Day One: History and Art, Food and Wine

We suggest your first day in Castlemaine is spent taking in a little of the town’s culture and history and the surrounding scenery, along with exceptional coffee, food and wine.

Stop 1: A Big Country Brekkie!

Indulge in a great (Fair Trade) coffee and a hearty breakfast (pancakes? BLT? Eggs Hollandaise?) at local institution Saffs Café. Serving good food for breakfast, brunch and lunch, with plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options, for well over 20 years, it’s an ideal place to say hello to Castlemaine.

Stop 2: Visitor Information Centre

After breakfast, stroll a block down the road to Castlemaine’s fabulous Visitor Information Centre in the historic Market Building built in 1862. Enjoy the architecture, the wealth of information on offer, local souvenirs, the seasonal art exhibition featuring dozens of works by local artists, and the award-winning Boorp Boorp Boondyil exhibition which welcomes visitors onto Djaara Country, shares the stories and teachings of the Djaara People and offers important cultural lessons about living on Country.

Stop 3: Castlemaine Art Museum.

A two-block stroll from the Visitor Centre takes you to the Castlemaine Art Museum. Founded in 1913, the heritage listed art deco building is home to a unique collection of Australian art, First Nations cultural material and historical artefacts reflecting the early history of the region including the 1850s goldrush.  

Stop 3: Lunch and an Afternoon at Maldon

Head to the historic town of Maldon, just 15 minutes from Castlemaine. Historically, architecturally and socially significant as a remarkably intact and beautifully preserved gold-rush era town, Maldon was classified by the National Trust in 1965 as Australia's First Notable Town.

Lunch options include the Maldon Hotel, the Golden Nugget Restaurant at Porcupine Village, an authentic gold-mining village, the bakery or one of the country cafes along the main street. Then head off to explore the insta-worthy streetscapes which look like they haven’t changed for well over 120 years and the impressive number of historic buildings around the town centre, most of which have been converted into cafes, galleries and antiques shops.  Be sure to stop in at the famous Lolly Shop.

Drive to the Mount Tarrengower Lookout, just a few minutes from the town centre. Climb the tower, originally built in 1923, and enjoy stunning, panoramic views across the landscapes of Central Victoria. Visible neighbouring peaks include Mount Alexander at Harcourt, Mt Franklin near Daylesford and Mount Macedon. Sit back and relax for a little while at one of the picnic tables and take in the scenery before returning to Castlemaine. .

Stop 7: A Country Pub Dinner

After the sightseeing and fresh air, an upmarket pub meal, with local beer and wine or perhaps a cocktail or two, sounds just right. Head across the road from BIG4 Castlemaine to the historic Bridge Hotel, where you’ll be well taken care of. Chances are live music might be happening and there’s a great outdoor garden seating area.

Dinner Alternative: Head back into Castlemaine, on foot or by car, to the iconic Theatre Royal. Built in 1854 to provide live entertainment to the thousands of diggers who migrated to Central Victoria in search of gold, it is now one of the oldest continuously running theatres in the Southern Hemisphere. A vital and much-loved part of the Castlemaine community and a cultural institution, the theatre is a venue for films, festivals and live music. It also offers superb organic pizzas (eat in or takeaway), great wines and cocktails and a gorgeous garden bar.

 Day Two: A Market, Shopping, More Art and Good Food and Wine Again

Stop 1: To market, to market!

This morning you’re heading to the Saturday morning Wesley Hill Market  on the Pyrenees Highway heading out to Chewton. This is the locals’ market and you’re going to find excellent coffee for your morning hit or aromatic chai, breads, sweet treats and baked goods, second-hand clothing and books, fruits and vegetables, and more. There might be music, furniture, plants – who knows? Sit for a while, explore, meet the locals – this is vibrant, quirky Castlemaine at its best.

Stop 2: Forest Creek Historic Gold Diggings, Chewton.

Just a few minutes from the market you’ll find this goldrush-era site, an ideal introduction to the fascinating history of Castlemaine's vast Central Goldfields.  A 400-metre track circles around an historic alluvial goldfield, complete with mining relics and structures, and detailed signboards along the way provide facts and information about the ancient Forest Creek riverbed and the gold rush of the 1850's.  

Stop 3: Pennyweight Flat Cemetery

Heading back to Castlemaine, take a brief detour to visit the beautiful Pennyweight Flat Cemetery, a haunting tribute to the harsh reality of the early goldrush years. Located on a hill overlooking the Forest Creek goldfield where 30,000 diggers once lived and worked, this is Victoria’s most intact and evocative gold rush cemetery. Around 200 shallow marked graves of children and adults, including Chinese migrants, are scattered amongst the trees. A beautiful information sign stands beside the walking track to the cemetery.

Stop 4: A picnic lunch

Head to the extraordinary Mill Complex opposite BIG4 Castlemaine and pick up some delicious gourmet treats for a picnic lunch at the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, next door to us.  You’ll find artisan bread, locally cured organic meats and fish, pate, hand-made cheese and dairy products, chocolates and more. Put a feast together and take it across the road, settle under a big shady tree – possibly planted over 150 years ago – and relax and enjoy.  

Lunch alternatives: Stay at The Mill and head to ShedShaker Brewing and the Taproom for locally brewed craft beers and a lunch of pizzas, pastas or delicious sbacks. Or go to Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar, a very funky wine-cooperative that offers outstanding wines and bountiful seasonal lunches and dinners on Saturday and Sunday.

Stop 5: The Mill

Yes, it’s more of the Mill, because there's a lot more to see and do! This vast 1870s reimagined woollen mill is home to far more than specialist food producers, outlets and restaurants. The 2000-square metre Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar is host to dozens and dozens of stallholders offering upmarket recycled and upcycled clothing, homewares and much, much more! The artisan precinct includes makers of furniture, clothing, bath soaks, mosaics, an ethical florist and you’ll also find quirky artists’ studios and small galleries. In short, it’s a shopping and browsing wonderland that attracts visitors from far and wide. Enjoy!

Stop 6: Dinner

It’s time for something extra special so you booked ahead for a table at the intimate Bar Midland (a 10-minute walk away), awarded a Chef’s Hat by the Age Good Food Guide for the past two years. Noted local chef Alex Perry offers a menu that celebrates Victorian producers who focus on organic, bio-dynamic and regenerative land management.  Open Friday and Saturday for dinner and Saturday and Sunday for lunch. A reservations-free casual Supper Club offers snacks and drinks.

Day Three: Touring

Stop 1: A Viennese breakfast

It’s back to The Mill for breakfast at Das Kaffeehaus, a Viennese-themed coffee house. Enjoy the chandelier, the European-style tables and a breakfast menu that includes smoked salmon and dark rye, Austrian pancakes and Viennese frankfurters as well as excellent freshly roasted coffee.

Stop 2: Bendigo: The Art Gallery and View Street

Head to the regional city of Bendigo, Australia’s fourth largest inland city, just 40 minutes north of Castlemaine.  A gold-rush boom town, Bendigo is known for its ornate architecture and diverse cultural heritage as well as its food and wine, parks and reserves and its year-round events and festivals calendar that ranges from huge Easter celebrations to chamber music, and comedy and writers’ festivals.

TStop 2: Bendigo: View Street, Rosalind Park and the Golden Dragon Museum

Head to the regional city of Bendigo, Australia’s fourth largest inland city, just 40 minutes north of Castlemaine.  A gold-rush boom town, Bendigo is known for its ornate architecture and diverse cultural heritage as well as its food and wine, parks and reserves and its year-round events and festivals calendar that ranges from huge Easter celebrations to sports, chamber music, and a comedy festival.

Today you’re heading to View St, in the heart of the city, to admire the historic streetscape and browse the shops and cafes. Then take a coffee to the adjoining shady and green Rosalind Park with its 1800s conservatory and enjoy the trees and the views.  

Walk to the Golden Dragon Museum, via a stop at the Bendigo Visitor Centre which has a range of interesting souvenirs and local arts and crafts. The Museum provides a comprehensive history of the Chinese people of Bendigo, their participation in the historic 1850s gold rush and an introduction to Chinese arts, history and culture. Also visit the next-door Yi Yuan Gardens (Garden of Joy). 

Stop 3: Bendigo Lunch Options

Bendigo has several stylish but relaxed restaurants within walking distance of the park and View Street. Wine Bank on View Street, open seven days a week, offers a brilliant wine list and an excellent grazing menu perfect for a light lunch. For something heartier, Terrae across the road offers a seasonal menu featuring local and regional produce and is open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Stop 4: Central Deborah Gold Mine

Explore the labryinth underground tunnels and see traditional mining equipment in action at this real gold mine that operated during the height of the gold rush boom. If travelling 61 metres underground isn't your thing take the surface tour and explore heritage buildings that were essential to the mine's operation including the old Blacksmith's Shop and Engine Room. All this in Violet Street in the centre of Bendigo! And then it's back to Castlemaine.

Stop 4: Dinner: A Final Country Pub Meal

It’s well worth the five-minute drive to the Five Flags Hotel in Campbells Creek where an award-winning chef (2024 Victorian Chef of the Year at the Australian Hotels Association State Awards for Excellence) cooks up delicious, hearty and innovative pub food in a warm, welcoming venue.

Alternative dinner.  Head to Love Shack on Hargraves Street for great beer and a simple burger or light snack. Open seven days a week.