Exploring Australia #4: Melbourne

After visiting Sydney, now it's time for another huge city on my travel blog. In this Melbourne travel guide, we will explore the biggest tourist attractions and interesting places the city has to offer. Welcome!

There are a lot of different interesting places in Melbourne, so it wasn't easy to pick the best ones. Of course, this is my subjective choice, so if you have any other great tourist attractions I missed here, write about it in the comment and I will try to describe in on my travel blog.

Queen Victoria Market

Queen Victoria Market (or Queen Vic, Vic Market) is probably the biggest (and for sure the most famous!) open-air market in Melbourne.You can buy here just everything: food, fruits, vegetables, souvenirs, clothes, jewelry, shoes and many, many more. The Meat Hall was constructed in 1869, and the whole market is opened from 1874. You can feel here like the real 19th-century buyer, especially on the Victoria and Elizabeth streets.

If you want to visit Queen Victoria Market, be prepared that the opening hours may vary due to the day of the week and it's closed in Monday and Wednesday (and Public Holidays). Below you can find an opening hours for 2017:

• Monday: Closed.
• Tuesday: 06:00 - 14:00.
• Wednesday: Closed.
• Thursday: 06:00 - 14:00.
• Friday: 06:00 - 17:00.
• Saturday: 06:00 - 15:00.
• Sunday: 09:00 - 16:00.

Eureka Tower Skydeck

Eureka Tower Skydeck is a huge tower and the tallest building in Melbourne, almost 300 meters above the streets. It has 88 levels and you can get on the last one in 30 seconds using the elevator (super fast, prepare for a pressure change).

You can enjoy here an awesome view and the panorama of the whole city. Eureka Tower Skydeck is a perfect place for photographers and the best time to take some photos is during the sunset.

If you want, you can also pay a little extra money to get to the special room called the Edge that is filled with glass: floor, walls, ceiling, everything! This is a great experience but only for those who are not afraid of heights.

Flinders Central Station and Flinders Street

Flinders Street Station was for me the most beautiful building in whole Melbourne, as I love an old architecture. You can find it on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets. It was built in 1909 and was the first railway station in an Australian city and the world's busiest passenger station in the late 1920s. Currently, it looks much better outside than inside, but still getting there is really worth it. Flinders Street Station is a great cultural icon of Melbourne city.

While being here, take a walk around as there are a lot of interesting places here, especially on Flinders Street. There is a beautiful St Paul Cathedral, postmodern Federation Square, Melbourne Arts Centre, the Forum Theatre and much more.

Shrine of Remembrance

Shrine of Remembrance is a war memorial to the dead that fought for Australia during the World Wars (originally it was built to honor World War I soldiers, but now it's dedicated to all Australian soldiers that fought in wars), located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road. It's also one of the largest war memorials in whole Australia.

It's a really interesting experience to visit Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. We can learn here some details about the war and the soldier's sacrifice.

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is a house for thousands of sea animals and fishes. You can find here Elephant Sharks (only exhibition in the world), Seahorses, Penguins, and even all fishes from Finding Dory movie on the Disney's exhibition.

The underwater world of Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is a great tourist attraction and a great place to visit. It is open from 09:30 to 18:00 and the adult ticket costs 42 AUD.

St Patrick's Cathedral

St Patrick's Cathedral called also Minor Basilica of Saint Patrick and the Cathedral Church is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, built by an architect William Wardell in 1897.

This is a very beautiful Gothic-style building and for me the most beautiful church in Melbourne. St Patrick's Cathedral is a must-see for every sacral architecture lover.

Chinatown

If you want to feel more exotic, you should visit Chinatown in Melbourne by stepping through its red gates. It can be found between Spring and Swanston Streets. 

You can find here various things, from Chinese restaurants to Chinese festival decorations. Roasted duck? No problem! Chicken? Sure! Just feel the real Chinatown's climate and go for a cheap shopping.

Conclusion

I hope you like my Melbourne travel guide and another article about discovering Australia. If you do or have any questions about Melbourne or my trip to Australia, feel free to leave me a comment in the section below.

Hey there! My name is Wojtek and I am very happy that you came to my travel blog. I've been traveling the world for a few good years now and I still want more.

On my website I describe the adventures that have happened to me, you will also find here a collection of valuable tips for tourists and travelers. If you liked this article, be sure to leave a comment and read some more!