Leura, New South Wales
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Leura is a suburb in the City of Blue Mountains Local Government Area in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the series of small towns stretched along the Blue Mountains railway line and Great Western Highway that bisects the Blue Mountains National Park. It is 100km by road from Sydney and the train journey takes a little under 2 hours.
It is adjacent to Katoomba, the largest centre in the upper mountains, and the two towns merge along Leura's western edge.
The town itself follows a main street perpendicular to the highway and railway line (Leura Mall, or familiarly, The Mall) and is picturesque with many deciduous cool climate trees and a largely preserved historic streetscape. Highlights of the town include the old post office which is now used as a restaurant, and an old fashioned sweet shop. On the highway is the Alexandra Hotel (colloquially "the Alex") which offers panoramic views from its back veranda.
Leura is home to many formal, English-style cool climate gardens which provide elegant walks and the opportunity to visit when open to the public in early October each year. Leura's elevation is 985 metres above sea level, leading to infrequent snowfall in winter and a climate that reflects all four seasons distinctly.
