Just one hour from Wellington, historic Greytown is known for its carefully restored Victorian buildings and top-notch shops.
Historic Greytown is home to excellent examples of Victorian colonial architecture that line the main street - in fact, it's New Zealand's most complete street of wooden Victorian buildings. You'll find a wide choice of cafés and restaurants serving seasonal menus and local wines, as well as designer boutiques and quirky local stores that stock everything from hand-made lead soldiers, handbags, jewellery, antiques and art.
Historic Greytown was New Zealand’s first planned inland town. It was established in 1854 by settlers from Wellington who were looking for small, affordable portions of land to farm. They were assisted in their quest by Governor Sir George Grey and named the town in his honour.
For a taste of history, pick up a heritage map from the information centre and follow the historic walk; then visit the local museum, Cobblestones. Be sure to pass by Papawai Marae too. This is the site of the first Maori Parliament, and its wharenui (meeting house) dates back to 1888.
With its historical buildings and tree-lined avenues, many describe Greytown as the prettiest town in the North Island and a must-see on the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail.
