Best towns to visit on a trip to Victoria's High Country

Top towns to visit in Victoria's High Country

Mansfield 

Located in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, Mansfield was once a gold mining service centre, then a stock route camp, and now a pretty tourist town that acts as a gateway to ski fields and national parks.

Visit in June for the Mansfield Lantern Festival, held on the longest night of the year to celebrate the winter solstice. The Mansfield High Country Festival, held in October/November, brings live music, markets, fireworks, fun runs and a grand parade to this country town.

Best things to do in Mansfield

The Mansfield Zoo is home to both native and exotic animals, from Texas longhorn cattle to maned wolves. You can hand-feed many of the animals, including kangaroos and deer.

The High Country Gardens Gallery & Maze boasts beautiful gardens with a large hedge maze, plus a fine art gallery featuring renowned wildlife artist Tony Pridham. Pack a picnic or enjoy a meal from the onsite cafe.

Mansfield acts as a gateway to Mount Buller (45 minute drive) for downhill skiing and snowboarding and Mount Stirling (1.25 hour drive) for backcountry and cross-country ski and snowshoe trails. At Mount Stirling, don't miss the iconic Craig's Hut: the set for The Man from Snowy River, modelled off real cattlemen's huts studded around Victoria's High Country.

Horse riders should look into Watsons Trail Rides for multi-day Snowy River and Howqua River trail rides, plus Mountain Valley Trail Rides for real cattle droving trips.

Best walks near Mansfield

The Great Victorian Rail Trail transports hikers and cyclists along an incredible 130km route from Mansfield to Tallarook, passing through Yea, Alexandra and Lake Eildon at Bonnie Doon on the way.

In the Alpine National Park's Mansfield area, there's a great selection of shorter and longer hikes. Paradise Falls, which cascade for an impressive 31m, is just a 500m walk from the car park, while Powers Lookout is only a 1km return walk to sweeping views and a waterhole. Follow the Howqua River on the Howqua Hills Heritage Trail (3km return) or climb to Eagles Peak (5km return) for vistas of Mount Buller and Mount McDonald. After a longer walk? Try the rocky Mount Cobbler summit hike (10km return), the gentle walk out to Ritchie's Hut (11.5km loop), or up to The Bluff (12km loop), one of the highest peaks in the area.

Over at Lake Eildon National Park, many walking trails extend from the campgrounds that surround the large trout-filled lake. Try Perfect Cure Creek Nature Trail (2.3km loop) or Candlebark Gully (2km loop) for some nice family-friendly walks. The Coller Bay Track (3.5km one way) follows Lake Eildon's edge, connecting all the camping areas from Devil Cove to Lakeside. Or try Mount Pinniger (4.5km return), a strenuous hike up to a lookout and mountain summit for great views.

Best places to eat and drink in Mansfield

Anvil Brewing Co. offers up heaty main meals like porterhouse steaks to hungry craft beer drinks. Try pizza (plus homemade ice cream) at O'Malley's Pizza in town.

Ranges at the Mansfield Golf Club provides a more modern Australian menu full of premium meats. Otherwise, visit the Mansfield Hotel for a classic bistro restaurant, or Produce Store for your morning coffee and breakfast.

Delatite Winery has a classy cellar door for wine tastings, complete with a sunlit terrace and a dining room. You can even book in an estate tour or a picnic hamper experience.

Benalla

On the way from Mansfield to Bright, stop off at bustling Benalla, centred around the pretty Lake Benalla made from damming the Broken River.

Visit in May for the Historic Winton show with classic cars and motorbikes galore, or during the October/November Benalla Festival for music concerts, exhibitions, comedy shows, a street parade, markets and fireworks.

Best things to do in Benalla

The Benalla Art Gallery punches far above its weight and is well worth a visit. Sitting beside Lake Benalla, the gallery showcases iconic Australian art and regional history. On a hot day, have a dip in the lake outside, or go for a walk around the Benalla Botanical Gardens with its glorious rose gardens.

History buffs should then visit the Benalla Costume & Pioneer Museum to witness historical clothes and memorabilia from the time of Ned Kelly, including the famous blood-stained sash worn at his death. The Ned Kelly Animatronic Museum is just 20 minutes away in Glenrowan, offering up a kitschy but cute depiction of the Australian gunslinger's last stand. There's also the Benalla Aviation Museum, exhibiting Australia's military air training history at Benalla Airport's Bellman Hangar.

Best walks near Benalla

Between Benalla and Mansfield lies Mount Samaria State Park, full of great shorter walks. Rocky Point Lookout (300m one way) offers views over Mansfield, whilethe Mount Samaria Summit (4km loop) provides sweeping views over the Alps. Head to Back Creek Falls (1.5km one way) to soothe the soul with a gently cascading waterfall. Wild Dog Falls and Lookout (1.5km one way) is arguably the area's best walks, boasting both a waterfall and panoramic views over Lake Nillahcootie and the Strathbogie Ranges.

Closer to Benalla, the Winton Wetlands is the first Society of Wetland Scientists' 'Wetland of Distinction' outside of the USA. The Mokoan Cafe provides bites to eat while enjoying the water views before tackling one of the looping walks. The Woodland Walk (600m loop) is great for small children, as is the Heron Loop Walk (1.5km loop) or Swan Wall Walk (1.5km return) by the pretty Duck Pond. Those after a longer walk can try Green Hills Walk (2.5km loop) over woodland hills with views over the wetlands, or Mokoan Ponds Walk (4.5km return) to meander through the lowlands.

If you don't mind a drive, it's also worth visting Gooram Falls or Polly McQuinns for beautiful summer swims in nature, or Mount Wombat for mind-melting views over the surrounding country.

Best places to eat and drink in Benalla

Benalla has a lovely collection of quality country pubs. The Tatong Tavern is an English-style pub that also offers bed and breakfast. The Northo, also known as the North Eastern Hotel, is a gastropub serving up delicious meals. Or there's the Bias Bistro at the Benalla Bowls Club for a classic bistro restaurant.

For breakfast or lunch, head to Munro & Sargeant on the waterfront at Benalla Art Gallery.

More: Melbourne to Sydney: your ultimate road trip guide for the Hume Highway

Bright

Bright is the ultimate gateway to Victoria's mountain country, acting as a base for exploring the Alpine and Mount Buffalo national parks, plus the Mount Hotham, Mount Beauty and Falls Creek alpine villages.

Over the Labour Day long weekend, the Brighter Days festival hosts exciting vehicle rallies and live entertainment from well-known musicians to fundraise for children's charities. Bright is particularly beautiful in autumn thanks to its fall foliage, as celebrated by the Bright Autumn Festival in April/May with farm tours, open gardens, arts and crafts exhibitions, live music and a street parade. Even in the depths of winter, Bright's Darker Days festival in June offers up dark beer and live music as winter warmers.

Best things to do in Bright

In Bright, visit the Bright Art Gallery, full of community artworks, and the Bright Museum, located in the town's former train station and full of railway and gold rush history.

If you're in a daring mood, there are several tandem paragliding companies operating out of Bright. Sail over the mountains and valleys of the High Country, with no experience necessary thanks to the talented guides. Another adventure activity near Bright is kayaking the gorgeous Ovens River with the Bright Adventure Company, which offers a family-friendly or a white-water version.

Of course, if it's winter, you can't go wrong with a few days skiing or snowboarding on the slopes of Falls Creek and Mount Hotham.

Best walks near Bright

The Murray to Mountains Rail Trail is a scenic 120km walking and cycling track from Bright to Wangaratta. If you're more into hiking or cycling than road trips, Murray to Mountains is a great way to see High Country bushland and towns.

The Ovens River Canyong Walk (6km loop) is a fantastic hike near Bright, starting in town at Centenary Park and following the lovely Ovens River.

Head out to the Alpine National Park's Mount Bogong, Victoria's highest peak, to tackle some summit hikes for wonderful plateau views. The Eskdale Spur (9.2km return) is the shorter option, while the Staircase Spur (17.2km return) allows you to rest halfway up at Bivouac Hut. If you're with kids, the Fern Tree Track & Peppermint Walk (3.2km loop) is a gentle track full of peppermint gums, ferns and an easy crossing at Sodawater Creek.

The Bogong High Plains area in the heart of the Alpine National Park has rugged tracks out to the old, abandoned cattlemen's huts that stud the mountains and valleys of High Country. The Cope Hut Track (5km loop) tours Cope Hut, Bogong Rover Chalet, and Wallace Hut - the oldest known cattlemen's hut, built in 1889 from snow gum slabs and woollybutt shingles). You can also climb up Mount Cope (3.2km) through scattered gums and boulders to the rocky summit, trek to Roper Lookout (4km return) for excellent views of Falls Creek, or wander the Mount Nelse Track (9km return) to see Edmonsons Hut.

There are over 90km of walking trails through Mount Buffalo National Park, accessed via the Great Alpine Road at Porepunkah (just a seven minute drive from Bright). Great stops and trailheads incude the Eurobin Creek Track (1.5km return, three waterfalls), Rollasons Falls Track (2.5km, two falls and a rock pool), The Gorge (sheer cliffs with views over the alps), Lake Catani (great for swimming, with lakeside walks and passages through granite rocks), Dingo Dell (small snow gum valley occasionally visited by alpine dingoes), The Cathedral (a massive granite tor with trails exploring hidden sections of Mount Buffalo) and The Horn (the highest point on Mount Buffalo).

Best places to eat and drink in Bright

Bright is chock-full of great dining options. Grab your coffee and brunch at Bright's Ginger Baker Cafe.

The Bright Brewery has a full brewpub menu, with craft beers and guided brewery tours, plus weekly live music and trivia nights. Other great pubs include the Alpine Hotel (which has a regional providore onsite too), Star Hotel (with a giant parma menu) and the Wandi Pub (in Wandiligong, just 6km out of Bright).

For Italian cuisine, try Sole e Luna for delicious pasta options or Il Centro for a classic pizzeria.

Nightingale Bros is a very popular apple orchard ner Bright that's been growing apples for over 60 years. Their cider and seasonal produce has to be tasted to be believed.

Wine lovers shouldn't miss Feathertop Winery, a gorgeous vineyard estate producing cool climate wines since 1989. RACV Members can enjoy a delectable picnic at Feathertop Winery, including bikes to explore the estate and find your own special picnic spot. Or attend the Behind the Wine & Vines tour to be guided around the vineyard and winery, study wine crushing, taste tank samples (when available) and go home with your own bottle of wine.

More: Why you should drive Victoria’s Great Alpine Road

Beechworth

Gorgeous Beechworth is a popular High Country town that was once a major gold rush centre.

If you can, visit during the Beechworth Heritage Festival to enjoy performances, exhibits, workshops and street parades, or the Golden Horseshows Festival, which celebrates a former local member of parliament who in 1855 rode through Beechworth on a horse with shoes of solid gold.

Best things to do in Beechworth

The Old Beechworth Gaol once held infamous bushranger Ned Kelly. This jail was once once of Australia's largest prisons, operating from 1859 until 2004. Today, you can book into a tour to learn about the people who once lived, worked and served their time at the Old Beechworth Gaol. Continue the theme by visiting the Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum, a former psychiatric hospital with ghost tours and escape rooms.

Discover more of this mountain town's gritty history at the Beechworth Historic Precinct, where you can explore a collection of provincial government buildings from the 1800s. The Beechworth Courthouse saw more than 40 trials and hearings for the Kelly Gang and its sympathisers, and still hosts an exhibition on their crimes and punishment. The nearby Burke Museum, dedicated to explorer Robert O'Hara Burke who also served Beechworth as a police officer, includes Ned Kelly's death mask, natural history, a gold rush collection, and even a 'Street of Shops' that demonstrates how the town would have looked in the 1800s. Don't miss the Telegraph Station, which delivered news like the Kelly Gang siege at Glenrowan to and from Beechworth via Morse code.

Finish your gold rush tour at Beechworth Gold, a gallery full of real gold and gemstones in the old Bank of Victoria building that contains the gold rush's original gold vault. Can you find your family name on the list of 5,000 men and women here in 1854?

Worked up an appetite? The Beechworth Honey Shop has a honey tastings counter, working beehive, honey gifts and workshops, while Beechworth Berries offers a berry farmgate with fresh berries, jams and cordials - or you can pick your own from the orchards!

Best walks near Beechworth

Venture outdoors in the Beechworth Historic Park, where you'll find old gold mining sites, native forests, winding creeks and rugged gullies. Enjoy the celebrated Beechworth Gorge Walk to paddle in rock pools, a 7km loop out to Ingrams Rock for lovely views over the former Reids Creek goldfields, or a 10km trek between Lake Sambell and Lake Kerferd to spot koalas, wallabies and wombats.

Between Beechworth and Chiltern, the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park introduces walkers to a striking mountain range filled with forests and historic gold mining sites. Hike out to Woolshed Falls, a former gold mine turned swimming hole. From the falls, a 5km walking track links to Powder Magazine, which once stored black-powder for blasting on the goldfields.

Best places to eat and drink in Beechworth

Back in Beechworth, head to the Beechworth Provender cafe-deli to stock up on local wines and produce. Pick up more treats for later at JimJam (homemade jams from a husband-and-wife duo) and the Beechworth Sweet Company (an old-world sweet shop). The Beechworth Bakery is another country favourite, full of hearty pies, rolls and pastries.

When you're ready for a full meal, opt for one of Beechworth's beautiful pubs like Tanswell's Hotel or Hiberian Hotel. For something a little more highbrow, there's The Ox and Hound Bistro offering rustic French and Italian fare, or Provenance Restaurant with Japanese-inspired fine dining in the building that once housed the Bank of Australasia.

Last St Brewery is one of Australia's oldest, with traditional spirits, sodas and cordials on offer. Meanwhile, Bridge Road Brewers is a lovely little microbrewery that hosts tastings and pizza. Wine lovers will enjoy Indigo Wine Co.'s cellar door with its limited-release varietals, or Pennyweight Winery's biodyamic wines at its own cellar door. More into gin and vodka? Barking Owl Distilling Co.'s Still House is a converted 1950s shearing shed that now works as a distillery and ceramics studio.

More: Best historical experiences in regional Victoria

Rutherglen

The Rutherglen area, which includes towns like Wahgunyah, Yackandandah and Chiltern, was an important cattle grazing and gold rush area in the 1800s. After the gold rush, Rutherglen transitioned to a prosperous agricultural and wine-producing district.

In fact, Rutherglen boasts three separate wine festivals during the year. In March, Tastes of Rutherglen introduces the region's best wine and produce, with masterclasses, workshops, tours and talks. Come June, the Winery Walkabout encourages visitors to a selection of premium wineries for special tastings, tours and entertainment. And the Rutherglen Wine Show in September showcases the region's wines with exhibitions, tastings and judged competitions.

Best things to do in Rutherglen

In this wine town, head straight to the Rutherglen Wine Experience Visitor Information Centre, located in the town centre on Main Street. Learn how wines are made and all about Rutherglen's rich history. Main Street maintains much of its historical charm, with many hotels and shops retaining their 19th-century fronts.

Just a 15 minute drive away from Rutherglen is Chiltern, another historic town where you can visit several important sites. Dow's Pharmacy is over 160 years old, originally run by the father of Australian prime minister John McEwen and later by Hilda Dow (nee Grey), an iconic female pharmacist during most of the 20th century. Everything remains intact from their tenures, including medicines, shop fittings, and stock in original packaging. Also in town is the Federal Standard Printing Works, a living museum with a working printing press still in use. There's also Lake View House, a red brick house built in 1870 that was home to acclaimed author Henry Handel Richardson.

Consider staying at Rutherglen's Mount Ophir Estate, a luxury hotel in a historic vineyard famous for its shiraz.

Best walks near Rutherglen

Explore the Rutherglen Sculpture Trail on the Lake King Walk (1.2km loop), featuring plenty of local birdlife. While long, the Lake Moodemere Walk (12km loop) around a huge natural billabong is also a beautiful and peaceful walk.

In the nearby Warby-Ovens National Park, you'll be treated to spectacular viewpoints and incredible spring wildflowers. The Warby Falls Heritage Trail (7.6km return) showcases the region's history, following a gully with a historic saw mill, weirs, sheep washes, dams and waterfalls. Climb Mount Warby through Salisbury Falls Gorge on the Salisbury Falls Walk (4.5km return) or Mount Glenrowan (9.5km return) to Morgans Lookout for wide-spreading views. Easier trails include the Friends Track (5.5km loop with diversion to Kwat Kwat Lookout), Pangarang Lookout Walk (4.5km return) and the Sunrise Walking Tracks (2-6km loop options).

There's also the beautiful Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, which includes historic gold mining sites, box-ironbark forests, and the stunning Woolshed Falls. View Aboriginal rock art at Yeddonba, go prospecting at Reedy Creek, or head up to the Mount Pilot Lookout (1km loop) to see Mount Buffalo on a clear day.

One of the best walks in the area is the St Leonards-Granthams Walk (4km loop), which wanders along the banks of the mighty Murray River from Wahgunyah, just an eight minute drive from Rutherglen.

Best places to eat and drink in Rutherglen

Hungry visitors should head straight to The Victorian, a classy pub that celebrates local produce cooked over open flames. If you're after more basic grub, go to Barnawartha Star Hotel for classic pub meals or Rutherglen Eastern Palace for Chinese. Pickled Sisters is a great option for modern Australian breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you're just feeling snacky, then Parker Pies is a fantastic country pie shop.

Wineries abound in the Rutherglen area. All Saints Estate not only has a cellar door with winery tours on offer, but also has two onsite restaurants to keep bellies full between glasses. Campbells Wines also offers delectable wine tastings, with occasional access to their century-old cellars. Jones Winery's heritage cellar door comes with picnic hampers, platters and a full-service restaurant, while Buller Wines has both a cellar door and a distillery door alongside its restaurant.

More into whisky? Head to Morris of Rutherglen for a celebrated whisky an fortified wine cellar door.

Don't miss GooraMadda Olives, whose cellar door offers extra virgin olive oils, table olives, dressings, chutneys, jams, marmalades and tapenades complete with wine and cheese pairings.

More: 10 of the best wineries and cellar doors to visit in Rutherglen