Travel Guides and Stories

Montville is a small town about a two-hour drive north of Brisbane, located in the inland region of the Sunshine Coast. Thanks to its unique Swiss-inspired charm, many people call it “Little Switzerland.” The drive to Montville takes you through the Glass House Mountains, so the journey is far from boring—if you love hiking and enjoying scenic views, you can set your GPS directly for Glass House Mountains’ town center, where there’s an information center that provides plenty of details about local attractions. You can drive straight to the lookout, which offers amazing photo opportunities. For those heading to Montville, there’s no need to rush—along the way, you’ll pass strawberry farms and wineries, all part of the Little Switzerland experience. Enjoying wine tasting and picking strawberries are pleasures you shouldn’t miss!    
PS: One of the wineries, Maleny Mountain Wines, offers free tastings and has a great atmosphere.    
And now for the Swiss village itself: Montville isn’t very large, with its main street lined with a variety of charming craft shops. It’s a delight to browse the handmade crafts, take a stroll, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea—simple pleasures at their best. Time for some photos!

Here’s the town’s famous cuckoo clock shop!

This is a little chocolate workshop specializing in all sorts of beautiful handmade chocolates.

As for whether the chocolate here tastes good, it really depends on your preferences—some people come just for these chocolates, others find them just okay, so you’ll have to try and decide for yourself!

Here’s a look at just a small selection of crafts from the town:

You can find all sorts of exquisite handmade crafts in the town—some even worth collecting! Of course, many of the little trinkets are a bit pricey.

Personally, I absolutely loved this small art gallery—the paintings inside are amazing! Unfortunately, my wallet wasn’t deep enough, and even the cheapest little painting was out of reach. Sigh... If you’re looking for a meal, there are plenty of unique little restaurants in town. One called Camphor Cottage, built from timber, is especially nice—its front yard features a large iron bat as a hanging ornament, which is really cool! My friends and I had lunch at a place called The Poet’s Restaurant, and after some coffee, we drove less than 10 minutes to Lake Baroon. Just as we arrived, it started to drizzle, which made the lake even more beautiful. I enjoyed walking in the rain!

There’s also a park nearby called Kondalilla National Park, which is great for hiking, though we skipped it because of the rain. For those visiting, if you’re up for a little more adventure, you can drive straight to the Sunshine Coast—the beaches are gorgeous, and if you catch low tide, you might even find some wild abalone. Haha!