Description of the attraction
Salamanca is an area of the city of Hobart, the capital of the state of Tasmania, located on the shores of Sullivan's Bay. A whole street of buildings built in the 1830s from sandstone has survived here. Previously, they housed the warehouses of the Port of Hobart - grain, wool, whale oil, goods brought from all over the world were stored here. Today, the buildings house restaurants, galleries, souvenir shops and office space. The district received its name in honor of the victory of the Duke of Wellington in the Battle of Salamanca (province of Spain) in 1812.
Every Saturday, the area is home to the famous Salamanca Market, a popular destination for Hobart residents and visitors to shop for fruits and vegetables, handicrafts, antiques and more. After sunset, visitors to the market move smoothly to the many bars and other drinking establishments of Salamanca and the surrounding shipyards.
In the mid-1990s, the cozy Piazza Salamanca was built in the area. Surrounded by shops, cafes and restaurants, the central fountain of the square and its lawns is a calm place where children play and couples in love relax. Piazza Salamanca is adjacent to many streets and other squares built during the whaling boom in the early to mid-19th century. From here you can get to the historic center of Hobart - the Battary Point area.
In 1988, a memorial to Abel Tasman, the Dutch navigator and discoverer of Tasmania, was erected in Salamanca. The memorial consists of a fountain opened by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of Holland and a stone sculpture of the great traveler.
