Found in Chiltern
Colourful places. Creative minds. Cosy stays.
Just off the Hume Highway and in between Beechworth and Rutherglen, Chiltern is full of unexpected discoveries.
Wander heritage streets, meet local artists, discover stories, enjoy good food and find a cosy place to stay.
Spend a day exploring or stay the weekend and discover something different.
Ready to discover something different?
Whether you're planning a weekend away, a day trip from the local region or a stop along the way, Chiltern is waiting to be explored.
Discover History, Nature & Creativity in Chiltern
Chiltern is one of Victoria's most beautifully preserved gold rush towns, where historic streetscapes, heritage buildings and stories from the nineteenth century sit alongside some of Australia's most significant natural landscapes.
Located in North East Victoria, just 1km off the Hume Freeway between Melbourne and Sydney, Chiltern offers visitors the chance to slow down and explore a town where history remains very much alive. Wide verandahs and shopfronts tell the story of a thriving gold rush community, while museums and heritage attractions provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the miners, merchants and pioneers who helped shape the region.
Among Chiltern's most treasured historic attractions are Dow's Pharmacy Museum, renowned for its remarkably preserved nineteenth-century fittings and collection of medicines, the Federal Standard Printing Works, which houses original printing equipment from the 1870s, and the Chiltern Athenaeum Museum, home to an extensive collection of local artefacts, photographs and stories. The town is also a favourite destination for antique lovers, collectors and history enthusiasts, with galleries, vintage stores and one of regional Australia's largest antique fairs held annually in August.
Beyond the heritage streetscape lies the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, protecting one of Australia's last remaining Box-Ironbark forest ecosystems. The national park is a haven for walkers, gravel cyclists, birdwatchers and nature lovers, with more than 220 bird species recorded across the region. Visitors may spot kangaroos, echidnas, colourful parrots and even some of Australia's rarest woodland birds among the forests, wetlands and wildflower displays.
Chiltern also offers opportunities to connect with the area's much deeper history through the Yeddonba Aboriginal Cultural Site, where ancient rock art provides insight into the enduring connection of Traditional Owners to Country.
Whether you're exploring gold rush heritage, searching for rare birdlife, cycling quiet country roads, enjoying local food and wine or simply taking time to wander, Chiltern offers a unique blend of history, nature and authentic country hospitality that continues to captivate visitors from across Australia and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Found in Chiltern: a long lunch worth the turn.
Just one minute from the Hume Highway, @poshplonkonmain gives travellers a very good reason to take a break.
The restaurant, cellar door and function space brings together seasonal food, local produce and regional wine in a setting designed for settling in.
Share pizza, platters and plates, sample a pour, or make time for a cellar-door experience. There are also games for little and big kids, making it an easy stop for groups and families.
Slow down, enjoy the company and let lunch become part of the Chiltern experience.
Discover more and plan your Chiltern visit at www.explorechiltern.com.au
๐ Posh Plonk on Main, 62 Main Street, Chiltern
๐ Open Thursday and Monday 8am โ 2.30pm, Friday 8am โ 2.30pm then 5pm โ 8.30pm, and Saturday and Sunday 8am โ 3.30pm
Found in Chiltern: big stories in a small town.
The Chiltern Athenaeum Museum has been part of the town since 1866, when the brick building served as council chambers, town hall and library reading rooms.
Today, its collection brings together Goldfields-era books, artworks, local memorabilia and stories connected with notable figures including Sir John McEwen, Alfred William Eustace and author Henry Handel Richardson.
It is a place to slow down, look closely and understand the people and events that shaped Chiltern beyond its heritage faรงades.
Start here before exploring the town, and the streets outside take on more meaning.
Discover more and plan your Chiltern visit at www.explorechiltern.com.au
๐ Chiltern Athenaeum Museum, 57 Conness Street, Chiltern
๐ Wednesdays and Sundays, 10am to 3pm
Found in Chiltern: something good, baked fresh.
A country-town bakery stop is one of the simple pleasures of a day on the road, and Chiltern Bakery is right in the heart of town.
Call in for great bread, pastries, pies, cakes and coffee, then take your pick of a seat or continue your wander along Conness Street.
Owner Daniel bought the business in 2025 and says โIโve worked as a baker for five years. I bought the business because I liked the small town; it has a long history and the people are friendly. I love it!โ
Discover more and plan your Chiltern visit at www.explorechiltern.com.au
๐ Chiltern Bakery, 27-29 Conness Street, Chiltern
๐ Monday-Friday 7am-4pm; Saturday 7am-3pm; Sunday 8am-2pm
Found in Chiltern: art with a little more colour.
Lisa Bishop Studio & Art Store is a lively working studio, gallery and shop packed with personality.
Lisa`s work draws on the nature of North East Victoria, then moves into fantasy, whimsy and the occasional darker edge.
Alongside her own paintings and sculptures, the store brings together pieces by other local artists, including pottery, woodwork, jewellery, upcycled furniture and gifts.
Stop in, meet the artist and take home something that feels distinctly connected to Chiltern`s active creative community.
Discover more and plan your Chiltern visit at www.explorechiltern.com.au
๐ Lisa Bishop Studio & Art Store, Shop 4, 47 Conness Street, Chiltern
๐ Open Thursday - Tuesday, 10am to 3pm (Closed Wednesdays)
@lisbish.art
Found in Chiltern: a house with a story to tell.
Built in 1870, Lake View House is a red-brick villa furnished in period style to recreate life in a prosperous gold-mining town.
It was once home to Ethel Florence Richardson, better known by her pen name Henry Handel Richardson, whose memories of Chiltern later appeared in The Fortunes of Richard Mahony. Inside, the collection includes personal items such as the desk on which she wrote her first novel.
Lake View House is more than a National Trust Listed property. It offers a personal connection to an Australian writer and to the rooms, garden and lakeside setting that stayed with her. It is particularly beautiful to explore in spring, when the surrounding gardens bloom with vibrantly coloured flowers.
Discover more and plan your Chiltern visit at www.explorechiltern.com.au
๐ 18-22 Victoria Street, Chiltern
๐ Friday and Saturday, 10am to 2pm
@nationaltrustvic
