Roger Gary
The vibrant city of Melbourne features many captivating attractions that will appeal to any visitor irrespective of their tastes or preferences. Some of these engrossing attractions are listed below.
Federation Square is an excellent place to commence your sightseeing tour of the city. This square commemorates the centenary of the act of federation and was opened to the public in 2002. The architecture here is strikingly modern and features an array of closed as well as open spaces that combine to create a harmonious whole. This venue hosts over 2,000 different events each year, assuring that you are likely to be able to enjoy a performance on your visit to the square. Another attraction at Federation Square is the Ian Potter Gallery which is devoted to art originating from Australia.
With the capacity to seat as many as 100,000 spectators as well as a long and illustrious history the remarkable Melbourne Cricket Ground is regarded as being one of the most noteworthy stadiums on the globe. This ground has staged important events such as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games and is also regarded as being the place where Test cricket was born. It is also considered to be the hub of Australian Rules Football. The MCG complements Melbourne's status as the sporting hub of Australia. Visitors will have the opportunity to join daily tours which will also enable them to explore highlights such as the Olympic Museum and the Australian Gallery of Sport.
Nature and plant lovers will be in their element in Melbourne's renowned Royal Botanic Gardens. With a history stretching back to 1846, the Gardens are regarded as being amongst the best of their type on the globe. The Gardens occupy an extent of no less than 40 hectares and feature in excess of 50,000 individual plants. Many of these are rare varieties that are seldom found elsewhere. As many as 1.5 million visitors frequent the Gardens each year. Another attraction is the popular Aboriginal Heritage Walk, a feature that provides an insight into the rich cultural heritage of native Australians.
This institution has the distinction of being the earliest established gallery for public art in the entirety of Australia. The National Gallery of Australia contains over 68,000 artworks in two separate locations in the city. The gallery's collection of international artworks is displayed at its building on St. Kilda Road, which opened to the public in 1968. A highlight at this location is the renowned Great Hall, an expansive chamber where guests are encouraged to lie on the floor so as to admire the ceiling's colourful stained glass features. As you enjoy the attractions of the city stay at hotels in Southbank Melbourne that are close to the National Gallery such as WRAP on Southbank which is around 2 minutes away.
This appealing part of the city situated on the shores of the Yarra River offers a host of sightseeing and cultural attractions for the visitor. The well-known Southbank Promenade contains a selection of restaurants, cafes and entertainment venues. Noteworthy attractions here include the art and craft market that is conducted on Sundays, in addition to the numerous festivals staged the year round. A highlight is the Arts Centre which is readily recognized by its distinctive spire. This centre features a number of theatres and other venues such as the Playhouse, State Theatre, Hamer Hall and the Fairfax Theatre.
