Fine food, great wine, a sense of history and the good life - can all be found in the elegant city of Adelaide - the capital of South Australia and home to more than a million people. Adelaide is a feast in every way. In fact it's said there are more restaurants per head of population here than anywhere else in Australia.

Known also as the City of Churches (Holy Trinity Church 1838, St Peter's Cathedral 1869 and St Francais Xavier Cathedral,1856 - to name a few) Adelaide features traditional stone architecture and wide encircling parklands, with a picturesque natural backdrop formed by the Adelaide Hills. Designed by Colonel William Light in 1836 he laid the city out on a square mile grid pattern of wide streets and airy squares, with a buffer zone of green parklands encircling it. Lights vision has been kept alive and the Torrens Lake in the northern parklands add to the city's charm.

North Terrace is a cocktail of galleries and museums, with the Adelaide Casino thrown in for spice. Housed in a beautifully restored train station, the casino prides itself on being at the boutique end of the Market. Apart from a wide range of gambling facilities (including a two-up game) there are 3 bars and 2 restaurants (see Nightlife, Casinos)

Parallel to North Terrace lies the bustling hub of the East End, Rundle Street. Lined with cafes, bars and restaurants, catering to the young bohemian set, you will encounter many students forgoing lectures in nearby Adelaide University in favour of lattes and cappuccinos. You can shop at leisure in Rundle Mall, take in the enticing tastes and smells of the Central Market and at the end of the day, enjoy the stimulating nightlife of Hindley Street and the West End (see Nightlife). Besides a lively music and gambling scene, Adelaide has many old pubs for casual drinks and cinemas for movie buffs.

For a real Aussie experience, late-night snackers should visit the Pie Carts outside the Adelaide Train Station on North Tce or beside the GPO on Franklin st. for the infamous Pie floater - an Aussie meat swimming in thick pea soup topped with tomato sauce - A south Australian original.

Every two years, the Adelaide Festival of Arts and the Festival Fringe bring the City a world-class extravaganza of cultural delights - these and other festivals dotted throughout the year, give Adelaide its title as the "Festival City".

If this all sounds a bit much and you feel the need to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, just a short stroll from the city centre (towards North Tce, East of Elder Park) finds you on the edge of The Botanical Gardens. Twenty-hectares bursting with native and exotic plant species including some beautifully established lakes, a Bicentennial Conservatory (considered to be the largest in the southern hemisphere) as well as Palm House an extensive nineteenth century glass house that recreates a tropical rainforest environment.
Free guided tours taking about 1 ý hours leave from the kiosk on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 10.30 am.

Adelaide caters for every taste, if you can't find what you are looking for in the city centre head to Glenelg for the beaches, head to the hills for the bush walking or head to the Barossa for the wine tasting.

Just a short tram ride from Adelaide's Victoria Square (the only operational city tram service), is the beautiful seaside town of Glenelg. Only 20 minutes from the capital city and less than 10 minutes from the domestic and international airports, the coast offers great opportunities all year for both business travellers and holiday seekers.

Tens of thousands of visitors each year are drawn by the long white, sandy beaches, heritage walks and buildings, as well as a wide variety of accommodation, attractions, activities, festivals, cuisine and shopping. Main shopping and attractions are very central in Glenelg, stretching along Jetty Road. Here you'll find a mix of, fashion stores, supermarkets, souvenir shops, furniture stores, newsagents, banks, cafe's and restaurants, in fact there is an almost endless variety. Located at the very western end of Jetty Road is The Stamford Grand. This magnificent hotel overlooking the sea offers a variety of restaurants and bars affording its clientele many options. The "Grand" is also a popular spot on the weekends with entertainment running till late in the evening.

To work up an appetite for some of the fantastic restaurants located here (See Eating Out, Restaurants) You can take a tour around some of the heritage sites. The well-known "Old Gum Tree" (in McFarlane street), was the site chosen by Governor Hindmarsh to read the proclamation of South Australia on 28 December, 1836. Each year this event is celebrated on Proclamation Day with a re-enactment of this reading on the same site.

As you follow the coast north you will come across the quaint suburb of Henley Beach. If you are planning a visit it is recommended that you tie your trip in with either lunch or dinner. The square is renowned among critics as harbouring some excellent chic restaurants and jazzy little wine bars. Just off from the square is the attractive jetty used by people to walk off their elegant sufficient meal as well as a temporary home to a number of fisherman as the sun dies down. There are also a number of historic houses to browse around such as the Charles Sturt House.