Canberra: Introduction

The clean, compact and welcoming capital of Australia is a vibrant and varied holiday destination, offering a unique mix of culture, city leisure and outstanding areas of natural beauty. Surrounded by native bushland, Canberra is perfect for getting back to nature. But hidden beneath the leafy surrounds is a thriving modern city with stylish restaurants, hip bars, boutique shopping, fun for the kids and a busy calendar of events and festivals. The surrounding region offers more than 30 wineries, historic townships, beautiful coastlines and the famous Snowy Mountains.

Like most capitals of the world, Canberra boasts an rich architectural heritage in its civic and Government buildings, but Canberra is also blessed with some of the loveliest surroundings of any national capital. There are more than 30 Australian artistic and cultural institutions located in Canberra, ranging from the Australian War Memorial to Parliament House and the National Gallery of Australia houses the country's premier public art collection spanning about 5,000 years of international art. Canberra region also boasts a wide range of accommodation to suit every holiday and visit - from hotels and resorts to unique self contained holiday houses and luxury bed and breakfast accommodation.
Getting around this compact city is trouble-free as Canberra offers excellent pedestrian, bus, train and taxi links alongside a plethora of tours that allow you to take in every inch of Canberra’s cultural heritage and beautiful surroundings. The city, with its many parklands, is especially beautiful in spring and autumn, and Canberra is widely renowned for its spring festival, Floriade, when the parks and gardens surrounding Lake Burley Griffin explode with colourful displays of massed tulips and other blooms. So whether it's for a few days or an extended break, Canberra provides enough culture, sights and adrenaline-rush activities to suit any holidaymaker.