The busy Adelaide Hills town of Hahndorf is popular year round, with visitors flocking to this unique German heritage village. Seeing it at Christmas time brings an extra dash of joy to travellers, adding a European feel as you shop, eat and drink in the festive season.

Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement and the heritage is obvious as you stroll down the main street with traditional food to buy including smallgoods, cakes and sweets. You can always grab a hearty meal at one of many hotels, restaurants and cafes which also keep the authentic German theme going.

On foot is the best way to see the town with shops lining both sides of the main street giving you plenty of reasons to stop and browse. There is street parking but a safer option for you and your car, (it’s very narrow) is to use the car parking space at the southern end of town, or behind some of the shops, or the side streets.

The main street is looking particularly pretty in this early summertime lead up to Christmas, with street decorations, baskets of petunias in bloom, trees offering leafy green shade and a general light and happy feeling in all the businesses in town.

There are some beautiful specialty and gift shops to visit and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll leave empty handed. Christmas shopping is made easy with an eclectic mix of shops with something for even the hardest to buy for.

If you’re looking for a different experience and one that the whole family will enjoy, visit the institution that is Beerenberg Farm. This six generation family owned berry farm has a ‘pick your own strawberries’ experience as well as a farm shop selling their own made chutneys, relishes, sauces and jams. In the big grey shed you’ll also find a café where you can indulge in breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea.

The Adelaide Hills region hast a vast amount of wineries and this cool climate region specialises in white wines, rose and sparkling varieties. There are also a number of distilleries and breweries to choose from including Hahndorf Brewing Co (conveniently in the main street) and Grunthal Brew nearby.

Hahndorf Brewing Co specialises in German style bier served up in their own bier hall. They have a core range including a lager, Hefeweizen and Dunkel and traditional German food with staples to complement the brews including Bratwurst hotdogs, schnitzels, pork knuckle and more.

Grunthal Brew in nearby Verdun is a great craft beer and cider microbrewery which also houses, Grunthal Gin, Udder Delights Cheese and Hesketh wine, something for everyone! There is comfortable seating areas indoors and out with the outdoor space having lots of room and activities for kids to enjoy. The menu has modern Australian dishes with tasting plates to share, cheese platters and pizzas.

Hahndorf is only a thirty minute drive from Adelaide on the South Eastern Freeway and is a great base to discover more of the Adelaide Hills. The Discovery Parks Hahndorf caravan park is at the freeway end of town and it’s a very comfortable resort style stay.

There are many drive through sites and top views of the hills and valleys beyond. The park also has a convention centre, conference facilities and caters for weddings, with different accommodation options.

There are great amenities, a huge camp kitchen, swimming pool, games room and bouncy pillow just for starters. Then there are green park like grounds which are absolutely manicured, a mini golf circuit, ponds with resident ducks and (I’m reliably told) the best dump point ever! Which is a bonus if that’s usually your job.

From the caravan park it’s only a little over a one kilometre walk into the main street of Hahndorf along a safe footpath. Enjoy a short break in the Adelaide Hills.

For an extra boost to the festive season and your Christmas shopping mission, don’t miss the ‘Gathered Hahndorf Christmas Market’ running on the 8th, 9th and 10th of December which showcases a huge variety of local small businesses. More than 70 stalls of homewares, candles, jewellery, art, clothing and more can be found at Thiele House, 102 main street, Hahndorf from 4pm to 10pm. A $2 entry fee is collected which is donated to charity.

Then on the 15th to 17th of December you can visit the European style Christkindlmarkt where you can stroll through market stalls and admire Christmas lights at night. They will be held on the corner of main street and Auricht Road in Hahndorf. These markets will operate from 3pm to 10pm and entry is free.

Enjoy

Glenys