Melbourne is a city of cosmopolitan charm. Seemingly European, it is actually a “frontier” city : always remember that we are – at least from our point of view – on the other side of the world, squeezed between ocean and desert.

The ideal would be to slip into its folds and participate in concerts and cultural events, which are the order of the day here. But anyhow: you can’t always choose and therefore, if you have 48 hours available and maybe Melbourne is a passing stop for you, I suggest a short list of things to do / see.

Start at Federation Square , the main square, and arrive at Bourke Street and beyond. It is here, in fact, that business is played out, it is here that people buy, stroll, play. Federation Square, in particular, is the quintessential meeting point for every Australian, and is usually called Fed Square. It houses various bars and museums, including the Australian Center for the Moving Image and the Ian Potter Center / NGV Australia, a gallery dedicated to Australian and Aboriginal art in all its forms.

This path, which passes by the imposing St Paul’s Cathedral , has the shape of a quadrilateral, inside which it is not unlikely that you will find singers and extraordinary improvisers, which make Then reach the Queen Victoria Market , a huge open-air market, where you can rummage through various trinkets and restaurants.

AFTERNOON:
After lunch, the Shrine of Remembrance awaits you : located inside the Kings Domain , a green park surrounded by skyscrapers, it is a memorial dedicated to the Australian fallen. An idyllic stroll, which could be even more so if you add the adjacent botanical gardens to the list of things to see. But you can’t do everything in 48 hours!

We will be on Government Street at 9:00 am and start our tour of Victoria in the best possible way: by having breakfast at the most famous hotel in the city , the Fairmont Empress.

From here we will start walking towards Craigdarroch Castle , a majestic construction built in the late 19th century. We will visit its interior admiring the beautiful rooms.

Then, we will go to Victoria Distillers , the perfect place for spirits lovers. This place is especially famous for the production of artisanal gin : for this reason,

Our Victoria tour will then take us to the Victoria Butterfly Gardens or to carry out a wine tasting at the Church & State Winery : you can choose between these two experiences when booking.

Finally, we will conclude the itinerary by visiting the famous Butchart Gardens , a fairytale place where we will immerse ourselves in nature.

To reach the State of Victoria it is particularly convenient to fly to Melbourne . For this trip I flew with Qatar Airways . If you want some more advice, I refer you to the first part of the guide to the discovery of Australia in which I talked about the flight experience.