Sightseeing in Canberra - what to see. Complete travel guide

Canberra is a city of aromatic gardens that simply magnetizes visitors by its unforgettable harmony. While walking on parks and streets of the city you may catch yourself thinking each small stone in Canberra is a part of a grandiose architectural construction – it’s really hard to find anything “spare” here. Even ordinary shops and restaurants look like pieces of art. Your first impression won’t be mistaken as the architecture of this city was thoroughly planned prior to its actual building. The author of the project of Australian capital’s design was the architect Walter Burley Griffin, who paid much attention to all peculiarities of the local landscape to get the maximum and develop an optimal plan of building.

One of the main sights of the capital is the Botanic Garden the total area of which estimates 50 hectares. Here you can see over 6 thousand of types of plants many of which look like they have come from fairytales. There is a huge eucalypt grove in the garden and a garden of herbs. Those tourists, who want to find out more about Australian aboriginals, will enjoy visiting Australian National Gallery. Its halls exhibit over 70 thousands of items describing everyday life and culture of local people. Here you will also find works of European masters and works of modern painters. National Portrait Gallery provides the fullest outlook of the modern art. It was opened in 1994 and since that time the gallery became a place of frequent art exhibitions featuring rare items from private collections.

After watching the places of interest of Canberra, it's high time to make an excursion to suburbs as near the capital are located two large national parks – Tharwa and Kosciuszko.

In Canberra there are also remarkable historical sites. An excellent example is the old house of Parliament. This building was built in 1927. From the moment of construction, parliament was surrounded by luxurious gardens. They were preserved here and now, beautiful gardens became available for walks in 2004, when parliament vacated the building. In 1992 in the historic building, an interesting museum dedicated to the political culture of Australia was opened, and it contains many interesting historical artifacts. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

To the southwest of Canberra is Namadgi National Park. It was founded in 1984 and covers an area of ​​more than 1,000 square kilometers. The main values of these places are incredibly beautiful granite rocks, and the striking diversity of representatives of flora and fauna. One of the main attractions of the reserve is a huge tree in the Naas valley. It is often called a natural hostel. This tree has become home to dozens of bird species, bats and even some mammals.

In Canberra, there are very interesting religious sites. Next to the Royal Military College is a miniature chapel Changi. Originally it was in Singapore. It is one of thirty chapels, the construction of which was engaged prisoners of war in the camp of Changi. This chapel was built in 1944. After the war, it was decided to move it to Australia. Here it was literally rebuilt in the exact form in which it was built in the camp. Now the chapel is located in the picturesque eucalyptus grove and is one of the most symbolic city attractions.

Many attractions in Canberra are geared toward travelers with children. An excellent example is the National Dinosaur Museum. This amazing museum is one of the most visited in the country. Each year, its exhibits are examined by about 55 000 visitors. Within the walls of the museum are unique archaeological finds brought from different parts of Australia. Here you can see collections of ancient fossils, as well as skeletons of prehistoric animals. The opening of the museum took place in the distant 1933. For the years of its existence, its collection has expanded to an incredible scale and today it is one of the largest of its kind in the world. In this museum there are many interesting entertaining activities for children.