Powered by ©Rough Guides
Weather today
jan
feb
mar
apr
may
jun
jul
aug
sep
oct
nov
dec
A multicultural mix
Adelaide is a gracious city and an easy place to live, and, despite its population of almost 1.3 million, it never feels crowded; what is more, this port is one of the enchanting destinations of an MSC Grand Voyages cruise.
It’s a pretty place, laid out on either side of the Torrens River , ringed with a green belt of parks and set against the rolling hills of the Mount Lofty Ranges. Adelaide’s city centre is laid out on a strict grid plan surrounded by parkland, and virtually every building, public or domestic, is made of stone.
At the heart of the grid is Victoria Square , and each city quarter is centred on its own smaller square. North Terrace i s the cultural precinct, home to the major museums , two universities and the state library. Hindley Street is the liveliest in town while Rundle Mall , its continuation, is the main shopping area . Government House , Adelaide’s oldest public building, was completed in 1855: every governor except the first has lived here.
Across King William Road, two parliament houses, the old and the new, compete for space. The Barossa Valley , only an hour’s drive from Adelaide, produces internationally acclaimed wines and is the largest premium-wine producer in Australia; you really mustn’t miss the opportunity for a wine-tasting excursion here with MSC Cruises. Small stone Lutheran churches dot the valley, which was settled in the 1840s by German Lutherans fleeing from religious persecution.
The towns, – most notably Tanunda – still remain German in character, and the valley is well worth visiting for the vineyards , wineries,
bakeries and butcher’s shops , where old German recipes have been handed down through ge nerations. Mengler’s Hill Lookout , east of Tanunda along Basedow Road and then the Mengler’s Hill Road Scenic Drive, provides an unmatched view of the valley and its vineyards.