In the centre of the city is an old clocktower that is part of the Melbourne Town Hall. In 1842 Melbourne was officially awarded city rights, but the town hall was only opened in 1854. The Town Hall is primarily renowned for its beautiful clocktower. Unfortunately a large part of the town hall was lost through a big fire in 1887. A part of the town hall was conserved and the rest was built anew.
One of the most beautiful churches of the city is St. Paul's Cathedral. The cathedral was built around the year 1880. The building was built in the Gothic style and is transitioning into the Renaissance style. When someone is awarded a state funeral, then this is done in the St. Paul's Cathedral. Besides funerals, important happenings in Australia are often organised in this church.
The Queen Victoria Market is the largest open air market of Australia. The market once started off as a vegetables and fruits market in 1878. But nowadays you can find anything that will give the sellers a profit. Besides the selling of stuff, quite regularly you will see performers showing off their skills. It is an interesting fact to know that the market is located on top of an old cemetery. You can find a reference to this history on the corner of Therry Street.
The famous beach of Melbourne is called St. Kilda and is actually located in one of the suburbs of the city. Most Australians will gather here to relax or to do some kind of water sport. Just like Sydney, Melbourne has its own Luna Park. This is a theme park in the form of fair attractions. Thousands of visitors will come to this park every year. The park guarantees a day of fun. The entrance itself is already a joy to see when you are around. You can combine a day in the theme park with a visit to the beach of Melbourne.
On top of one of the highest skyscrapers of Melbourne you will find the Eureka Skydeck. With a special elevator you will travel within 36 seconds to the observation deck of the skyscraper. You will arrive on a deck with a glass floor. From this floor you have a 360 degree view over Australia. You are hanging at about 300 metres altitude and because of this you can see different sights all around. Unique is the attraction called The Walk in which you can perform ropemanship above the city of Melbourne. Of course this is not real and this is recreated through virtual reality. The attraction is based on Philippe Petit that walked on a cord in 1974 between the World Trade Centre towers in New York. He did this on a cord at hundreds of metres high in 90 minutes.
In a super modern building you will find the Melbourne Aquarium. The building is situated on the Yarra River and from the other side of the river you can see the skyline of the city. In the aquarium you can see with your own eyes which fish and animals live in the Australian waters. In the aquarium you can find a simulator with which you can dive and see the underwater world of the waters surrounding the country. This is quite an intense ride and having a strong stomach is recommended. One of the most fantastic things to do in the aquarium is walking through a huge tunnel and seeing sea animals swim all around you.
The Yarra River is not the most beautiful of rivers that you have seen. This is mainly because of the muddy appearance of the river. Despite the fact that the river is not a real beauty to the eye, you will go past interesting spots along the way. You can even rent a canoe and go on a little adventure yourself! The Yarra River goes right through the city, through which you can discover interesting places from the water. When you pass through the city, you will arrive in the Australian bush. It is possible to make this ride in the evening and they call this Twilight kayaking. When dusk starts, different animals start to come out of there shelters. This is of course fun to see whilst taking a ride with the boat. Do you not feel like navigating the waters by yourself. Then make a cruise on the river including a romantic dinner.
One of the fastest growing neighbourhoods in Melbourne is the Docklands. This is an area west of the centre. The Docks were unusable for a long time and the neighbourhood started to deteriorate. In the nineties entrepreneurs started to host big events here because the area was not being used anymore for a long time. The events were such a success that the government started to invest in the Docklands. Beautiful modern buildings were built in the neighbourhood. The neighbourhood grew to be hip and a popular destination to live. In the Docklands you find the Waterfront City, a shopping area for inhabitants of the city. Besides shopping here, you can go for a ride in a giant ferris wheel.
In a hyper modern building, the Melbourne Museum opened its doors in the year 2001. In this museum you will learn more about the people and the culture of the city. You will also learn a lot about the history and the projected future of Australia. You will learn for example about the heritage that the Aboriginals, the original inhabitants of the country, have left behind. For the local Aboriginal tribes it is an important place to come together. They feel respected here because they have their own place here where their culture is celebrated. At the construction of the museum the Aboriginal tribes were even allowed to hold a smoking ceremony. Besides, meetings are regularly organised here to bring people together.
One of the most alive streets of Melbourne is Brunswick street. There is a good atmosphere here and you will definitely not get bored in this street. Throughout the day your senses are being activated by the fun activities you can undertake and the things that you can see here. This street really belongs to the locals but you can surely be a part of this. Go sit on a terrace and order a flat white, a famous Australian way of making a coffee, and read a good book whilst you watch the passerby.
The Melbourne Zoo was opened in 1862 and lies 4 kilometres from the centre of the city. The zoo is 22 hectares big and is a real attraction in the city. The zoo houses about 320 animals that are from Australia itself. The rest of the animals are from all over the world. The zoo is known for the spacious cages and the beautiful living areas created for the animals. The animals are well taken care of and are wonderful to see during a visit to the city.
