"Barossa Valley - German heritage in Australia" Top 5 Page for this destination Barossa by ettiewyn

The Barossa Valley is Australia's most famous wine region, and as it is located close to Adelaide, it makes for a convenient day out of the city.

If you are a wine lover, you will love it here: The area has an abundance of beautiful vineyards, and there are many wineries that offer wine tasting.

I am not really a wine drinker, so you might wonder why I went there, but I just wanted to see this famous region. I had heard that it was so beautiful there, and it really was. Not only that the vineyards and most of the wineries looked very pretty, the valley is also bordered by the Gawler Ranges, and those golden hills make a nice addition to the green vineyards.

Update April 2012: Typo corrected

Gawler Ranges

Another reason why I wanted to visit Barossa Valley was that it has a strong German heritage and tradition.
The area was named "Barossa" after a victory of the British over France in Spain in 1811. When the colony of South Australia was established, a few British people moved to Barossa Valley, but many German followed already in 1838. They were mainly from Silesia, people of Lutheran faith who were threatened and persecuted there. Hundreds of Germans migrated to the valley in the middle of the 19th century, and brought their wine making traditions with them.

Today, it is interesting to observe how high this German heritage is still held in the area, even after many names were changed during the two World Wars. The origin of the wineries is still proudly remembered. History and the hard work those first settlers did are not forgotten.

• Pros:Beautiful area, fascinating history, and good wine!
• Cons:A little expensive.
• In a nutshell:Worth a day out if you are in Adelaide - or maybe even a few :-)