Melbourne is Australia’s southern cultural capital, a metro of about 5.2 million founded in 1835 and shaped by the 1850s gold rush. Its compact centre mixes Victorian arcades with graffiti-splashed laneways, cafés and small bars; highlights include Federation Square and the NGV, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance, and riverside walks along the Yarra to Southbank. Sport is a civic religion—think the MCG, the Australian Open at Melbourne Park, and AAMI Park—while neighbourhoods like Fitzroy, Collingwood and St Kilda add live venues, street art and late nights (with penguins at St Kilda Pier after dark). Getting around is straightforward on the extensive tram and train network (with a free tram zone in the CBD); long-haul access is via Melbourne Airport (MEL), and classic day trips run to the Yarra Valley wineries, Mornington Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road.
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