Adelaide the City of Churches, Wine and a Good Time
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia, the southernmost state in Australia. It is one of the largest cities in the country, coming in at fifth place and boasting a population of more than one million residents. With its name taken from no less than Queen Adelaide of Germany, the city is definitely a royalty when it comes to sights and attractions that focus on its best offers, its festivals, its wines, its culture, and its affinity to sports.
Adelaide lies along the shores of Gulf St. Vincent, making it a coastal city. Part of the city also stretches out towards the Adelaide Plains and the Fleurieu Peninsula. Adelaide is also bordered by the Mount Lofty Ranges, offering the city scenic landscapes for a perfect vacation backdrop. All in all, including the coast and the foothills in the area, Adelaide is measured to be around 20 kilometres in area, but this increases to 90 kilometres if the Gawler on the north and the Sellicks Beach on the south side are included.
The city was one of the planned capital cities from the time it was founded. While most of the cities in other states were established as convict settlements, Adelaide, along with some of the other cities in South Australia, was established as a free settlement area.
The city was said to have been designed and structured by Colonel William Light, who strategically marked Adelaide’s territories and included River Torrens, which was inhabited by Indigenous Australians, particularly the Kaurna tribe, in the past. It was in 1836 that the city was officially christened as a British province. Adelaide was designed to be a city that delights, in the way the city is full of spacious public squares and inviting boulevards in the midst of the prettiest parklands in Australia.
Before you start exploring the capital city’s energetic lifestyle, make sure to give yourself time to get drowned in all things natural by visiting the reserves and parks in the area led by the Cleland Conservation Park, the Belair National Park, and the areas surrounding the Torrens River and the Onkaparinga. Many tourist and visitors are presented with a vast array of really affordable accommodation options. With many first class hotels and apartments offering great accommodation deals all year round you will never be lost looking for a place to rest your head and relax of an evening.
If you happen to pass by the metropolitan city centre, you will find yourself in the centre of the cultural boulevard in the city, featuring the largest government and commercial centres in the state. However, Adelaide is better known for its wine production than for its being a commercial hub even as a capital city. The arrival of Germans in 1838 saw the establishment of the city as one of the producers of the best wines in the country, especially in the Barossa Valley region where there are some world-acclaimed wineries.
Adelaide also boasts of a vivacious art and culture scene, with the Adelaide Festival of Arts being celebrated there regularly. Other side festivals that also celebrate the culture of Australia and the unique culture of Adelaide include the Adelaide Film Festival, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Festival of Ideas, Writer’s Week, FEAST, Tasting Australia food and wine affair, and the Royal Adelaide Show.
Adelaide is also a great city to be in during the Christmas season as it holds the annual Adelaide Christmas Pageant, which has been titled as the largest Christmas parade in the world. Other notable places in the city to visit and explore include the Adelaide Botanic Garden, the Cleland Conservation Park, the National Railway Museum, Wilpena Pound Resort with Four Wheel Drive Tours, the Great Southern Rail and The Adelaide Central Market for your shopping pleasures, the Adelaide Zoo for children and families, The South Australian Museum and all the architectural beauty of many churches after all Adelaide is known as the City of Churches.
Author: Adelaide Info Link Copyright 2009
