Yarra Glen

Yarra Glen is an agricultural and dairy town in the heart of the Yarra Valley wine and food region, making it the ideal base for enjoying cellar door tastings and sampling local produce. Just a short distance from Melbourne, Yarra Glen is a popular weekend getaway. Meet the winemaker and sample wines at the cellar doors of some the state's best known and award-winning wineries, like Yering Station, De Bortoli and TarraWarra Estate, which also exhibits iconic and new Australian art. Dine on regional produce or visit the Yarra Valley Dairy for lunch and enjoy handmade cheeses, local wines, coffee, desserts and excellent views. Take home locally grown produce from the monthly farmers' market. Yarra Glen's pioneering agricultural and dairy farming history is on display at Gulf Station, a working farm dating from the mid-nineteenth century. Wander the property alongside cattle, horses, Berkshire pigs, and sheep. A sunrise balloon flight over the picturesque vine-laced valley will ensure Yarra Glen remains in your heart. Later, take a picnic or walk the 18-kilometre trail in Sugarloaf Reservoir Park. One of Yarra Glen's most impressive historic buildings is the Grand Hotel in Bell Street. Built in the late 1880s, this beautiful two-storey stuccoed hotel has a tower, parapet and cast-iron verandah. In addition to the monthly farmers' market, popular local events include the Yarra Glen Agricultural Show in February. Yarra Glen is approximately 50 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, or just under an hour on the Eastern Freeway, the Eastlink tollway and the Melba Highway.