Canberra It sure is not the most popular city in Australia and is out of the competition between Sydney and Melbourne, but it is the national capital and you may be interested in discovering it.
It is a beautiful and interesting city that has grown in the shadow of its older sisters, waiting to show what it has for visitors: museums, attractions, shopping streets, a gastronomic circuit, history and a pleasant, patient and friendly population. . Well aussie.
Canberra, the capital
The city is in an area known as the Australian Capital Territory or ACT, in the far north and 280 kilometers from Sydney and 660 from Melbourne.
Did you think he was further away from his older sisters? Well no, so you can come and visit it. It has functioned as the national capital since the beginning of the XNUMXth century, since 1908 exactly, and it is one of the few cities in the country that was planned in advance.
Like other capitals of the newer countries its urban design appeared first on paper and later on land. Its way was designed in an international competition and the winners were a couple of American architects.
If one looks at a map of Canberra, one discovers designs with geometric shapes such as circles, triangles and other figures. Everything follows an alignment and there are many green spaces, as ideal and modern cities were thought at that time.
The result is a neat, neat and very green city.
What to see in Canberra
Being the capital concentrates the most important government buildings: Parliament, the Supreme Court or the National Archives, for example.
The Parlament It is on Capitol Hill and you can visit it on a tour that allows you to see historical documents, a lot of Australian art and one of the largest tapestries in the world. You also get great views of the city from and see the 81-meter high mast up close. It opens every day from 9 am to 5 pm.
La Supreme Court It is next to Lake Burley, in the Parliament area. You can visit its three rooms and see different works of art that show the evolution of the nation. It opens during the week from 9:45 am to 4:30 pm and on Sundays from noon to 4 pm.
Nearby you can also visit the National Library of Australia. There are exhibits and you can join the tour or drink a coffee overlooking the lake. Admission is free. The Lake Burley Griffin It is an artificial lake where people kayak or boat or sail or even go fishing.
Around it there are 40 kilometers of coastline and it is decorated with several parks and gardens where you can enjoy the outdoors or just in a cafe or restaurant.
Australia has accompanied England on several war adventures so one of the most important sites in the city is the Australian War Memorial, a large museum with a sanctuary included that opens every day from 10 am to 5 pm and has free admission.
I like to see peculiar places so I escape the classics: museums and art galleries. I want experiences. That is why I recommend you visit these places:
- Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex: It is a 45-minute drive from Canberra and is part of NASA's international space antenna network. It includes an exhibition on the relationship between space and Australia and admission is free. It is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm and there is a cafeteria.
- Telstra Tower: a sort of viewpoint that offers 360 ° views of the entire region and is 195 meters high. There are outdoor platforms and a covered and closed gallery for the winter. It includes a cafe, a museum and a gift shop. It opens every day from 9 am to 10 pm. It costs 3 Australian dollars.
- Royal Australian Mint: it is the house that mints coins so in a curious visit you can learn how they are made, with what machines and robots. You can even mint your own dollar. Admission is free and on weekdays it opens from 8:30 am to 5pm.
- National Carillon: It is a huge musical instrument with 55 bronze bells that weigh from six kilos to six tons. It is 50 meters tall and was a gift from Great Britain to Australia when Canberra celebrated its first 50 years. It hosts recitals on Wednesdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 1:20 pm and Aspen Island is the best place to appreciate it and enjoy a cookout.
- Captain James Cook Memorial: Do you like the jet of water in Geneva? Well here's another. Although it is not currently operating for maintenance, it is in Lake Burley Griffin and is part of the memorial dedicated to the explorer of the Australian seas. It was built on the bicentennial anniversary of the day Cook landed in the country in 1770.
Eating and drinking in Canberra
The city has a great food scene with many restaurants and cafes. Let us remember that Australia is a multicultural country so all the cuisines of the world are represented. And let's not forget that wine is produced here so there are wineries and wines to taste.
Two options in terms of wines: the Four Winds Vineyard, in Murrumbateman, just 30 minutes from Canberra, in a beautiful setting. They run a cafe and restaurant and you can take a tour on weekends and holidays from 10am to 5pm and wine tasting from 12pm to 3pm with dishes around AU $ 20.
Another option is the Survevyor's Hill Vineyards that make Pinor Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz wines and many more. They are about 550 meters above sea level where there used to be a volcano. It is also open on weekends and holidays from 10 am to 5 pm. And there is a nice bistro where you can have lunch.
Coffee shops? Australians are fans of coffee And today, like all over the world, cool coffee and coffee shops are the order of the day. You will see them everywhere but write down this name: Ona Coffee House. As at its head are the 2016 Australian Barista Champion, Hugh Kelly and the 2015 champion, Sasa Sestic. You find it at 68 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick.
The truth is that it is impossible to review everything, but what is good about the Australian capital is that from its website you can link to the Googel Play or the App Store and download a practical app for sightseeing in Canberra.
Is One Good Thing After Another and it is a super complete application with many videos that have been filmed within 20 minutes of each other, or much less. All serve to plan the best forays into the city, something you should not miss if you go to Australia.