Fremantle City
Follow our walking route and in a couple of hours you can see many of Fremantle’s most interesting attractions - and the good news is that many of those included are free of charge.
1. The walk starts at Kings Square, home of the Council Offices and the Town Hall with its ornate clock tower, an easily spotted landmark. Its opening on 22 June 1887 coincided with Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Inside the Town Hall is the Visitor Centre with the life size chess board opposite. The Town Hall is also the departure point for Fremantle Tram Tours.
2. The High Street Mall, home of Fremantle shopping.
3. The Taylor Memorial Fountain was commissioned by a grieving John Taylor, whose sons Ernest and Peter died young in separate incidents. The cause of Peter's mysterious death remains unknown.
4. The beautiful façade of the Fremantle Railway Station has recently been restored as part of a project to return the station to its former glory.
5. The E Shed Markets at Victoria Quay are WA's number one waterside markets. Open Friday to Sunday and public holidays, the markets offer a fantastic array of shops and an international food court. See the ambience of the port as the big ships roll in.
6. The Fremantle Motor Museum at B Shed, Victoria Quay is open every day, featuring a collection of surprising and unusual cars and motorbikes. Visit the Fremantle Motor Museum online.
7. The Western Australian Maritime Museum features Australia II and many fascinating stories of WA's maritime history. Open 9.30am-5.00pm daily. Next door is the decommissioned submarine HMAS Ovens, tours run from the Museum from 10.00am. Visit the Maritime Museum online.
8. Past the statue of CY O'Connor, the engineer responsible for the Goldfields pipeline, is the Round House & Tunnel. The Swan River Colony's first civil gaol now gives visitors an excellent view of Fremantle. Entry by gold coin donation.
9. The Maritime Museum Shipwreck Galleries feature tales of exploration, trade, shipwreck, mutiny and murder on WA's treacherous coastline, including the hull of the Batavia wrecked in 1629. Entry by gold coin donation.
10. The Anchor Walk shows various anchors which were largely dredged from South Bay and Port areas.
11. Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour was the location for so much of Fremantle's America's Cup activity and now features an impressive variety of cafes and restaurants. You will find an interesting display of fresh seafood at the far end of the Kailis Fishmarket and Cafe. More information on restaurants.
12. The huge expanse of The Esplanade Reserve is often home to rock concerts and other festival events.
13. Walk past the University of Notre Dame to the pubs and cafes of High Street West End. Look up above street level to notice some amazing architecture.
14. South Terrace is known as the Cappuccino Strip because of its profusion of coffee shops. Several traditional ale houses and the many restaurants in this area ensure that it is a particularly busy spot on weekends and in the evening. Recommended as a place to sit a while and absorb the atmosphere of Fremantle.
15. The Fremantle Markets are probably Freo's most famous attraction and certainly worth a visit. The markets are open all day Friday to Sunday, until 9pm on Friday. Buskers add to the atmosphere as they entertain the crowds in the pedestrian-only section of Henderson Street.
16. The daunting Fremantle Prison was in use as a maximum security prison until 1991. Now open to the public seven days a week from 10am to 5pm, tours are run throughout the day and included in the entry fee. Ask for details of their evening tours by torchlight. Visit the Fremantle Prison online.