Salamanca Place itself consists of rows of sandstone buildings, formerly warehouses for the port of Hobart Town that have since been converted into restaurants, galleries (including the Salamanca Arts Centre), craft shops and offices. It was named after the victory in 1812 of the Duke of Wellington in the Battle of Salamanca in the Spanish province of Salamanca. It was previously called "The Cottage Green".
Each Saturday, Salamanca Place is the site for the Salamanca Market, which is popular with tourists and locals. The markets are ranked as one of the most popular tourist attractions visited each year.[1] During Dark Mofo the trees are decorated with red fairy lights.
Salamanca Place is also popular after dark with both locals and visitors enjoying bars and eateries located there and the nearby wharves.
There are many laneways and several squares adjacent to Salamanca Place, such as Kelly's Steps, built during the whaling industry boom in the early and mid-19th century. In the mid-1990s, Salamanca Square, a sheltered public square was built. Ringed by shops, cafes, and restaurants, the centrepiece fountain and its lawns are a safe environment where children play alongside individuals and families. There is also an adjoining undercover carpark and some apartment complexes and hotels, such as the Moss Hotel, Silos and Salamanca Wharf on Castray Esplanade, and the Lenna and Salamanca Suites towards Battery Point.
Salamanca Place is featured as a property in the Australian version of Monopoly.
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