Nelson City
Whakatū
Trafalgar Square, Nelson City
Whakatū
Known as a vibrant and welcoming city, Nelson is (quite literally) at the heart of New Zealand. It’s accessible and highly connected to other main centres. There's more choice than you can shake a cocktail shaker at.
With alfresco dining spilling onto cobblestone streets and standout waterfront restaurants, Nelson knows how to do good food and a great night out. Seasonal events keep the calendar lively. In between, pop up markets and quirky side street eats add to the buzz, with a microbrewery on Collingwood Street and market stalls tucked into Kirby Lane giving the city a playful, creative edge.
We are proud of our long standing artistic legacy. Nelson has more working artists and galleries than most places in New Zealand and is home to three of the country’s cultural treasures. The Suter Art Gallery, the Theatre Royal, and the Nelson Centre for Musical Arts all sit at the heart of the city, showcasing creativity that feels both deeply rooted and refreshingly current.
Few views rival the sweep across Nelson city and Tasman Bay from the top of the Centre of New Zealand, or the sight of snow dusted hills rising behind Tāhunanui Beach on a crisp winter morning. For outdoor lovers, Nelson delivers in spades. With year round mountain biking right on the edge of the city, the Coppermine Trail starts just minutes from the city centre and makes it easy to swap a fast paced ride for a riverside coffee.
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The Maori name for Nelson has two alternative spellings. Wakatū or Whakatū. Neither is wrong, and both spellings have traditions and stories behind them. These stories can be found on The Prow.
Pronunciation Guide: (Far-car-two).
