Hobart Hotels

Nestled between green hills and the Derwent River, Hobart is cosy, cute and charming. Traditionally underestimated, it's kept much of its Georgian architecture. Combine this with its verdant parks and gardens, waterfront, laid-back pace and simmering cultural life, and Tasmania's capital is a pleasant surprise.

Immerse yourself in the uniquely Georgian ambience of central Hobart's Salamanca Place, especially for the Saturday market. Museums such as the Maritime Museum of Tasmania whisk you back to another era, while the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery showcases local art, indigenous culture and wildlife. Sate your sweet tooth on a tour of the nearby Cadbury Factory.

Browse the hundreds of stalls on Salamanca Market for jewellery, crafts, vegetables and knitwear. Find boutiques selling designer clothing, along with luxury wine and food stores in Sandy Bay and Battery Point. Most major department stores are situated along Liverpool Street in the compact Central Business District.

Hobart's parks and gardens are a highlight of the city. The 19th-century Botanical Gardens feature a display of rare sub-Antarctic flora as well as a comprehensive collection of indigenous species. Other parks range from the classical – such as the University Rose Gardens or the leafy Franklin Square in the heart of town – to the contemporary Cultural Park, with its migration wall, cultural totem poles and skate bowl.

Hobart boasts Australia's oldest theatre, the Theatre Royal, a spectacular setting for drama. Another beacon in the city's cultural life is the multi-venue Salamanca Arts Centre, where renovated warehouse spaces house art galleries and studios as well as outdoor and indoor performance venues. Touring bands play at the Derwent Entertainment Centre in suburban Glenorchy while the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra plays at the 'love-it-or-hate-it' brass cylindrical Federation Concert Hall.

Seafood is the daily special at many of the restaurants lining the Hobart Waterfront. In nearby Salamanca Place, another strip of restaurants nestles in the neighbourhood's distinctive Georgian warehouses, where al fresco café dining predominates, weather permitting. A short distance away Battery Point, Sandy Bay and the Central Business District each has its fair share of eateries. The North Hobart strip offers a culinary tour of the world, catering for all pockets.

Pack a picnic of fresh sourdough bread, Tasmanian cheese, conserves and sparkling wine and take the road to Mount Wellington as far as the Springs, halfway to the summit. Here, a picnic spot affords breathtaking views of the city, the Derwent estuary and the surrounding bush. Be sure to wrap up though, even in summer!