Sightseeing in Melbourne - what to see. Complete travel guide

Tourists come to Melbourne to make a walk on its beautiful streets, explore the remarkable places of this city and visit most beautiful parks and gardens in the country. There are really many iconic places in this city. However, there are several obvious leaders who are most popular, so they must be definitely mentioned.

Start your acquaintance with the city from Federation Square, which is decorated with unusual architectural monuments. You can also visit the National Gallery, which is located directly on the square. In order to get acquainted with the history of the city, move your feet to the Museum of Gold. It was opened in the middle of the 19th century in an amazingly beautiful architectural complex built in the neo-Renaissance style. The name of the museum hasn’t been chosen by chance as Melbourne has been built during the Victorian Gold Rush. Another truly grandiose building is the Melbourne Aquarium, which is built in the so-called "circular" form, so visitors can walk through an unusual tunnel and see all the splendor of the sea around them. The main theme of the aquarium is the inhabitants of the southern seas.

The high-rise complex of the Rialto Towers is equipped with observation areas that feature panoramic views of the city. One of the towers of this building has a height of 251 meters. Tourists with children should definitely visit the oldest zoo in Australia - Melbourne Zoo. It is located near the city center and provides the visitors with more than three hundred breeds of animals brought from all over the world. Those tourists, who like shopping, should certainly visit the Queen Victoria Market – the biggest shopping area in the city, which is open every day. You will never find such wide choice of goods in any other market of the country. Here you can find pavilions with clothing, food departments, and, of course, souvenir shops. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

One of the most beautiful palaces in Melbourne is the Royal Exhibition Building, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site a few years ago. Only by a miracle was this splendid palace not destroyed in the middle of the 20th century. It was decided to save it and open the exhibition center in the building. Now it is used for holding various exhibitions. The palace hosts thematic events on contemporary art. Surrounding the historic building is a lush garden. In the warm season, the center is buried in an abundance of flower beds and exotic plants.

Theater admirers will have an opportunity to visit the Princess Theater. This opera house is located in a classy Victorian building. For the history of existence, the building of the theater was repeatedly rebuilt and modernized. The last major reconstruction took place in 1989. This ancient theater has its own unusual symbol - a ghost, for which a free seat is always left in the hall. In 1888, the opera Faust was staged in the theater, in which singer Frederick Baker performed. One of the main roles he died right during the performance. The theater’s staffs believe that his spirit is still in the theater.

Melbourne has many beautiful religious sites. One of the most spectacular is St. Paul's Cathedral. Built at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, it is a vivid monument in the Gothic style. The main decoration of the cathedral is considered to be a unique organ, which was made by the best foremen in the world. Despite the fact that the cathedral is actually located in the historic center of Melbourne, its fine façade has long been obscured by modern high-rise buildings. Not all tourists can independently find the cathedral.

Fans of unusual sights will be interested to visit the ancient stone mansion, which once belonged to the famous captain James Cook. Originally, this mansion was located in the vicinity of Melbourne, in a small village called Great Ayton. In 1933, the government of Melbourne decided to buy out the historic building and transport it to the city. The mansion was redeemed and donated to local businesses in the eastern part of Melbourne. Now it is in the territory of a picturesque park. During a tour of the mansion, you can learn a lot of interesting things about the discoveries of Captain Cook.