Part of the World Heritage Listed Greater Blue Mountains Region, Heritage-rich Lithgow provides a wealth of things to see and do. Coal, steel and the world-renowned Great Zig Zag Railway have put Lithgow on the international map.

The vast and beautiful Wollemi National Park is also a major attraction, as are the Glow Worm Tunnel, Newnes Historic Ruins in the Wolgan Valley, Glen Davis shale mine site, Lake Wallace at Wallerawang and Mt Piper Power Station and Energy Expo.

Lithgow Valleys first European settlers arrived in 1824 but the area did not grow until the railway arrived in 1869. This was built for Thomas Brown who established Lithgrows coal industry and who was a magistrate at Hartley Historic Village. He travelled by horseback to and from Hartley along what is now called Browns Gap Road.

Other fascinating historic sites are Blast Furnace Park where the ruins include huge brick structures, a network of underground tunnels and the base of Australias first blast furnace; Lithgow Small Arms Factory museum; Lithgow Courthouse (1879); Lithgow Pottery site in Silcock St, Esbank House (1842) in Bennett Street; and Oakey Park and the old brewery.

Regular trains to and from Sydney seven days a week, XPT to and from Dubbo and Sydney daily, Indian pacific to Broken Hill, Adelaide adn Perth on Mondays and Thursdays, local bus service, hire cars, regular coach service to and from Sydney and the west (Countrylink).