Here in Bright & Surrounds, the last of Autumn’s leaves twirl around our feet. They’re raked from driveways and paths and piled into colourful towers for children to jump in, and the occasional doggo, too. The day’s sun brings warmth, but the evening air shivers.
We embrace this seasonal change—donning our jackets and scarves, our beanies and boots—because for mountain folk, winter is magical. It’s a time of fireside cuddles, hot chocolate and mulled wine, woodfired pizzas, grandma’s knitted socks, and of course—snow!
The first of winter’s snowflakes lie sprinkled like icing sugar atop our alpine peaks and as the season deepens, we wait for more to arrive. For us, winter is cosy. It’s a time to indulge, a time to gather around the dinner table with family and friends, and it’s a time for romance. Here’s a little inspiration to get your fire started…
Grab that special someone and snuggle up by the fireplace in your own private chalet. The alpine village of Dinner Plain, surrounded by the Alpine National Park, sits above the snowline at 1,500m and is the perfect quiet escape for those looking for a cosy and relaxing getaway surrounded by snow without the adrenaline and party atmosphere of the ski resorts. Add in dinner at Elements or StonesThrow restaurants and a bottle of local red to ramp up the romance.
Run away to a mountain retreat or cottage with gaze-worthy views of Mount Bogong—Victoria’s highest mountain, snowcapped in winter—and indulge in a weekend of fine food (try Grass Valley for that special dinner), fireside wines at Quaff Wine Bar, and a relaxing sauna at The Sanctuary.
The place to hide when you want the feeling of being worlds away, but with all the creature comforts of a cosy weekend. Snug at the base of Mount Feathertop and the Alpine National Park, Harrietville serenades you with its babbling river as you warm your hands with a coffee at HV Café, taste the best vanilla slice in Australia at the Harrietville Bakery, or sit by the open fire over dinner at the Harrietville Hotel Motel.
There is no shortage of fine holiday homes, trendy eateries, wine bars, breweries, the distillery, and tempting retail stores to fill a cosy escape in the charming town of Bright. Add in a massage or wellness treatment at Bright Spa, Botanic Alps or Bright Beauty Clinic to max your chillax. And if the snow starts falling, it’s just a short zip up Mount Buffalo to snowshoe among the snowflakes.
Winter and comfort food go hand in hand, and Myrtleford is where we head when we want to tantalise our tastebuds. From classic Italian and woodfired pizzas at Bastoni’s Pizzeria and Lupo’s Kiln Café, to Moroccan at Café Fez and belly warming noodles at Tu Vietnamese Street Food, not to mention the town’s wineries and wine bars, you’ll need more than a long weekend to eat your way through this place.
For more cosy trip ideas, see our Romantic Escapes on the Bright & Surrounds website.
https://www.visitbright.com.au/things-to-do/trip-ideas/itineraries/romantic-escapes/