8 reasons Canberra's well worth visiting

Canberra has it all: a scenic side and bustling city with access to a myriad of adventures. From visiting world-renowned galleries, to bushwalks to the top of Mount Ainslie, eating local produce at hatted restaurants and spotting kangaroos at Mulligan’s Flat nature reserve, Canberra is a must-visit city.  

As Australia’s capital city, Canberra preserves and chronicles the countries history. The National Gallery of Australia’s permanent art collection is estimated at over one hundred and fifty-five thousand Australian and international artworks. It comprises the most comprehensive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collection in the world. International masterpieces include Jackson Pollock’s ‘Blue Poles’ painting, several of Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series, an Andy Warhol Elvis print and one of the paintings in Monet’s Water Lilies series. Free guided tours are offered hourly.

The Australian War Memorial was built to commemorate the end of World War One although it opened in 1941 during the second World War. At the building’s entrance an eternal flame burns in the commemorative courtyard. The names of Australia’s war heroes are etched on the Honours Roll and a Last Post Ceremony is held in the courtyard in the late afternoon. The Hall of Memory, set above the Pool of Reflection, is the heart of the Australian War Memorial. Here you stand by the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, which honours all Australians who have given their lives during wartime.

Book your free ticket online to enter the War Memorial and to attend the daily Last Post Ceremony.

The National Library of Australia houses a wide selection of books and collections, from folklore to manuscripts in a contemporary building of classic design. Located in the southern suburb of Parkes, the building which opened in 1968, was designed by Walter Bunning of the architectural firm Bunning and Madden. Architectural features include marble cladding, a copper roof and stained-glass windows designed by Leonard French. Three tapestries by Mathieu Matégot grace the main entrance foyer and reading rooms feature Fred Ward and Arthur Robinson furniture. The main reading room houses Minnie Lumai’s Yab-yab-gnerni-gnim (Sugarbag Dreaming) painting and four embroidered panels by British textile artist Alice Kettle. The Treasures Gallery displays ancient artefacts such as Captain Cook's Endeavour journal and Captain Bligh's list of mutineers.

Parliament House built in 1988 and designed by Mitchell/Giurgola and Thorp Architects, sits atop Kurrajong (Capital Hill). The buildings forecourt and veranda is reflective of Australia’s architectural beginnings. Acclaimed artist, Michael Nelson Jagamara designed the almost two-hundred square-metre mosaic. The Marble Foyer features forty-eight marble columns, two staircases with stone finials inspired by Australian tree seeds created by sculptor Anne Ferguson and marble and limestone flooring filled with 345 million year old fossils. 20 marquetry panels, designed by Tony Bishop and crafted by Micheal Retter, depict Australian plants. 

Visitors can view parliamentary proceedings from the public gallery and participate in Question Time in the House of Representatives on sitting days. Tickets are free but must be booked through the Serjeant-at-Arms. Check the website for parliamentary sitting days and guided tours.

Alongside Canberra’s national treasures the city has a thriving arts community ranging from museums to over thirty local art galleries and an impressive street art culture. The city also hosts several art and music festivals.  Local neighbourhood galleries and museums offer experiences ranging from local exhibitions to artist run workshops.  

The Canberra Museum and Gallery, located in the CBD on the corner of London Circuit and Civic Square, features a series of powerful exhibitions throughout the year, displaying paintings and sculptures by Australia’s finest contemporary artists. It is also home to Sir Sidney Nolan’s vast art collection. He was one of Australia's leading modernist artists best known for his depictions of the history and mythology of Australian bush life.

Located above Canberra Museum and Gallery in the North Building you will find Craft + Design Canberra.  This innovative enterprise supports local Australian artists, makers and designers. They celebrate diversity and creativity in everything they do including hosting the annual Design Canberra Festival every November which features exhibitions, artist run workshops and open studios. During the school holidays they offer free kids workshops covering a diverse range of mediums including ceramics, painting, and First Nations cultural weaving.

Twin arts centres in Braddon, Ainslie and Gorman, are home to Canberra’s community of multi-disciplinary artists and art organisations. Disciplines include dance, music, writing, theatre, visual art, crafts and makers.  You can explore the exhibitions, participate in the talks, catch a dance performance and express your creativity in a craft workshop.

Grainger Gallery offers a space for interacting with art and the making of art. Established by artist, Kacy Grainger, the gallery shows nationally acclaimed artists as well as supporting local emerging artists. The gallery is located in the creative Dairy Road Precinct, a 14-hectare cultural hub situated  between Fyshwick and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands. Here you will find a brewery, gin distillery and chocolaterie.

The Gallery of Small Things in the suburb of Watson celebrates all things small ranging from ceramics, paintings, jewellery and textiles. The gallery promotes local emerging and established artists in its tiny, six square metre gallery space. 

Street art, particularly graffiti lettering is prevalent in Canberra. It started underground in the southside of Canberra in the early eighties and now adorns twenty-seven legal sites. 
 

• ANCA Mitchell (Australian National Capital Artists Inc) is an artist-run-project consisting of fifteen warehouse style studios. Artistic street art and lettering covers the external building walls.
  
  
• Woden Town Square features graffiti lettering, street art and murals. There is a large, animated teapot characters by HAPPY DECAY. His murals often depict colourful and quirky characters.
  
  
• Superhero artworks encircle Tocumwal Lane created by street artists like Josh Roy Barlow, GraffikPaint and Anna Keightley.

The Canberra International Music Festival is held across ten days in May each year. The Festival premier’s new works from across Australia and beyond including classical, Indigenous and contemporary music. The festival features a series of unique concerts and free events across a range of venues including the Fitters’ Workshop in Kingston and the Belconnen Arts Centre among others.

There is a fresh energy to Canberra’s culinary landscape that makes it the perfect city for food lovers to explore. Canberra is home to many fine dining restaurants, newly opened venues and great wine bars. As an international city, you can also eat your way around the world.

Mu on Constitution Avenue in the city centre will take you to Japan, Breizh Café’s delicious crepes will transport you to Brittany, and Briscola will take you to Italy. For contemporary Australian food, book a table at Rebel Rebel.

The cultural precincts of New Acton and Braddon bring diners unique tasting experiences.  Bicicletta on Edinburgh Avenue in New Acton offers diners an authentic Italian trattoria experience and Corella, a modern Australian restaurant and bar on Lonsdale Street in Braddon honours native flavours and ingredients. Marble and Grain, also in Braddon, is known for its butchers board and 35-day aged Rib Eye.

Epicureans are spoilt for choice when it comes to hatted restaurants in the capital city. Pilot is the epitome of fine dining in Australia. The Sri Lankan-style green mango and mud crab curry served in a hopper is the real deal. And there is something whimsical and fun about serving “reverse fish and chips” - crackers made from blue mackerel accompanied by a lemon and herb flavoured potato dip. Canberra's newest hatted restaurant, RAKU blends the precision and artistry of Japanese culinary history with the vibrant energy of modern Australian dining. Enjoy the spiced Junee lamb rump at The Boat House overlooking Lake Burley Griffin. And try Chef’s Truffle Menu at OTIS Dining hall in Kingston with dishes like seared scallops, truffle mayo, hazelnut and pumpkin.

Such and Such, the younger sister of Pilot offers an a la carte menu, spicy snacks and share plates. Enjoy the steak tartare served on an anchovy and sage choux cruller and the pork cutlet, perfectly cooked over charcoal and elevated by a sweet and sour sauce.

Chris Lucas of ChinChin fame has brought his Mediterranean fare to Canberra with the opening of Carlotta. Enjoy delicious pasta dishes, perfectly grilled meats, and a wine list that’s sourced locally.

Canberra’s hundred and forty vineyards and thirty-five cellar doors are within forty minutes' drive of the city. If you don’t have time to visit one of the estates, visit one of Canberra’s wine bars. One of the best little wine bars in Canberra is Bar Rochford, where you can enjoy a glass of Ravensworth Riesling from Hilltops paired with curried snapper, zuni pickles and cabbage.  This is one of those wine bars you’ll hear about, long before you visit. Contentious Character at the Dairy Road Precinct offers a scenic outdoor terrace – a perfect spot for sipping regional wines and enjoying a cheeseboard as the sun sets. Kivotos Wine Bar in Braddon offers a great selection of regional wines and delicious Mediterranean dishes. 

Canberrans enjoy spending time outdoors, so follow in their footsteps with a five-kilometre bridge-to-bridge walk or cycle from Commonwealth Avenue to Kings Avenue over Lake Burley Griffin.

Ride the alpine slide at Corin Forest or go tobogganing during snow season. The Australian National Botanic Gardens, on the lower slopes of Black Mountain, is home to biggest collection of Australian native plants. Regular talks and guided walks offer an insight into Australian plants and in summer enjoy picnic style music concerts on the lawns.

One of Canberra’s best known bush walks is the four-kilometre hike to Booroomba Rocks. At the summit you will enjoy uninterrupted views over Canberra. Head out of town to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, just 45-minutes’ drive from Canberra CBD, for some wildlife spotting and a chance to see brush-tailed rock wallabies.

Immerse yourself in one of the oldest cultures in living history at the National Arboretum Canberra. Learn about the local Ngunnawal culture with Ngala Tours on a  Discover Art and Country tour to learn the stories of the forests. Take in the artefacts and artworks at the Burrunju Aboriginal Art Gallery. After the devastating fires Canberra experienced in 2003 the landscape was scorched. As part of the rejuvenation programme the two-hundred-and-fifty-hectare National Arboretum Canberra was established and now features ninety-four different woodland forests filled with rare, endangered and symbolic trees from around Australia and the world. There are twenty kilometres of walking and cycling tracks to take in the beautiful views and tranquil atmosphere.   

1. 1. Kids of all ages will enjoy exploring the hundreds of science exhibits at Questacon National Science and Technology Centre. Questacon’s goal is to make science fun, interactive and interesting. Discover hidden water, create a storm in a jar, launch a hydrogen rocket, play robot hockey and more.  
   
   
2. Visit the National Zoo and Aquarium. Get up close and personal with some of the world’s most fascinating creatures like lions, penguins, cheetahs and zebras. Feed a tiger, discover the texture of a rhino’s skin and watch black tipped reef sharks and leopard sharks swim around their saltwater home. Your whole family (six and older) can enjoy a magical five-hour animal kingdom experience that you will never forget. Hide breakfast for sun bears, interact with meercats, feed lions, bears and giraffes and watch as primates solve a puzzle you’ve designed. Kid’s will also love the Zookeeper for a Day programme which shows them what it’s like to work behind-the-scenes.
   
   
3. For budding palaeontologists, a visit to the National Dinosaur Museum at Gold Creek Village located in Nicholls will appeal. Learn about prehistoric creatures and encounter dinosaurs from millions of years ago like Stan, a twenty metre long, six-metre-tall Tyrannosaurus Rex fibreglass model, and Stegodon, a woolly mammoth with three-metre curved tusks. The Museum is filled with fossils, skeletons, skulls and animatronic dinosaurs. There is also a dino-themed playground for young children. Afterwards, stroll through the miniature world models at Cockington Green Gardens. From Peru’s Machu Picchu to Delhi’s Red Fort, you’ll be captivated by this enchanting world of small people and small structures. 
   
   
4. Calling all would-be astronauts. The Canberra Space Centre takes in views of the largest antenna complex in the Southern Hemisphere. Located forty-five-minutes from Canberra city, the centre is a link between mission control on Earth and NASA’s spacecrafts located across our Solar System.  You'll find moon rock and models, movies and more at this earth station. 
   
   
5. If you’re heading to Canberra in winter, hit the slopes at Corin Forest which offers beginner-friendly ski fields for snowboarding, skiing and tobogganing.

Canberra has year-round appeal, with a calendar of events, festivals and experiences that span each season: 

Hot air balloons are a common sight across Canberra’s morning skyline especially during the Canberra Balloon Spectacular. From a lofty height you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the National Museum of Australia, Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin dressed in its autumn colours. The Canberra Balloon Spectacular in March launches over forty hot air balloons at dawn. Breakfast and coffee is available from the food trucks and coffee carts dotted about John Dunmore Lang Lawns. You can also be part of the action if you like, bookings can be made with Balloon Aloft.

See Canberra’s National attractions lit up in a stunning display of light, sound, and movement every Autumn. Enlighten Canberra is an outdoor annual art and cultural festival featuring illuminating light installations and projections. Enjoy local and regional musical performances, a mini film festival and good wines and cocktails at Bar Berra in the National Triangle festival precinct. Enlighten takes place in March every year. 

The Truffle Festival in winter highlights Canberra's top restaurants as they show off their paddock-to-plate menus. Producers like  The Truffle Farm offer a quintessential truffle experience. Celebrate winters bounty at the Dairy Road Winter Market where you can indulge in truffles and wine at the regional farmer stalls and seasonal producers. 

The Floriade Festival at Commonwealth Park on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin features extensive displays of over one million flowers. Beautiful tulips, cherry blossoms and wildflowers herald the start of spring. Floriade takes place from mid-September to mid-October. Admission is free. 

Summernats comes to Canberra in January every year. Uniting specialist car enthusiasts from all over Australia for four days of automotive mania. The festival features car parades, firework displays, and outdoor summer concerts.

Canberra definitely needs to be on your next holiday itinerary. Getting to Canberra is easy as there are regular direct flights from every major Australian city. Or you can drive to Canberra on an East Coast road trip as it is conveniently located between Sydney and Melbourne, making it an ideal stop over.

With so much to do in Canberra, you may want to stay in a hotel that is close to the CBD and located in one of the cities cultural hubs. Mercure Hotel Canberra in Braddon, combines heritage listed charm with modern comforts. Alongside cosy accommodation the hotel offers WiFi, a gym and two dining options: the Courtyard Restaurant and Olims Bar and Bistro.

Braddon is a lively, cultural hub in Canberra and a great neighbourhood if you’re looking for a local travel experience. The hotel is six hundred metres from the Australian War Memorial. And a fifteen-minute walk to the bustling hub of Lonsdale street. Known for its street art, independent cafes, eclectic bars and retail gems. If you are looking for a stylish North Canberra base, within walking distance of the University of Canberra, then Mercure Canberra Belconnen is the perfect choice. Offering modern comfort and convenience, the hotel adjoins the Canberra Labor Club where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Canberra is a close-knit community of creatives and artisans with a thriving art and dining scene. Nowhere else will you find world-class cultural events, festivals and experiences on the doorstep of bushland reserves and lush vineyards. Canberra’s many attributes definitely make it a destination worth visiting!