0 Hahndorf

If the Adelaide Hills is fairytale country, Hahndorf is its fabled gingerbread cottage. It’s definitely baked with tourists in mind – and, yes, it requires a bit of a sweet tooth – but, given a chance, Hahndorf delivers a rich palate of cultural, intellectual and artistic heritage for those who seek it. 

Wandering through Hahndorf by ancient elms and gorgeous examples of early timber and brick cottages is a temporal trip to an aesthetically dreamy Germanic settlement grafted on to early colonial Australia. Interiors burst with delectable smells and tastes; delicacies like cheeses, chutneys, sauces, cured meats and wines overwhelm. This is a “switch off, reach for the lavosh and dip into divinity” situation. 

 Be sure to stop by Chocolate @ No5 and the brand-new Divine Cupcakes right next door. Fashion, furniture, great German beer and, more significantly, art are additional Hahndorf soul pleasers. Once a seat of fine learning, with students from all over Australia sent here to study, the gorgeous old stone Hahndorf Academy is now an impressive regional centre for the arts. 

 A visit to The Cedars is also rewarding; a picturesque estate on the outskirts of town, it was the home and studio of Australia’s own Hans Heysen, nine-time winner of the Australian Wynne Prize for landscape.