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Laid out in 1837 by Colonel William Light, Adelaide is a planned capital wrapped in a continuous belt of parkland, with wide streets, sandstone institutions and the River Torrens running along its northern edge. The capital of South Australia feels relaxed for a city of more than a million people, and almost everything in the centre is within walking distance or a free tram ride.
North Terrace is the cultural spine, where the Art Gallery, the South Australian Museum, the State Library and the university sit side by side. A short walk away, the Adelaide Central Market and Chinatown feed the city, while Adelaide Oval brings crowds for cricket and football. In February and March the Adelaide Fringe and the Adelaide Festival fill parks and theatres with shows.
The city's other great strength is how close it lies to the countryside and the coast. Trams run to the beach at Glenelg, the Adelaide Hills and the German village of Hahndorf are half an hour away, and the vineyards of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale make easy day trips for food and wine lovers.
Trading since 1869, this covered market between Gouger and Grote Streets packs greengrocers, butchers, bakers, cheese counters and cafes into one busy hall. Locals shop here for Barossa smallgoods and South Australian seafood. Come hungry in the morning and continue into Chinatown next door.
Framed by the parklands and the spires of St Peter's Cathedral, this famous ground hosts Test cricket in summer and AFL football in winter. Even without a match ticket you can book a stadium tour, or join a RoofClimb that walks you over the curved stand roofs for a sweeping look across the city.
Founded in the 1850s on the edge of the city centre, this garden mixes formal avenues with themed plantings and historic glasshouses. Highlights include the Victorian-era Palm House, the domed Bicentennial Conservatory and the Amazon Waterlily Pavilion. Entry is free, so drop in between museums.
Adelaide's main pedestrian shopping street runs through the centre of the grid, lined with department stores and old arcades. Look for the stacked steel Mall's Balls sculpture and the bronze pigs near the shops, then step into the ornate 1880s Adelaide Arcade for a glimpse of Victorian Adelaide.
Founded in 1881, this gallery on North Terrace holds one of Australia's finest collections, from colonial landscapes and Aboriginal art to European paintings and contemporary works. The grand rooms are easy to explore at your own pace, and general entry is free, so return as often as you like.
Next door to the Art Gallery, this natural history and cultural museum is best known for its Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, one of the most significant collections of its kind. Other floors cover Pacific cultures, minerals, fossils and native animals, and the main galleries are free.
Set in the old Destitute Asylum buildings off Kintore Avenue, this museum tells the stories of the people who made South Australia home, from Aboriginal custodians to migrants from every continent. Personal objects, photographs and recorded voices make it moving, so allow an hour or two.
This elegant bluestone mansion on North Terrace was home to Sir Henry Ayers, who served several times as Premier of South Australia in the 1800s. Furnished rooms, a grand dining room and displays on Victorian life show how the colony's elite lived, and guided tours bring its stories to life.
Adelaide's best-loved beach suburb is a straight tram ride from the city to Moseley Square, where the jetty reaches out over Holdfast Bay. Swim or stroll the sand, browse the cafes along Jetty Road, and stay for sunset over the gulf. The colony of South Australia was proclaimed nearby in 1836.
Founded in 1839 by Prussian Lutheran settlers, Hahndorf is the oldest surviving German settlement in Australia, about half an hour from the city in the Adelaide Hills. Its leafy main street mixes old stone cottages, bakeries, galleries and pubs, and painter Hans Heysen's home lies close by.
About an hour north-east of Adelaide, this valley is one of Australia's most famous wine regions, known for rich Shiraz from very old vines. German-speaking settlers shaped its villages, churches and food traditions. Base yourself in Tanunda or Angaston, and book a driver if you plan to taste a lot.
The highest point of the Mount Lofty Ranges looks out over the whole Adelaide plain to Gulf St Vincent, with the Flinders Column marking the summit. Fit walkers can climb up from Waterfall Gully on a steep bush trail, while drivers get there quickly. Cleland Wildlife Park lies just below the peak.
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