5 Country Towns Near Melbourne You Need To Visit!

1. Daylesford - 1hr 30mins from Melbourne

Daylesford is a beautiful, quirky town, full of cafes, art galleries and independent shops and antiques too. Aside from attractions on the main street, Daylesford is also surrounded by so much natural beauty. This is easily a favourite for us on our list of country towns near Victoria.  Although, we may be biased as we were lucky enough to work here during the pandemic for a few months.  

Things to Do in Daylesford

Visit Daylesford Lake

Soak in the atmosphere with the lovely walks around Daylesford Lake and the surrounding springs and waterfalls.  Daylesford is famous for its natural springs and is known as the Spa Centre of Australia. Take a bottle with you so can sample some natural sparkling mineral water straight from the spring! 

Visit Hepburn Springs

If you’d like to experience some more walks and springs, head to the nearby Hepburn Springs.  Here you will find a town also full of cute accommodation options and spas. 

Enjoy the Views at Wombat Hill

An easy drive or a short climb will lead you to the top of Wombat Hill, enjoy the country town views from your car or take up some snacks or a Daylesford Picnic Box to enjoy during sunset.

Where to eat

If you’re looking for a unique experience during your visit to Daylesford, we loved our Daylesford Picnic Box. A perfect addition to a beautiful warm day at one of the beautiful locations mentioned above would be fabulous. Alternatively, try a winter picnic in front of a fire during your visit to one of these country towns near Melbourne. The boxes are filled with all locally sourced ingredients and they offer a vegan box too!

Lakehouse - for meals with a fab view of Lake Daylesford.  Check the lake out around sunset, it’s stunning!

Daylesford Seafood Bar - for high-quality fish & chips for a really great price!

Larder – for great coffee and really delicious food options, such as crumpets with smoked salmon and dill sauce or Vietnamese slaw.

Pastry King Bakery – for delicious bakery options and pasties.  Pastry makers for over 75 years so they won’t let you down!

Himalaya Bakery – for fantastic vegan pies and sweet bakery goods.

Pizzeria La Luna – really tasty pizzas with fab topping options and optional vegan cheese.  Also, the homemade bronkie is oh so good!

The Royal – an excellent pub in Daylesford, where you’ll find all the locals and superb vega-friendly pub classics.

Beppe - We took advantage of their delivery service and had beautiful vegan cheese pizzas. Their other pasta and main dishes look delicious too.

Daylesford Brewing Co. - We love this place for the very instagrammable sequin-encrusted back wall with Daylesford Brewing Company written into it. However, they also do some great brews and light snacks too!

Let’s make your visit extra special! 

If you’d like to extend your stay in Daylesford to enjoy the surrounding country towns near Melbourne. Why not check out 65 Main in Hepburn? It sleeps up to 12 people, with beautiful gardens, a spacious lounge and dining area, alongside a billiards table too! What more could you ask for? Did we also mention it’s 100% LGBTQ+ owned?!

2. Bendigo - 2hrs from Melbourne

Bendigo is another large area of Country Victoria.  This city is much like a final stop before it starts to get really regional.  Here you can find Australia's major stores, such as the department store MYER and the chain restaurants you’d find in Melbourne, including Grill’d and Schnitz.  However, it also has heaps of independent places to check out too.  Explore the hidden underground tunnels to see gold in the actual Gold Rush mines at the Central Deborah Gold Mine.   In addition, check out some of the amazing art galleries and historic buildings.  Alternatively, do something a bit different and take in some Chinese culture at the Golden Dragon Museum.  As well as that, see Bendigo in a relaxing way by hopping on Bendigo Tramways, where you can enjoy the city from a vintage tramcar.

Where to eat

Masons of Bendigo - This one is for those looking to treat yourself.  Housed in a historical Mason glass factory, this relaxed but fine-dining restaurant dishes up amazing, colourful plates.  A scroll through their Instagram will have you wanting to book immediately! Their lunch is very reasonably priced and will allow you to try some of the local produce too.

Wine Bank - Located in a heritage-listed former Victorian bank, this is another place that’s great for a treat.  Mainly a wine bar, Wine Bank has also made a name for itself by serving delicious Mediterranean inspired foods. Definitely worth heading here just for a lovely glass of wine, maybe even accompanied by one of their tasty cakes in the day.

Chancery Lane - This laneway will have you feeling like you’ve teleported into Melbourne’s CBD.  Find plenty of places to eat lining the street, along with bars and boutiques.  El Gordo and The Dispensary are particularly popular.

The Old Boundary Hotel - Head here for some great pub classics, in a lovely setting.  The Terrace is fab on a summers day.  This pub also has a separate vegan menu!

3. Creswick - 1hr 30mins from Melbourne

Creswick is a cute town between Daylesford and Ballarat.  There are a few independent clothes stores to check out, cafes and scrumptious bakeries.  Go on one of the many walks in the surrounding areas or even visit some local cider and wineries.  If you want to stretch your legs, even more, there are free tennis courts here.  The tennis equipment is available for hire at the Information Centre.

Where to eat

Red Fox Coffee Lounge - for some lovely homemade baked goods, such as tarts, pasties and muffins.  Really friendly owners.

Creswick Woollen Mills - for a cute shop & café that also gives you the opportunity to feed alpacas.

Farmer’s Arms - this was voted Victoria's best pub! Farmer's Arms serves fantastic food and amazing cocktails.  Additionally, the pub has the perfect homely pub feel, full of comfy sofas to relax on with a beer.

Le Peche Gourmand - for amazing pastries.  It’ll take you a while to choose what you want, as the whole display looks so good.  Really delicious croissants and danishes.

4. Ballarat - 1hr 30mins from Melbourne

Ballarat is a big focal point amongst the country towns near Melbourne, being much larger than the surrounding towns.  You'll be able to find most of the popular shops, such as Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Priceline, Cotton On etc.  Hence the perfect places if you’re in need of any essentials. Additionally, there are an array of fab food joints to enjoy, plus bars and clubs.  The botanical gardens are a great place to wander around or you can even hop on a historical tram! Furthermore, Sovereign Hill is also a stop worth visiting to step back in time and be immersed in Ballarat’s Gold Rush era. Likewise, if going back in time is your thing, Kryal Castle would be a great port of call. Kryal Castle is a replica of a medieval castle, complete with torture dudgeon, maze and knights jousting!  Also, don’t forget the beautiful Lake Wendouree.

Where to eat

Noodle Box - for quick, inexpensive noodle dishes.  Nothing fancy but full of flavour.  We’ve pretty much gone through the whole menu as we can’t help but keep coming back!

The Forge Pizzeria - for the number one pizza place in town.  Any local will tell you this is their favourite so go check out what all the fuss is about.

Pancho – so many delicious options on the menu, such as Mexican Fish Tacos and ceviche.  Plus, the cocktails are fab!  This Latin delight is never quiet.

Meigas – if you’ve got a craving for Spanish food, this is the place to go, serving up tasty tapas dishes.

Start Cafe - The Mushroom Croque and vegan matcha waffles are delicious! 

5. Castlemaine - 1hr 30mins from Melbourne

A town which is full of rich gold rush history, and also known for its growing arts culture.  This is a must for vintage lovers, with copious amounts of antique stores, op shops and retro finds.  In addition, there are also many craft shops and funky pubs to keep you happy. The Mill Plaza, which is just opposite the small Botanical Gardens, is a great place to head to, with the gardens being perfect for stretching your legs after the drive! Castlemaine is the country town all the Melbourne hipsters flock to, so we loved that it was very vegan-friendly!

Where to eat

Theatre Royal Bistro Lola – This 1854 built theatre has been operating as a cinema since the 1930s and the old theatre stage has been repurposed into a great live music venue.  Aside from this, the standalone café and restaurant at the front of the theatre serves delicious foods, with a lot of local produce.

Johnny Baker - Housed in a former drive-in bottle shop behind a pub, this now drive-through pastry shop that has caught the love of everyone in Castlemaine. The almond croissant is to die for, amongst other delectables such as rosewater meringues and salted caramel eclairs.  For those with a more savoury tooth, the pies are excellent too! Come and see for yourself what all the fuss is about!

Super Hero - A husband and wife, who met in Hanoi, opened a lovely Vietnamese eatery in Castlemaine and it has become very popular! Many of the dishes are delicious but it is their scrumptious Banh Mi’s that has everyone talking! Vegan options are available too.

Or if you're more in a drinking mood...

Boomtown Winemakers Co-op – A community-driven winery and cellar door.  Boomtown is a place for young and aspiring winemakers to make a start on their own wines.   During the warmer months, the space becomes a bar on Friday evenings, serving toasties and homemade pickles with their wine. Head here for a wine tasting of their lovely selection.

Shed Shaker Brewing Company – The town’s one and only brewery! Castlemaine once had 14 breweries and this is now the only one left standing.  For good reason, Shed Shaker is fab!  Come here after taking a stroll around The Mill for some refreshing drinks and delicious food.  The Mango Smash cider is amazing (and vegan!).

5. Mansfield - 2hr 30mins From Melbourne

Known to many as the gateway to the mountains! Mansfield is a little further afield from our list of country towns near Melbourne. Although it is the last major town before heading into the snow-capped mountains of Bulla, Falls Creek and Hotham. It is a reasonably built-up town with a large IGA, plenty of ski hire shops and a few restaurants and pubs to relax in before or after your adventures to the slopes. 

Where to Eat in Mansfield

Definitely consider making a reservation as we found most restaurants were fully booked during our visit!

George + Al Roy
This suburban-looking eatery dishes out delicious diner-style meals for everyone to enjoy. We particularly enjoyed the jackfruit-loaded fries.

Mansfield Regional Produce Store
A cosy little store and cafe, serving up made-to-order sandwiches, rolls, sweet treats and delicious coffee. They also have a delicious selection of locally made pies and meals that just require baking, a great choice if you choose to stay in the mountain lodges.

Mansfield Coffee Merchant
The favourite coffee brewers, which supplies most of Victoria's high country, this is your go-to place for top-notch coffee. They also have a breakfast and lunch menu offering vegan cheese pizzas and a sparse amount of other vegan options.

The Fields
Enjoy pan Asian-inspired goodness at this eatery. They have a good few vegan options and a delicious cocktail menu, with names such as Moscow Meow! We love it!

Worth the Splurge!

We opted for a sunrise hot air balloon trip whilst in Mansfield! We took to the skies with Global Ballooning Australia around 6 am to watch the sunrise over the snowy mountains and it was phenomenal! We would highly recommend this being the start of your day on your way to the slopes or before heading back to Melbourne. Also, we had an all-female team piloting our entire experience! Let's hear it for the female-empowerment!

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