What to see in Melbourne in two days, an itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including the immigration museum and the botanical garden.
Tourist information
Melbourne, the capital of the State of Victoria and Australia's second largest city by population and economic importance, is located at the mouth of the Yarra River, in the innermost part of Port Phillip bay.
In 1835 the Englishman John Batman was the first European to settle in the area, buying the land from the local population, 360,000 hectares of land in exchange for blankets, beads, knives and mirrors, the Aborigines thought that these things were gifts, since he was part of of the welcoming ceremony to other peoples receive gifts as gifts, in exchange they would have granted the temporary right to cross their land.
Two years later, in 1837, other Europeans settled there, divided the territory and founded the city, which owes its name to the English Prime Minister Lord Melbourne.
It was 1851 when, in a small tributary of the Yarra River in Warrandyte, gold deposits were discovered, triggering an exciting gold rush by a large number of people, mainly from other Australian colonies and Great Britain, who camped along the banks of the Yarra River, making the population of the city grow impressively.
Many public buildings in Melbourne are reminiscent of this period, such as the Treasury building, the Houses of Parliament, the State Library and the City Hall, while most of the remaining buildings are modern.
After the Second World War many immigrants from the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy and other European countries settled in Melbourne, and to these were added in the early eighties of the twentieth century, migrants from Southeast Asia, helping to form the character Melbourne's multicultural city, considered the most livable city in the world in the Economist Intelligence Unit ranking.
The original settlement area coincides with the central part of Melbourne, where Bourke and Swanston streets have been closed to traffic and turned into pedestrian areas, and where Parliament, the Anglican and Catholic Cathedrals, museums, the Palace of Justice are located , the State Library, and many financial institutions, including major banks and the stock exchange.
In front of Flinders Street station and St Paul's Cathedral, Federation Square opens, Melbourne's cultural and meeting place.
What see
St Kilda, a neighborhood located south of the center, can be reached in just 15 minutes by tram from Flinder Station. The beach is very popular, where you can spend relaxing days, the long pier, where you can observe the penguins, and the large Luna Park.
Crown is the largest casino in the area, an entertainment venue located on the southern bank of the Yarra River.
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Brunswick St is the most characteristic area of Melbourne, there are many pubs and cafes which, together with ethnic and artistic shops, make the ideal environment to spend a half day in full relaxation. The evenings are enlivened by live music on the premises, graffiti to be seen in the Fitzroy district.
Royal Botanic Gardens it is an immense botanical garden in the city center, where you can indulge in a pleasant reading or refresh yourself by eating a sack, perhaps in pleasant company. This green area includes a large variety of plants and the Shrine, a war memorial during the Second World War.
Lygon st it is one of the most famous streets, there are restaurants where excellent Italian dishes are served, pizzas of all types and pasta, at affordable prices.
Immigration Museumthrough modern interactive tools, interesting documents and photographs are shown, useful for the purpose of an exhaustive historical reconstruction of the great immigration that took place in Australia since the early 1900s.
Museum of Aboriginal History, presents an overview of the situation in Australia prior to the immigration period, during the period of colonization and consecutive, highlighting the pros and cons that these events caused in the original populations.
RoofTop Bar is one of the most suggestive places in the city, located on the seventh floor of the building at No. 252 of Swanston St, practically on the roof of the building, from where you can appreciate the unusual feeling of being above the world, among the skyscrapers , better if lying on one of the many deckchairs available placed on the synthetic lawn.
Queen Victoria Market it is one of the largest markets in the city, foodstuffs, objects of all types and clothing are treated, there are places where ethnic foods are served.
Great Ocean Road is the main road to go to get away from the center, to discover the beaches and coastal towns.
Football stadium it is the stadium where exciting football games are played, which it is very fun to watch wearing a scarf, in the colors of the chosen team, to wave while sitting on the bleachers.
Eureka Tower it is the tallest skyscraper in Melbourne, from which to admire the city from above, with a view of all its neighborhoods up to the wonderful scenarios that open on the horizon.
