A Winter Weekend in Hahndorf

Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, is one of my family’s favourite places to visit at any time of the year.

In summer it’s always cooler than the city, in autumn the colours are breathtaking, in spring everything is so fresh and in winter it’s so inviting to find a warm cosy spot to enjoy a hot drink.  We always bring friends and family to Hahndorf whenever they visit from overseas or interstate, but we also enjoy the simplicity of taking a drive through the hills numerous times a year with a mandatory stop along the main street in Hahndorf.

An invitation by friends to come up and stay for the weekend was the perfect little getaway and a chance to explore Hahndorf wearing warm coats, gloves and beanies!

Lolly shops and produce stores

To our children Hahndorf means lollies, and apart from a visit to the new Menz FruChocs Shop there are numerous old fashioned lolly shops here to browse that will remind parents of their own childhood.  Sweets that are not available in supermarkets, overseas specialities and locally produced lollies and chocolates are waiting to be discovered.  There are often free tastings at many of the produce stores along the main street, and it’s a treat too good to refuse when it’s handmade fudge that’s on offer!

Playgrounds

A play at the park is standard with young children and there are a couple of basic playgrounds located on the main street – one is opposite the German Arms Hotel in the Pioneer Memorial Gardens, and the other is Alec Johnston Park on the opposite side of the road (near the corner of Pine Avenue).  There are public toilets nearby, picnic tables and BBQ facilities.

Places to eat

Finding a place to eat in Hahndorf is easy with so many restaurants, cafe’s and bakery’s to choose from.  There are plenty of family friendly options and we happen to have both lunch and breakfast the next day at Café Assiette, located in an historic stone cottage on the corner of Balhannah Road.

We sat in the unique, antique filled back room surrounded by the ‘German Message Walls’ and a roaring log fire.  There’s a marker provided for visitors to leave a few words or simply sign their name on the café walls – something the kids couldn’t believe they were allowed to do so they certainly made the most of the one and only time they had permission to actually write on the walls!  The food here was great, as was the coffee.

Oak Tree Cottages

Our accommodation for the night was in one of the lovely new Oak Tree Cottages.  Fresh, clean and modern, this group of 6 cottages were only recently built and are hidden behind Hahndorf Clocks and Collectables.  We stayed in a one room cottage with a sofa bed in the living room for the kids.  Each serviced cottage is self contained with an open kitchen, two way bathroom, separate bedroom and living area with reverse cycle air-conditioning, TV, DVD and wireless internet.  There are also BBQ’s on request and a beautifully shaded central courtyard area.  A secure car space is provided with each cottage and the location is right in the heart of Hahndorf’s main street.

The Haus Hahndorf

For dinner we dined at The Haus Hahndorf where our table enjoyed a delicious selection of pizza and pasta dishes.  There were the standard kids menu options and our waiter was even kind enough to find some paper for the kids to draw on when we ran out.  Even on a cold winter night the restaurant was busy with a mix of visitors and locals, live music and open fires created an inviting atmosphere and it was lovely to be able to just walk back to our room at the end of the night.

Hahndorf is just a 20 minute drive from the Adelaide CBD, via the Southern Eastern Freeway.  We also visited the Hahndorf Farm Barn on our weekend away, which you can read about here.

For more information and all enquiries please visit the Hahndorf SA website.

What:   A Winter Weekend in Hahndorf

When:   Any time of year

Where:   Hahndorf, Adelaide Hills (see map)

Who:   Everyone

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

Image Source: Play & Go 2013

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