Melbourne is Australia’s most European city and is known globally for its cosmopolitan vibe, great food and excellent coffee. It has a thriving arts and cultural scene and is easy to explore thanks to a free tram zone that passes all the city’s main attractions. If you’re thinking about relocating to Melbourne, here are 5 cool things you’ll to get to visit whenever you want as a local!
- Federation Square
Melbourne’s most iconic landmark may be Flinders Street Station, but it’s across the road at Federation Square that the action really happens. Its award winning contemporary design has transformed Melbourne’s city centre and today the square is a hive of activity. There are plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants but Fed Square’s best assets are the National Gallery of Victoria’s Australian art collection at the Ian Potter Centre and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image’s (ACMI) collection of all things cinema.
- Degraves Street
As you stroll through the city, there is one constant distinctive smell and that’s freshly brewed coffee. Melbourne has an international reputation for excellent coffee and the tiny atmospheric laneway that is Degraves Street is one of the best places to enjoy one. This narrow but action packed street has become a popular spot for daydreaming at a street cafe or shopping for something unique in its tiny boutiques and eclectic stores.
- Chinatown
Melbourne is home to one of the world’s most authentic Chinatown precincts outside of China, where the choice and quality of food is to die for. Stroll under the paper lanterns, admire some of the small grocery stores then ‘duck’ in to an arcade for a quick plate of roasted duck and rice. The Sunday Yum Cha is famous here at one of the multi-level Dim Sum joints.
- Eureka Skydeck
For the best 360-degree views of the city, the bay and beyond, take a walk on the highest observation platform in the southern hemisphere – the Eureka Skydeck. Not for the faint of heart, the Skydeck also features The Edge – a glass cube that hovers almost 300 metres above the ground.
- Exhibition building and Carlton Gardens
Australia has around 20 UNESCO World Heritage Listed sites and one of them is in the heart of Melbourne city! The Royal Exhibition Gardens were listed as a fine example of global exhibition style architecture of the late 1800s. The elegant building is unique and the surrounding gardens are beautifully maintained with huge trees and elegant fountains.