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Why?  A holiday in Canberra, Australia's pristine showpiece capital city, is an experience that leaves one with a sense that all is well with the modern world. In a beautiful setting, and packed with attractive buildings and interesting high-class sight-seeing opportunities, those who travel to Canberra find it sophisticated and cultured, but friendly and welcoming.

When?  A holiday in Canberra can be taken any time of year, with the sun shining over this well-planned city nearly every day. Mid-winter temperatures (June and July) can drop to chilly levels, but the skies usually remain blue. A good time to travel to Canberra on holiday is in early February when the annual National Multicultural Festival, an extravaganza of music and art, is held.

Who for?  Anyone interested in the history and politics of Australia, and the country's artistic heritage, will enjoy spending a holiday in Canberra seeing the sights. The city also caters for the more active, offering plenty of recreational opportunities, most centred on lovely Lake Burley Griffin, like kayaking on the lake, or cycling around it.

More Info : To make the most of a Canberra holiday plan ahead with the help of our detailed Canberra travel guide, which lists all the major events and attractions on offer in the city. The travel guide also explains how to get around.

Overview

Australia's capital city, Canberra, had a difficult birth, punctuated by political infighting, wars and the Great Depression, but it is now a thriving modern city which, together with its surrounds, makes up Australia's Capital Territory. Canberra lies 95 miles (150km) in from the East Coast, by road 175 miles (280km) from Sydney and 415 miles (660km) from Melbourne.

Like most capitals of the world, Canberra boasts an architectural heritage in its civic and Government buildings, but Canberra is also blessed with some of the loveliest surroundings of any national capital. There are more than 30 Australian artistic and cultural institutions located in Canberra, ranging from the Australian War Memorial to Parliament House, surmounted by a colossal stainless-steel flagpole and set in 23 hectares of gardens. In the centre of Lake Burley Griffin, the impressive Captain Cook Memorial Jet shoots a six-ton column of water 482 feet (147m) into the air, while on the shore the National Gallery of Australia houses the country's premier public art collection spanning about 5,000 years of international art.

Canberra is also known for its spring festival, Floriade, when the parks and gardens surrounding Lake Burley Griffin explode with colourful displays of massed tulips and other blooms. The city, with its many parklands, is especially beautiful in spring and autumn.