Adelaide

Adelaide is an Australian city located 20 km from the Indian ocean in the Adelaide planes, north from Fleurieu Peninsula and between St Vincent gulf to the west and the mountains to the east. The city has been established in 1836 and becomes the capital of the South Australia province. The city caries its name after Queen Adelaide married to King William the 4^th and turns into a place renowned for its religious freedom and protection of human rights which attracts people from different religious backgrounds to settle here. Unpretentious statue of Queen Adelaide brightens one of the foyers of the City Hall building. Founder of the city is William Light (1786-1839) who develops it in a rectangular shape with six city squares surrounded by parks and gardens and this city plan has remained unchanged through the years.

Today Adelaide has a population of 1.4 million people and is famous with a list of festivals and sport events, its food and wine, the coastline and the hills, together with its major manufacturing, defense industry production and high-tech electronic industries. The city hosts a various culture events like The Adelaide Festival of Ideas, The Adelaide Festival of Arts, The Adelaide Film Festival and The Marginalia Festival where exciting performances can be seen. The Adelaide Festival of Arts is held every two years in the fall and goes on for three weeks. Like all cities proud with a rich cultural life, Adelaide is full of museums and galleries located mostly along the North Terrace and King William boulevards. Adelaide is the home of The Art Gallery of South Australia which owns around 45,000 exhibits including ceramics, sculptures, paintings, metalwork artefacts, jewelries and an impressive collection of Australian furniture dated from the establishment of the country to this day. The Art Gallery of South Australia hosts the annual Tarnanthi Festival: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art. The emblematic South Australian Museum is a natural history museum and possesses a unique collection of Aboriginal culture heritage (Aboriginal culture is the culture of the indigenous people who lived in these territories). The Barr Smith Library is located right in the heart of North Terrace Street, it is part of the University of Adelaide and owns a long list of rare books. Built in 1874 these two buildings have a significant architectural value. The Migration Museum and the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute include interesting exhibits and deserve a visit. Plenty of clubs and bars allowing louder music for the young people of Adelaide can be found in the city center, East End and Light Square areas.

There is a large number of churches on the city premises and for that some call it `City of Churches`. One of them is The St. Francis Xavier's Catholic Cathedral. It has been built over the period 1856-1996 as a Gothic Revival building in the Early English style. Its tower is 35 meters high and has 13 bells including the Murphy’s Bell dated 1867.  This Cathedral is one of the most popular in Adelaide known for the statue of St John the Baptist, The Lady Chapel altar made of Carrara marble and the bronze statues of Joseph and Jesus. Another significant site is the St Peter's Cathedral which is an Anglican cathedral and resembles the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The central areas of the city are surrounded by parks and gardens and this makes it one of the most attractive Australian cities. The astonishing Adelaide Botanic Garden opened back in 1855 has rare plant species and unique architecture: the palms in the Palm House; the Museum of Economic Botany dedicated to the conservation of ‘good’ plants; the beautiful Goodman Building which serves the administration body of the Botanic Garden; the exceptional rose garden and many others. In addition to that the Adelaide Botanic Garden hosts some of the events during the annual WOMADelaide Festival when the city streets become a Clipsal 500 V8 car racing tracks.

The main wineries in the Barossa valley were created in the beginning of 19^th century by the first settlers here, the German Lutherans who brought the grapes from thousands of kilometers away to remind them of their homeland. The National Wine Center located near the Adelaide Botanic Garden is where one can trace the local wine-making technology and its tasting room offers one of the best selections of Jacob`s Creek and Penfolds wineries.

Adelaide Zoo is its main attraction. It has become the permanent home of over 3000 animals among which African lions, giant turtles, giraffes, rare monkey species, two giant pandas, etc. The animals here are used to human presence and entertain the visitors in exchange for tasty treats.

Elder Park is a public park named after one of the early settlers’ families, the Elder family. It is located on the southern bank of Torrens River near the Adelaide Convention Centre. A remarkable symbol of the park is the Rotunda with its beautiful iron railings manufactured and shipped from Glasgow in 1882. The Rotunda turned into a great open-air social place suitable for night sky concerts and carol-singing. Carrick Hill estate is a charming property not far from the central part of Adelaide. It has been built by the couple Eduard and Ursula Hayward in 1935 and has kept its original looks after all the years. It’s located on a hill and allows stunning sights of the city while providing marvelous gardens with countless flowers and garden trees arranged in alleys and special resting areas. The cafeteria on the estate is the perfect place for a break after the tour around this gorgeous place.

Adelaide Gaol is a former Australian Prison, functioning as one from 1841 until 1988, reminding the generations for the times when criminals were kept here.

Visit of the Glenelg suburb should not be missed. It is located on the shore of Saint Vincent Gulf. This is an aristocratic neighborhood with splendid beaches, amazing buildings, shops and restaurants.

Located in the nearby town of Birdwood, the National Motor Museum is the largest automobile and motorcycle museum attracting lovers of vintage vehicles.

Like all Australians, the citizens of Adelaide love the sports. There are two Australian football teams in the city, two English football teams and two basketball teams on the National league. A popular venue is one of the oldest cricket fields in the world – the ‘Adelaide Oval’ Stadium.
Just as in most big cities, a visit at the central city market is a memorable experience. At the Adelaide Central Market one can find it all – fresh vegetables and fruits, spices, pastries, souvenirs and many other products. A must-try are the Haigh's Chocolates as Haigh being the first family owned chocolate factory in Australia.

The best time to travel is from October to April having in mind that December and January are really hot. Despite its serious looks, Adelaide is one of the most enjoyable places to visit in South Australia.