Fremantle (Walyalup) has been named in TIME’s annual list of the World’s Greatest Places of 2022, which highlights 50 extraordinary travel destinations from around the globe.
To compile this list, TIME solicited nominations of places – including countries, regions, cities and towns – from its international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.
The port city of Fremantle, located just a half hour drive or train ride from Perth CBD, earned a spot in this year’s list thanks to a once-in-a-generation renaissance of its civic heart and surrounds. The bohemian city blends old with the new, home to a 19th century port streetscape, and a recent surge of new hospitality offerings.
In the recently redeveloped city centre – Walyalup Koort (meaning ‘Heart of Fremantle’ in Whadjuk Noongar language) – FOMO is a new commercial space offering hawker-style food stalls, entertainment, art and dining spaces for visitors to enjoy. Historic buildings and spaces have been given a new lease of life, such as the 122-year-old Fremantle Courthouse which has transformed into a lively bar and restaurant venue, The Old Courthouse; and the Warders Hotel, a new boutique accommodation offering located in the historic Warders cottages, the original accommodation for the Warders of the nearby UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fremantle Prison.
Leading Perth craft brewer Gage Roads opened its first public venue at Fremantle’s Victoria Quay this year. The 1,500 capacity micro-brewery and bar is located in a 100-meter long and 100-year-old warehouse, with views over the port and Indian Ocean. Other new venues adding to Fremantle’s vibrant transformation include Jetty, offering Mediterranean cuisine on the Swan River; small bar and restaurant Nieuw Ruin; plus new breweries and distilleries such as Running with Thieves, Calamity’s Rod and Republic of Fremantle.
