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With picturesque villages offering plenty of accommodation options, farm gates offering fresh seasonal produce, countless picnic places and simply breathtaking scenery, Bright is bursting with things to do and see.

Bright makes a great base to explore the High Country any time of year. In winter, take a day trip to the snow at Mt Hotham or Falls Creek ski resorts; in summer, experience the myriad special places and outdoor adventures in and around the Ovens and Kiewa Valleys.

Escape for a few days or dig in for a few weeks. For an unforgettable family vacation, a romantic retreat, a fun girls’ weekend or a special celebration with old friends, Bright serves up a delicious combination of ingredients for a perfect getaway, whatever the time of year.

Four distinct seasons

Four distinct seasons makes Bright a great place to visit all year round.

In autumn the valley vineyards and town avenues are lit with red and gold. Fines wines and an abundance of fruit and nuts are ripened by long hot summers. Winters are crisp, cold, and blue-skied, and in spring, local gardens and National Parks transform into blooming wonderlands.

Here the life lived outside can mean hurtling downhill on a snowboard or a mountain bike or taking a more sedate ride along some of Australia’s best cycling trails. It can mean camping under a canopy of a zillion stars or a lazy paddle downstream. It can be a gallop on horseback across a High Country plain, catching a trout for dinner or having an afternoon snooze under a big old tree.

Picture perfect valleys filled with natural goodness

In addition to creating an area of pristine natural beauty, the fertile river flats and four distinct seasons makes Bright among the most agriculturally rich areas of Australia. This is where prime beef and daily cattle are raised, fine wines produced and an abundance of fresh food, much available at farm gates and local markets including whole walnuts, chestnuts and hazelnuts, berries, and olives, apples and seasonal veggies.

Festival fun

A packed year-round calendar of festivals and events, Bright celebrates all things cultural, sporting, gastronomic…and everything in between. From annual festivals to regular weekend markets, the festivals and events at Bright bring the town to life.

Fabulous food, fine wine and great beer

Bright has some excellent restaurants and cafes that serve local seasonal produce, offer cosy winter fires and shady courtyards in summer. Many boutique wineries produce an array of cool climate reds and whites and also offer top nosh and lovely views from their cellar door cafes and restaurants. Locally grown hops also flavour the area’s award-winning artisan beer.

Shopping and dining in Bright

Bright is a great place to shop with dozens of specialty boutiques and retail stores. There are several regular weekend markets which are very popular with locals and tourists alike.

Autumn colour & cool places to laze

While Bright is beautiful all year round, autumn brings out the best in her. Gracious avenues of poplars, maples, silver birches, pin oaks, golden and claret ashes and liquid amber, many planted early last century, cloak the towns and villages of Bright in stunning autumn colours.

In summer, these same trees offer welcome shade and a fine place to lie down and catch up on some long-overdue reading.

Great touring

By motorbike, road bike or car, Bright offers some of Australia’s best on and off-road touring including the Great Alpine Road and the Bogong Alpine Way touring loop. State forests throughout the area also offer a myriad of seasonal 4WD trails for off-road enthusiasts.

Bright is the state’s premier cycling destination with bike trails suitable for all terrains and levels. From enthusiastic amateurs on cross-bikes and family groups with kids on trainer wheels to mountain biking adventurers and serious road warriors, Bright has something for everyone. The famous Murray to Mountains Rail Trail leads all the way through the Ovens Valley to Bright, making this a mecca for cyclists from all over the country.

History to explore

Bright has a fascinating history shaped by pioneering pastoralists, fortune-seeking gold miners and post-war migration which can be seen in the historic building and walking trails around town. Visit local museums, explore the gold mining trails and see Gold Era buildings filled with history from early settlement.

Getting to Bright

Bright is located near the head of the Ovens River Valley in Victoria’s High Country. It is situated 322 km northeast of Melbourne, and 107 km south of its nearest airport, Albury.

Bright can be reached by air, train, bus or self-drive.

By air – The nearest airport is Albury about 1 ½ hours from Bright. REX Regional Express and Virgin operate several flights daily from Melbourne and Sydney. Check airline websites for current flight information to and from Albury.

Cars can be hired at the airport.

By train – Trains run daily from Melbourne and Sydney via Wangaratta, an hour’s drive from Bright. Go to vline.com.au for timetable information.

By bus – Vline runs daily bus services to Bright: phone 1800 800 007 or go to vline.com.au for a timetable.

Alps Bus Link offers services from Bright to Omeo via Harrietville, Mount Hotham and Dinner Plain: phone 5159 1377 or 0477 991 377 or go to omeobus.com.au.