Once a flourishing gold mining town, today Walhalla is a great place to experience rural Victoria. There's a lively town centre, gleaming gold rush legacy and plenty of opportunities to connect with nature.
Things to do in Walhalla
Start with a stroll through Walhalla's beautifully preserved town centre. It's lined with grand heritage buildings that offer a fascinating glimpse at life in the gold rush era. Today they house a mix of cafes, tea rooms and gift stores.
Walhalla struck gold in the 19th century when prospectors discovered Cohen's Reef, a three-kilometre streak that ran right through the town centre. Today you can relive the excitement down at Stringers Creek, where you can pan for your own gold.
To really get a feel for the gold mining industry, you need to descend underground. Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine tours unlock access to the subterranean shafts and caverns that were once used by miners. Led by knowledgeable guides, tours take around one hour and include helmets and head torches.
For some of the best views of the countryside, ride on the Walhalla Goldfields Railway. Along the way, you'll chug past colourful wildflower fields, towering eucalypt trees and the beautiful Stringers Creek Gorge. You can also venture into Baw Baw National Park, where scenic bushwalking trails wind through Snow
Gum woodlands.
Getting around Walhalla
Walhalla is small and easy to get around on foot, although you'll need a car to tour the rest of the Gippsland region, quite possibly a four-wheel drive. From Melbourne, the drive to Walhalla should take around two hours.