While many gold rush towns around the country were built up and then abandoned to eventually become ghost towns, Beechworth in regional Victoria has maintained its relevance and become an attractive tourist destination with its numerous eclectic restaurants and nearby wineries, cycling trails and excellent preservation of its historical buildings from the gold rush days in the 1850s.
Stroll its two main streets, Food Street and Camp Street, in autumn and you’ll be treated to a brilliant display of yellows, reds and oranges. Come in winter and while away your afternoons bundled into its cosy cafés and restaurants or sipping and swirling at one of its sprawling wineries. And in summer, set up for a picnic or hit a mountain trail. No matter the season or holiday style, Beechworth has something to suit.
While Beechworth isn’t short on dine-in eateries, it also has some great options for grabbing supplies to picnic on the banks of Lake Sambell or to indulge in front of a crackling fire. Pick up freshly-baked bread, pastries and pies, including one called the ‘Ned Kelly’, at Beechworth Bakery; plump strawberries, raspberries and blackberries from Beechworth Berries; and chocolates and fudges from Willy Wonka-esque shop The Beechworth Sweet Co. Wash it all down with brews from Bridge Road Brewers, which, in addition to its store, also houses a taproom, pizzeria and brewhouse, or from Billson’s Brewery, one of the country’s oldest continuing beverage manufacturers.
The younger, shyer sibling of the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, Beechworth takes advantage of its location in the valleys of the Victorian Alpine region and its mineral-rich soils with well over a dozen vineyards. Cellar door highlights include Baarmutha Wines, Pennyweight Winery and Eldorado Road Wines. Star Lane Winery and Indigo Vineyard are also worth visiting.
For a mid-size country town, Beechworth has a surprising amount to see and do. Learn about its gold mining past strolling its main streets. Of note among the countless heritage-listed buildings lining them is Mayday Hills, a decommissioned asylum and, at one time, one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in Victoria. Book a ghost tour, history tour or paranormal investigation experience at the asylum with Asylum Ghost Tours. Tours are also offered at Old Beechworth Gaol, a prison that once held the infamous Ned Kelly for close to two years. At the Beechworth Historic Courthouse, you can listen to audio re-enactments of some of the town’s key cases, Ned Kelly’s included.
Prefer to be out in nature? Walk or drive the five-kilometre-long Beechworth Gorge Walk in Beechworth Historic Park, stopping to snap its rockpools and waterfalls. A 10-minute drive from Beechworth is Woolshed Falls where you can walk and view its cascading falls from a viewing platform.
Beechworth has two caravan parks, both of them within walking distance from Lake Sambell and the centre of town: Beechworth Lake Sambell Caravan Park, where you can hire mountain bikes, canoes or kayaks, and Beechworth Holiday Park (formerly Silver Creek Caravan Park), which, in addition to its cabins, cottages and powered and unpowered sites, also has Instagram-ready glamping park pods.
Beechworth has more than a dozen hotels and motels scattered around town. For a luxury stay, consider Twelve on Albert with its lilac-dripping verandah and colourful gardens, Freeman on Ford with its glamorous Victorian rooms and The Graces Beechworth with its four elegant suites and leafy surroundings. Motel-wise, Beechworth Carriage Motor Inn, Armour Motor Inn and Beechworth on Bridge all feature outdoor pools and free parking.
But why stay in a regular ol’ hotel or motel when you can stay in quirky accommodation instead? At Beechworth Wildlife Stays, you can glamp on 2.5 acres of bushland and in the day, help to feed the farm animals and ogle at Billy the crocodile and the resident python. StoneTryst Spa Villas, a couples retreat on a vineyard, will have you feeling like you’re in Italy or France. And at Beechworth Holiday Park, you’ll find glamping pods, complete with an ensuite, deck and table set-up and access to the campgrounds kitchen.
A visit to Beechworth wouldn’t be complete without dinner at Provenance, an award-winning restaurant housed in a beautiful former bank. Here you’ll find seasonal dishes made with regional produce, inspired by chef Michael Ryan’s many trips to Japan. The Ox and Hound Bistro is also one of the most popular eateries in town with French and Italian comforting classics on the menu and a chandelier-fitted dining room to complete the setting. Empire Hotel Beechworth and Hibernian Hotel both serve quintessential Aussie pub food.
Beechworth is a three-hour drive from Melbourne, a six-hour drive from Sydney and a 4.5-hour drive from Canberra. A V/Line coach bus connects Melbourne and Sydney to Beechworth via Wangaratta. Beechworth’s nearest airport is in Albury, which is a 40-drive away.
The best time to visit Beechworth is from November to March when you can enjoy warm temperatures and fewer rain showers. In summer, temperatures can reach 27 degrees Celsius. In winter, temperatures can drop to as low as two degrees Celsius. Note that even in summer, the region can experience chilly temperatures at night.
First-time visitors should begin their trip to Beechworth at Beechworth Visitor Information Centre to get an overview of the town and its sights. The Ned Kelly Walking Tour and Echoes of History Guided Tour both leave from here.
Beechworth Historic Goldfield Tours offers tours ranging from one hour to three, teaching you about Beechworth’s mining history and exploring historic sites in the Beechworth, Stanley and Yackandandah areas.
Keen to get a good feel of Beechworth’s food and drink, but don’t want any hassle? Beechworth Barrel Tours’ five-hour food and wine tour will take care of the transport and the itinerary, completely tailored to your tastes. For an adventure you won’t soon forget, join a Tour De Vines four-day cycling tour, which will see you cruising from Beechworth to the town of Bright.
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