Joanna James
Melbourne offers plenty of activities from culture and art tours to wine tasting, a lively music scene and more. Here are our top 6 picks of must-visit attractions.
The historic Queen Victoria Market is believed to be the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere. If you’re visiting on a Wednesday, you’ll want to drop by in the evening for the night market for a sampling of food stalls and live music, but any other day will also present a market alive and busting with activity, with an unimaginable range of fresh produce on offer.
Boat rides or a simple walk along South Bank will present gorgeous photo opportunities of the Yarra River. You might like to stop and take in views of Melbourne’s skyline and you’ll also find a variety of restaurants and pubs along this stretch.
One of the best ways to get around is catching a tram ride, which in itself is a great experience that goes beyond transportation. The City Circle Tram has a recorded narration of interesting historical snippets as you pass or stop at places of historical or cultural interest like the Federation Square, the Old Treasury Building, Parliament House, or the Princess Theatre. To make the most of your stay, pick from the Melbourne hotels that are central to the key sites of interest, like the Pan Pacific Melbourne.
There’s a little bit of everything in this coastal city, which is called the bar capital of Australia, and the country’s most livable city, so it’s no wonder that Melbourne’s nightlife includes everything from affordable restaurants, speciality cafes, bars, and nightclubs. St. Kilda is the one central hub where Melbourne lets loose and a great place to meet both travellers and locals. If a heavy night out is not what you’re after, there are plenty of wine and whiskey tasting sessions to be found.
This Gothic-style Anglican Cathedral takes you back in time, and if you’re able to make it for a Sunday service, the atmosphere is magical. The cathedral rests on the very same site where the first Christian service in Melbourne took place in 1836 and its strategic positioning, allows you to have a quick hop over at the Federation Square and Flinders Street Station which are also two of the city’s key historical sites.
With 94 acres of gardens, Melbourne’s Royal Botanical Gardens is one of the most beautiful in the world. It was established in 1846 by Lieutenant Governor Charles La Trobe, and it took some 60 years to transform what was a swamp into the stunning landscape it is today. The gardens are home to of 10,000 native and exotic plant species, landscaped in a manner among 11 scenic lawns, three lakes, and two cafes. The wide-open spaces make for endless exploration and is a great place to visit for families with children.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
