subject: A Short Visit To Melbourne [print this page] The second largest city in Australia and the capital of the state of Victoria, Melbourne is a gorgeous tourist destination. Located in Port Philip on a natural bay, the city used to be one of the major ports of Australia. The port attracted trade helping the city to expand and flourish. Today the city has more than four million inhabitants and it is a thriving tourist destination, competing with the well known city of Sydney.
The city's public transportation system offers a great variety of means to get around. One of these is the City Circle tram. This free tram line was created especially for tourists and visitors and stops at every major point of interest in the city.
Melbourne is a a great city for shopping. All sorts of stores and shops that sell everything from food to antiques can be found at the Oakleigh Rotary Sunday Market. All of the money from sales at the market is used for different community projects. A great produce market is the Prahran Market situated in the South Yarra district. Other important markets you can visit are the Queen Victoria Market and the South Melbourne Market.
The St. Kilda Esplanade is another great place to shop as it offers beautiful handcrafted products that can be purchased at reasonable prices from over one hundred vendors. A shopping trip on the Esplanade should include at least one stop at one of the many cafes and nearby traditional restaurants.
History loving tourists will enjoy a tour of the oldest buildings in the city. The Royal Exhibition Building was created to host the Great Exhibition held in 1880. The building is now listed on the World Heritage historical monuments and buildings list. The Royal Exhibition Building hosts a variety of art shows and expositions you can attend.
Just outside the Royal Exhibition Building you will reach the Carlton Gardens. Here you can blend in with the locals while enjoying a picnic after a trip through the gardens. Exotic as well as European flowers, arbusts, trees, and various animals reside in these gardens.
Heading north from the gardens, you will reach the Melbourne Museum another great place to visit. The museum displays the natural history of the Melbourne area. Dinosaur fossils are on full display as part of the great Dinosaur Walk exposition. The Bunjilak Aboriginal Center is the place to visit for a glimpse into the art and culture of the Australian natives. The Bugs Alive section offers a great trip into the life of ancient insects, while the forest section highlights the trees and flowers from the past. Small kids will be delighted when visiting the Children's Gallery, a special gallery created for kids between the ages of three and eight.
Melbourne is an amazing city for tourists, with plenty of attractive landmarks and great outdoor parks and gardens. Art galleries and traditional aboriginal artifacts are a common sight within the city making it a heaven for art loving tourists. Shops and commercial centers, together with many restaurants and pubs, will make your trip one to remember.
