Discover Lancefield

Lancefield brings together a range of travel interests: a distinctive 19th-century streetscape, the Lancefield Swamp megafauna fossil site, local produce, wine and cycling. When planning your holiday, you can decide whether to focus on local history, natural history, food and drink, or getting active. These interests offer different perspectives on the town and help you consider Lancefield as a destination for your holiday plans.

Historic streetscape and megafauna

Lancefield’s intact 19th-century buildings create an attractive streetscape. They give the town a historic character that stands in clear contrast to its distinctive natural history: remains of Australian megafauna have been preserved underground at Lancefield Swamp. The fossil site is considered the best megafauna site in Victoria and one of the five most significant in Australia. Lancefield is therefore home to two very different points of interest—preserved historic architecture and remains preserved underground. If your travel group is interested in different aspects of a destination, you can include both in your exploration of the town without treating them as the same experience.

Market, brewery and local produce

The Lancefield & District Farmers’ Market provides producers with a platform to sell their goods. The offerings include vegetables, fruit, honey and eggs, as well as wine, cakes, bread, preserves and herbs. Poultry, meat and other non-farm products are also available. The market is held on the fourth Saturday of each month; in December, it takes place on the third Saturday. If you would like to include a market visit in your travel plans, you can take the monthly date into account when choosing your travel dates.

Another side of the local offering can be found at Lost Watering Hole, a brewery and restaurant in Lancefield. Its craft beers are made using the German brewing method. The four core beers are Big Roo, a Pale Ale; Flightless, a Draught; Wide Wombi, an India Pale Ale; and Swamp Rat, a Dark Lager. The different beer styles offer a specific selection if you’re interested in local brewing culture, while the restaurant makes it a destination for food and drink.

Wineries and possible cycling trips

Wine is also an important part of the local offering. Parkside Winery and Farm is located in Lancefield and offers a wine and farm experience at its cellar door. The Laneways of Lancefield Wine Adventure includes four wineries in the Lancefield wine region. The first day’s itinerary for this experience can be completed by bike. Curly Flat is a small, privately run winery with its own vineyard and wine production in Lancefield. These examples show different sides of the wine region: a cellar-door experience, an itinerary featuring four wineries, and an independently run winery with its own vineyard and wine production.

Cyclists also have a separate option in the Federation Trail: the 16-kilometre gravel cycling route forms a loop between Romsey and Lancefield. Take the route length into account when planning your day. The Laneways day itinerary and the Federation Trail are two separately described cycling options. Lancefield’s location may also be a factor if you’re travelling by car: the town is just a short drive from the Calder or Hume Freeways. Whether you’re more interested in markets, wineries, local history or cycling can therefore help shape your choice of holiday destination.

More destinations for inspiration: Staghorn Flat, Cottles Bridge, Myrtleford, Venus Bay, Rheola, Bobinawarrah, Main Ridge and Omeo.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.