Enjoying The Lights of Lobethal

I know Christmas is over now for another year, but before it slips too far way I wanted to share one last Christmas experience which I had over the festive period, while I was on my travels through Australia – The Lights of Lobethal.

The Lights of Lobethal in The Adelaide Hills

Every year, a couple of weeks before Christmas, the small township of Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills comes to life with the spectacular Lights of Lobethal. The Lights of Lobethal is a tradition that dates back over 60 years where the residents in the town decorate their homes and gardens with beautiful light displays, elaborate Christmas decorations and nativity scenes.

In more recent years it has become something of a competition among the residents of Lobethal, and prizes are now given for the best displays. Festivities during the Lights of Lobethal also include a Christmas pageant, light switching on ceremony, carols in the valley and also the living nativity. Over the years, the Lights of Lobethal have become the largest community lights display in the whole of the Southern Hemisphere.

This was the third Christmas that I have spent in Adelaide, and also the third time that I have visited the wonderful Lights of Lobethal. Each time I have visited I’ve seen more and more homes adorned in an array of colourful light displays, and this year it was hard to spot a house in Lobethal which hadn’t take part in the tradition.

It is suggested that you take a drive around the residential streets to appreciate the wonderful displays, and the enormous effort that some people have put into decorating their homes. You can also explore by foot, but some of the streets in Lobethal are quite hilly. Also, make sure you take a stroll down Main Street, the main thoroughfare through Lobethal, to enjoy the shop window displays and late night craft markets. A stop by the church grounds to catch a performance of the Living Nativity is also a must.

I highly recommend a trip up to Lobethal one evening if you are around Adelaide for the festive season and I know it is a trip I will make every time I am in Adelaide for Christmas!