overwhelm your ears, eyes and nose with wonder.

If you want to take a break and escape the lively and vibrant activity of Adelaide's city centre, you find tranquillity and relaxation in the ring of parks which surround the city. The 27 green spaces provide room for various endurance sports such as jogging, tennis and cycling, while wonderful paths, barbecue systems and shady meadows are great locations for relaxed walks or romantic picnics. Travellers can do water sports at the city beaches of Glenelg Beach, West Beach, Grange Beach and Henley Beach. Surfing, swimming, sailing, diving or snorkelling are popular activities at Adelaide's coast as are dolphin watching tours and fishing trips. While the River Torrens Trail, which is 37 kilometres long, invites holidaymakers to hiking and cycling adventures, the many golf courses in and around the city challenge you to a game of golf.

You best arrive at Adelaide's international airport. Adelaide Airport is about 7 kilometres away from the city centre and can be reached by the Skylink Airport Shuttle or the Adelaide Metro's Jetbus.