Uraidla
A revived hilltop hamlet of pub, brewery and market-garden dining.
A market garden reborn
High on a ridge near Mount Lofty, Uraidla sits about 17 kilometres east of Adelaide in country long cared for by the Peramangk and Kaurna people. Its name comes from the Kaurna word for "two ears", a reference to the nearby peaks of Mount Lofty and Mount Bonython and to a Dreaming story of an ancestral giant whose body formed part of the Mount Lofty Ranges. Settled from the mid-1800s as a market-garden and orchard district, it still grows leeks, cabbages, apples and cherries on the slopes around it.
Food, drink and a country show
Once sleepy, Uraidla's compact main street has become one of the Hills' liveliest food and drink stops. The restored Uraidla Hotel anchors the village with its bakery, cafe and on-site brewery, and the showground hosts the long-running Uraidla and Summertown Show. The town also earned a cult following when a former stone church was reborn as a wood-fired pizza and natural-wine bar.
Vineyards and bushland on the doorstep
The surrounding district is prime cool-climate wine country. Pinot pioneer Ashton Hills Vineyard overlooks the Piccadilly Valley, while nearby Lenswood is known for its apple orchards and cellar doors. Walkers can reach Horsnell Gully and Giles Conservation Parks, where the Heysen and Yurrebilla trails cross koala habitat.
Visiting Uraidla - frequently asked questions
What is Uraidla known for?
Uraidla is best known as one of the Adelaide Hills' liveliest food and drink villages, anchored by the restored Uraidla Hotel with its bakery, cafe and on-site brewery. It grew up as a market-garden and orchard town, and the surrounding district is respected cool-climate wine country.
How far is Uraidla from Adelaide?
Uraidla sits about 17 kilometres east of the Adelaide CBD, high on a ridge near Mount Lofty. The trip is roughly a 30-minute drive up into the central Adelaide Hills via Greenhill or Norton Summit roads.
What is there to do in Uraidla?
Most visitors come to eat and drink, starting at the Uraidla Hotel and the village's bakery, brewery and wine bars. Nearby you can taste cool-climate wine at cellar doors such as Ashton Hills Vineyard, explore apple country around Lenswood, or walk the Heysen and Yurrebilla trails through Horsnell Gully and Giles Conservation Parks.
When is the best time to visit Uraidla?
Spring and autumn are ideal, with mild weather for walking and local produce at its peak. Autumn brings the apple and cherry harvest around nearby Lenswood, while the historic Uraidla and Summertown Show is usually held in early November.
What is the historic church in Uraidla?
A former stone church in the village was famously reborn as a wood-fired pizza and natural-wine bar, complete with an oven where the altar once stood. It helped put Uraidla on the map for visitors from the city and beyond, though it has since closed, so it is worth checking what is currently open before you go.
Things to do in Uraidla
4 places in this category
No places in this category here yet.
Image credits
- Uraidla Hotel in the Adelaide Hills.jpg by Uraidla Hotel , CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons