If there’s one thing South Australia is renowned for, it’s the gorgeous Barossa Valley. The Barossa Valley, perhaps Australia’s answer to Napa Valley, is stunning wine country located just an hour and a half from Adelaide airport. Take a car from Hertz Adelaide airport car hire for a pleasant drive to one of the most beautiful parts of Australia.
Wineries
The Barossa Valley is most famous for its wine. The vines of Barossa Valley have been established since the 1840s and there are over 50 wineries in the region. There’s a range of big name wineries including like Penfolds and Wolf Blass as well as some boutique vineyards. Most of these wineries and vineyards are located along Barossa Valley Way and welcome visitors to their cellar doors for wine tastings seven days a week.
Rich Heritage
The Barossa Valley is also famous for its mixed European heritage thanks to those who settled in the area. Early settlers included wealthy English landowners as well as Silesians and Prussians. Their mark is still present today in the names of the towns, the architecture and the produce. Local butchers and bakeries display traditional techniques and you’ll even find that local cemeteries hold gravestones written in German. If you want to find out more about the Barossa Valley’s rich heritage, many of the towns offer heritage walks which explore the heritage and history of the town.
Food
The rich heritage and the abundance of fresh produce in the Barossa Valley mean it’s no surprise that the Barossa Valley also highly celebrates food. Make sure you arrive in the valley hungry. There are restaurants with award winning chefs as well as cafes, cheese factories and bakeries all across the valley. You can enjoy modern Australian food as well as Silesian inspired cuisine. Be sure to choose regional produce (look for the Food Barossa logo) and look out for the authentic butchers and bakers to try Mettwurst and Fritz and wood fired bread.
What Else?
Perhaps you’re wondering whether there’s something to do that doesn’t involve eating or drinking? Of course, there’s much more to the Barossa Valley than just wining and dining.
You can drive your Hertz hire car to the Mengler Hill Lookout which provides stunning views over the countryside. In addition to the stunning views, there’s a spectacular sculpture park. Not far from here is Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park. Kaiser Stuhl Conversation Park houses flora, fauna and walking trails across 390 acres. Make sure you remember to take your camera because there will be plenty of opportunity for taking photos.
Or perhaps you’d like to take a trip back in time to explore Barossa’s gold mining history with a walk on one of the walking trails across the old Barossa Goldfields.
For a bit of fun you could try the Whispering Wall. This is a 140 metre curved wall of the Barossa Reservoir where you can stand at opposite ends and have your whispers carried the whole way across. Don’t say anything you don’t want anyone to overhear!
Barossa Valley also houses a wide range of crafts including the works of wood carvers, potters, quilters and blacksmiths. The Barossa Valley also has its very own coopers. You can go to the Keg Factory and watch wine barrels being made by hand. Or better yet, you can have them make you your own personalised port barrel to take home.
There’s also a range of museums such as and the National Motor Museum and antiques on display and also for sale.
When to Visit?
Barossa is a great place to visit all year round. Of course the temperature will vary so it’s good to know in advance what to expect so you can pack accordingly.
- Spring (September to November) will be mostly sunny with warm days and cooler nights.
- Summer (December to February) will be hot and sunny with an average temperature of 29 degrees Celsius. It will still be warm in the evenings, so it’s unlikely that you will need to bring a jacket.
- Autumn (March to May) will be milder but still sunny. The evenings can get quite cool, so you probably will need a jacket if you’re coming in autumn. Autumn is a pretty time to visit the Valley with autumn leaves abundant on the vines.
- Winter (June to August) can be quite cold with some rain. The nights will be quite cold which gives you a great opportunity to cosy up in front of a fire.
If you are planning on driving around the Barossa Valley in your hire car remember to drive safely and don’t overdo it on the wine samples. Of course, if you don’t want to drive and would like to take full advantage of the delicious wine of the region, you can travel to the Barossa Valley from Adelaide by public transport or with a tour company and leave your rental car safely behind.
