Hahndorf, in the bucolic Adelaide Hills, is a small town that’s more-German-than-Germany Hahndorf. Founded by German settlers in the mid-19th century, Hahndorf has never forgotten its roots and visitors can go wild clogging arteries with an outstanding range of cheese kranskys, sauerkraut, hearty German meats, and Arcobräu beer from a 500-year-old German brewery served in the local, equally German, pub. Everything feels authentic from the handsome Lutheran architecture to the strudel in the bakeries to the Volksmusik flowing down the tree-lined main street.
Built in 1863 this two-story pub is all about the grub. Your taste buds will be überflutet (flooded) with German flavours: schnitzel, pork knuckle, Vienna sausages or apple strudels, all washed down with a frothy topped Löwenbräu bier (beer).
German bier drinking music greets you in this packed store, full of so many cuckoo clocks you wonder how the shop owners don’t go cuckoo listening to all those cuckoos chiming in every hour. They sell and repair clocks, the authentic German way of course, and sell a dizzying array of other things. This is the place to pick up those cow bells you’ve always wanted, or nutcrackers, Bahushak dolls or the must have traditional bier stein, along with a bier drinking CD!
The view at The Lane will blow you away and you’ll be clicking at it faster than the heels of the friendly staff. The wine is hervorragend (superb) with viognier, pinot grigio and pinot gris as the main stars. Make time for Mittagessen, which is the much-nicer sounding German word for lunch.
If you didn’t know you could get Goat Camembert you will after visiting Udder Delight. This cheese cellar slash café serves the best coffee in town and a jaw dropping range of artisan, locally made cheeses from Chevre, Feta, French Triple Cream Brie, Goats Curd and some hervorragend Blue Veins. You can order a platter or take some away for a picnic (in the grounds of The Cedars). Try the Heyson or King Saul Blue.
Just out of Hahndorf lies The Cedars, the historicsh (a way better way to say historic) home of landscape artist Hans Heyson, who was knighted for his contribution to Australian art. There are over 200 works of art in the old family home, which Hans shared with his wife Sallie and their eight children. You can channel your inner artist snooping around Hans’ old studio or Nora Heysen’s (Hans’ daughter). And it’s all set in massive rambling gardens, the ideal spot to break out those cheeses from Udder Delight.
This is where the fun begins after the sun goes down for the fräuleins and junggeselles of Hahndorf, although it’s often full of tourists. The Arms Hotel is always packed on weekends (with under 30 year olds) with live music and the odd quiz night. After consuming vast quantities of German bier the legendary bratwursts and schnitzels are as popular as the Bavarian brazier.
