Leura - town in New South Wales, Australia

Leura is a small picturesque town in the Blue Mountains region of the Australian state of New South Wales, located some 100 km from central Sydney and situated at an altitude of 985 m above sea level. The village you see today is bustling with a constant parade of visitors. They arrive by car, by Sydney tour buses and by the Blue Mountains train. While known for maintaining its unique heritage village, Leura is a shopper's paradise with charming boutiques, casual cafes and sophisticated restaurants. You'll never be hungry in Leura. Leura is framed upon a background of stunning natural wonders, bare sandstone landscapes and a rough terrain of dense eucalypt forests.

Get in

All of the Blue Mountains trains from Sydney (Central Station, Strathfield Station, etc) will stop at Leura. Leura is 1 stop before Katoomba, which is usually the last stop on the Blue Mountains trains. It is about a 2-hour train trip, depending on delays.

If you are driving, you exit the Great Western Highway at either of the 2 signposted Leura exits. There is parking behind the shops, accessed via Megalong Street, or if you're lucky, along the main strip.

Get around

Trains operate up and down the Blue Mountains, usually hourly. Leura is 1 stop before (heading up) Katoomba. No bookings are required or possible.

Blue Mountains Trolley Tours operates an hourly hop on and hop off service 7 days a week (except Christmas Day) that takes you to 29 sights located around Katoomba and Leura. You can purchase your $25 Hop On and Hop Off All Day Pass from the Trolley Shoppe at 76 Main St, Katoomba (opposite pedestrian crossing at Katoomba Railway Station) or from the trolley driver.

See

• Olympian Rock, Olympian Place (follow Leura Mall to the very end of the road, turn left, then go down the dirt lane on your right). An incredible lookout that isn't visited by as many tourists as the other lookouts. Gives you an amazing view across the valleys and up towards Katoomba. The track down is a dirt track with old broken rock stairs, so wear sturdy shoes and walk carefully. There are also some nice bushwalks leaving from this area too.
• Sublime Point Lookout. Stunning panoramic view of the Jamison Valley, try the short and not too difficult walk to Sublime Point Lookout. This is not a walk for small children. Walking shoes with a good grip are strongly recommended. The walk is approximately 10 minutes from the car park on Sublime Point Road and is paved until you reach the steps. The steps are steep and rocky, so caution is advised. The best view is quite literally on the rock's edge. This is the setting that humans have seen for thousands of years, for the view out to Mt. Solitary is too powerful and too beautiful to have been overlooked by the Aboriginal people in the Blue Mountains.
• Discover historic Leura. Get out for an hour in sensible shoes and a broad-brimmed hat and see how Leura developed in the 19th century. At Megalong Books and several of the cafes, you'll find "Leura Blue Mountains Walking Tour & Guidebook" which includes a leisurely paced self-guided tour designed to open the senses to sights, sounds and scents you may have missed before in Leura. There's a bit of history and architectural facts and a bit of local residents' cheekiness throughout. The tour is time for small details. However, it ends on The Mall, just in time for tea and a sweet at one of the many cafes.

Do

• Bloom Park. A pretty little park with children's playground, picnic tables and attractive plantings. A good location for an impromptu picnic.
• The Toy and Railway Museum, 36 Olympian Parade, +61 2 4784 1169. Daily 10AM-5PM. Leuralla Toy & Railway Museum is the Southern Hemisphere's largest collection of toys, trains and associated memoribilia. Whether you're a family or a serious collector, the world class displays of 20th-century toys, from Barbie, Popeye, Tintin, Alice in Wonderland will captivate and entertain. This magnificent house is owned by the Evatt family, and includes various bits of family memorabilia to delight any legal history buffs.

Buy

Leura is renowned for its shops, and you could easily spend your whole day browsing and buying in this charming village. As if for your convenience, specialty shops, restaurants and stores selling necessities line up, side by side, on the street fronts, up a flight of stairs or tucked away in an arcade. It is possible to shop immediately as you step from your car, for a number of shops are located in turn-of-the century cottages alongside the only car park. In 2007, a number of new, very smart shops and cafes opened in Leura and while keeping the unique heritage look of Leura, new construction of a retail/residential complex opening on The Mall is now underway, although opposed by locals who fear the new complex will destroy the village's character.

• Mrs Peel. Specialises in fashionable, wearable vintage clothing, jewellery and homewares. It also stocks some great contemporary labels as its owners are constantly on the lookout for new and quirky additions to complement their great vintage stock for both men and women.

Eat

• Red Door Cafe, 134 Leura Mall directions=, +61 2 4784 1328. A cosy cafe that is incredibly popular due to them serving some of the best food in the mountains. An experienced chef-run place with very friendly staff, excellent coffee (including bowl-sized serves), and delicious food. From light breakfasts to full meals.
• Hana Japanese Restaurant, 121 Leura Mall directions=, +61 2 4784 1345. The best kept restaurant secret in Leura is Hana Japanese Restaurant, hidden away at the top of The Mall near the Great Western Highway intersection. Owner and chef, Shabata Takeshi oversees the small kitchen staff and they serve up traditional Japanese food you won’t want to miss. Attentive staff and great prices are additional benefits. Hana is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.
• Leura Gourmet, 159 Leura Mall directions=, +61 2 4784 1438. Great food and a great view over the adjacent valley from large windows. Friendly staff and a home-baked yet sophisticated decor make this a great place for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Consistently packed, especially on weekends (worth waiting in the queue!) Mains $16-20. Great value portions. Front of house retails a great selection of gourmet foods and ingredients.

Drink

• Alexandra Hotel, Great Western Highway (up the hill behind the train station), +61 2 4782 4422. A traditional pub from 1903. There are pokies and a TAB which does nothing for the ambiance, but the front bar hosts a roaring fire all winter, and the back dining room offers cafe meals of good quality.
• Leura Cellars, 169-171 The Mall, Leura, +61 2 4784 1122. Su-Th 10AM-8PM, F Sa 10AM-9PM. More that a local bottle shop, the cellars have a magnificent cellar of their own, offering a large range of vintage wines in the downstairs area.

Sleep

• Marsden Lodge, 25 Great Western Hwy (aka Chateau Tce /Sydney bound ramp), +61 4784 1525. Lovingly restored Art Deco three bedroom self-contained flat, includes all linen and breakfast basket (with freshly baked bread and fresh eggs). $160 per night for two people/$20 surcharge for each extra person. $1000 per week. One night okay
• Bethany Manor, 8 East View Ave, +61 2 4782 5673. The period-style grand house looks out to an acre of private park-like grounds and gardens 800 m from the village. All rooms include spa bath, TV and DVD. Rooms from $160 a night

Go next

• Katoomba – bigger town to the west that Leura merges with
• Wentworth Falls – a town immediately to the east