Chameleonic, multicultural and effervescent: welcome to Melbourne
If we had to choose a city to get lost in, it would be melbourne . Its cultural and gastronomic scene beats at a fast pace . here is our guide to use and enjoy melbourne , in which we propose plans for your first 48 hours in the city where it is impossible to get bored . For the following you will not need a route map.
DAY 1
9 a.m. . In Australia breakfast very well. do it in Higher Ground _(650 Little Bourke Street) _.
This old power station is today a cafeteria full of life whose design will fascinate you, but also its menu: it is so extensive, inviting and photogenic that you won't want to leave.
10 a.m. Melbourne is an open-air art gallery . Take a camera-wielding walking tour through the central alleys packed with murals and graffiti. of the inspiring Hosier Lane to the psychedelic Rutledge Lane, going through the famous AC/DC Lane and Duckboard Place.
Rutledge Lane, pure psychedelia
11 a.m. . After admiring the architecture and shops of its picturesque shopping arcades, such as Block Arcade _(282 Collins Street) _ or walking through alleys like the iconic Degraves Street , one of our favorites, delve into its Chinatown, along Little Bourke Street.
With several historic buildings, museums, restaurants, and shops, this neighborhood is the oldest Chinese settlement in the Western world. On the way, buy some cheesecakes at Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart _(211 La Trobe St.) _ or at Uncle´s Tetsu (355 Swanston St.). Apart from the original ones, try the green ones, the most Asian and only suitable for the daring, of matcha tea.
12 noon Next stop: the State Library of Victoria (328 Swanston St.), the oldest in Australia (and one of the most beautiful in the world). You will be surprised by its garden area, with a lawn that invites you to spend hours on it and, once inside , its octagonal room for 600 readers.
1 p.m. Take a walk through the colorful stalls of the market Queen Victoria Market _(Queen Street) _, which is also open on Wednesday nights in summer, and buys sourdough bread at The Bread Box , some fruit in Garden Organics or Cheese at Bill's Farm for an impromptu picnic in one of Melbourne's many parks.
The best option: Royal Botanic Gardens **(Birdwood Av.) ** . Its 38 hectares with numerous lakes and more than 8,500 plant species They go a long way: they host open-air harp concerts, scientific seminars, guided tours or painting exhibitions.
Union Lane in Melbourne
2 p.m. . Continue your artistic journey at the National Gallery (180 St Kilda Road). There you can tour their samples of modern and contemporary art and even discover works by Aboriginal artists. Before leaving, visit its cafeteria specializing in teas and Homemade pastries Tea Room . In summer, don't lose sight of its nightly parties, which mix art and music several nights a week.
4 p.m. Get ready to see one of the best views of **Melbourne from the Shrine of Remembrance ** _(Birdwood Avenue) _. Built in 1934, this shrine-shaped monument is dedicated to all those who have served in armed conflict and in peacekeeping operations in which Australia has participated. His architectural inspiration came from one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the Halicarnaso Mausoleum. Closes at 5pm.
Shrine of Remembrance
5 p.m. As a good tourist on your first day in Melbourne, take the free tram, that runs through the most central streets and strolls through Federation Square , the spacious open square in front of the station Flinders Street and St Paul's Cathedral that serves as a cultural venue, meeting place and space for public events.
It connects the historic center of the city with the Yarra River through Birrarung Marr Park, a pleasant green space to spend a few hours with the family or go for a bike ride.
Federation Square in Melbourne
7:00 p.m. Watch the sunset from above at Lui Bar (Level 55, Rialto, 525 Collins Street) , the 55th floor of the Rialto Tower. The prices may scare you a bit, but it's worth it. your restaurant, Flight of the World It is quite a gastronomic experience... but not suitable for all pockets.
8 p.m. To soak up the city's cosmopolitan vibe, dine on one of the terraces suspended over the **Yarra River, such as the Arbory Bar & Eatery ** (1 Flinders Walk) .
9 p.m. . If you go to Melbourne from December to March, an essential plan is its Rooftop Cinema _ (252 Swanston St.) :_ a rooftop that hides a cozy open-air cinema where you can have a drink until midnight.
DAY 2
9 a.m. Taking advantage of the fact that in Melbourne you can find a good barista on every corner, we suggest you start your second day like a true “Melburnian”: coffee to go in one hand and any of the croissants in Monday Croissanterie _(119 Rose St.) _ on the other. Wherever you go, do what you see. We know that, as a good traveler, you are not in a hurry, but having breakfast on the way anywhere is very Australian.
10 a.m. Since we've made you go up Fitzroy to buy the best croissants in the world according to New York Times walk around the neighborhood: one of the most modern (and fashionable) in the city . tour Brunswick Street , its main artery, and enter its original tailor shops, hat shops or decoration shops.
Also cross the neighbor collingwood neighborhood and walk around to let yourself be surprised by its industrial buildings converted into ethnic restaurants, bars that are not what they seem or modern offices.
Fitzroy, the trendy neighborhood in Melbourne
1 p.m. Eat in Naked for Satan _(285 Brunskwick St.) _, a bar Basque pintxos and vodka (yes, as you read it) . If you have been in the oceanic country for a short time, do not miss its Australian beers or wines, but if you already miss Spain , ask for an Albariño, a Ribera del Duero or an Alhambra.
You will feel at home. An advice: go up to your roof, Naked in the sky , to observe again in the distance the skyscrapers of the commercial and financial center of the city.
3 p.m. Treat yourself: try any of the creamy ice creams Pidapipo Gelateria _(299 Lygon Street, Carlton, in the Italian quarter, or 85 Chapel Street, Windsor) _. We cannot recommend just one.
5 p.m. Stroll through the gardens of Abbotsford Convent , a huge, dynamic and inspiring space of almost 7 hectares dedicated to artistic disciplines which, depending on the time of year, houses events, festivals, exhibitions, concerts, multidisciplinary workshops or farmers' markets.
If you travel as a family, pay a visit to the Collingwood's Children Farm _(18 St. Heliers St.) _, created in 1979 so that children who lived in an urban environment were in contact with nature and learn to care for animals on a farm with a community spirit.
8 p.m. Dinner in lenses as anything , one of ours Melbourne must-sees e: This canteen in the form of a non-profit vegetarian restaurant, located in the former dining room of the monastery nuns, is run by volunteers and each diner pays what he considers his plate is worth.
If, on the other hand, you prefer to take advantage of your visit to Melbourne to dine in one of the best restaurants in the world, book at Attica _(74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea) _, which this year has climbed 12 positions and is ranked 20th in the ranking of The World's 50 Best Restaurants .
You're running out of 48 hours, but if you have time to spare and want to soak up (even more) the Australian spirit, take a trip south of the city to enjoy Brighton's beaches, with its colorful wooden cabins or St Kilda, on whose pier you can see, at sunset, some tiny blue penguins that come out every afternoon to greet tourists.
Our last piece of advice: even if you follow this travel manual, leave room for improvisation. Every corner of Melbourne is capable of surprising you.
Brighton Beach in Melbourne