Hobart is Australia's smallest capital city and the easiest to explore.  The city lies between the broad Derwent River and the fluted peaks of Mount Wellington, rising 1,270 metres (around 4,000 feet) on its western boundary. 

The city was founded in 1804, built by convict labour. It has some of Australia's best examples of Georgian architecture and these enrich an already picturesque cityscape.

Most visitors wander through the mellow sandstone Georgian warehouses of Salamanca Place and Sullivans Cove checking out craft shops, bookshops, restaurants and cafes or people watching. Or you can take a Derwent River cruise on an historic ketch or modern cruiser. In nearby Battery Point, the city's first suburb, they find grand old mansions and simple fishermen's cottages side by side. 

Mount Wellington offers a wilderness experience within a 20 minutes' drive. It can be the wildest place on the Island as the clean winds of the Roaring Forties buffet its dolerite peaks.

There are bushwalking trails for all fitness levels and if you want an adrenaline rush you can cycle from the top or abseil or rappel its face.