Melbourne Victoria
Melbourne rates highly in education, entertainment, health care, research and development, tourism and sport, making it one of the world’s most livable cities. It is a leading financial center in the Asia-Pacific region.
Melbourne is the capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria and is the second most populous city in Australia. The city is located on the large natural bay of Port Phillip. Melbourne rates highly in education, entertainment, health care, research and development, tourism and sport, making it one of the world’s most livable cities. It is a leading financial center in the Asia-Pacific region.
It is often referred to as the ‘cultural capital’ and is the birthplace of Australian rules football, the Australian film and television industries and Australian contemporary dance. It is recognized as a UNESCO City of Literature and a major center for street art, music and theatre. It is home to many of Australia’s largest and oldest cultural institutions such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the National Gallery of Victoria, State Library of Victoria and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building.
Melbourne is often called Australia’s garden city. There is an abundance of parks and gardens in Melbourne, with the Royal Botanic Gardens a short walk from the city hosting more than 8,000 plant species, lakes and lush lawns.
To learn more about living, working and playing in Melbourne, visit That’smelbourne.com.au
The Melbourne team’s picks for the top five things to do in Melbourne, Victoria
Great Ocean Road
One of the world’s top driving routes, the Great Ocean Road stretches 244 kilometers along winding coastlines. A road trip should include the Twelve Apostles and Bells Beach.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Catch a game of Australian Football League (AFL) or cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, also known as “The G” to locals. It’s a cultural icon and one of the most important cricket grounds in the world. With a massive seating capacity of 100,000, “The G” hosts more than 90 days of cricket and AFL each year, with more than 3.5 million fans passing through its gates annually.
Laneway Art
Visit Melbourne’s famous laneways, which include Hosier Lane, AC/DC Lane and Degrave Street, lined with restaurants, chic cafes, hidden bars and fashion boutiques.
Dining
Melbourne has a myriad of restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars offering a startling array of the world’s great cuisines, from popular favorites to the truly groundbreaking. Share a drink while snacking on high-end tapas in a laneway eatery, take on a Szechuan chili dish in Chinatown, or experience Vietnamese in Richmond, “Little Italy” in Carlton, or Lebanese in Brunswick.
Festival fever
In Melbourne, everything has its own festival — from food, film, art and music festivals to writing, design and projections. For more information on events, VisitVictoria.com