36 Hours in Melbourne

If you ever wanted to change your city to earn a better and more relaxed lifestyle, Melbourne is almost certainly the city for you, a city that makes you fall in love with it with the mild climate, the high quality of life without frenzy, an efficient organization and cultural enrichment. Here nature and history go hand in hand.

With an infinite number of hidden secrets, its maze of vaguely retro laneways, opulent bars, and unusual boutiques Melbourne is a magical place for your romantic holidays. Cosmopolitan and young and with a buzzing atmosphere, Melbourne has become one of the meccas for fashion and shopping. It has an eclectic downtown, enriched areas and facilities dedicated to shopping, museums and art galleries, cinemas and theatres, parks and gardens, cafés and restaurants.

Here you can explore the streets and rooftops of Melbourne, the culture of Federation Square, lively bars, shops and bars and the legendary MCG. You can discover St Kilda, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Brunswick Street and excitement of the Spring Racing Carnival as also join famous events like the Grand Prix while making a day trip to the Mornington Peninsula and Phillip Island to see the fairy penguins.

1. Mornington Peninsula

Life is really beautiful on the Mornington Peninsula, a true paradise in the summer with its quaint seaside villages, vineyards, beaches, national parks, galleries, golf courses, spas and restaurants. Romance, relaxation, rest and adventure are the order of the day here and it's easy to see why the people of Melbourne love this area and choose it as an ideal place to spend a week or a weekend.

The streets of Melbourne are just one of the many aspects of this multi-faceted city where you can satisfy your desire for sport with cricket and football as well as immerse yourself in art and culture, dine at fine restaurants or enjoy the best burgers in town, buying clothes from local designers or riding along the bay, Melbourne is definitely a city for everyone.

2. Federation Square

You will not have time to sleep in Melbourne, a city where culture lovers, sports enthusiasts and fashion experts and foodies all have their niche. You can discover cafes, bars and boutiques in the narrow streets of the city that branch off from the main roads or soak up the vibrant atmosphere of Southbank and visit Federation Square, where the creative scene is combined with the culture of coffee.

3. Yarra Valley

Cross by boat the Yarra and wander the lawns and lakes of the Royal Botanic Gardens or soak in the special energy of the various districts of the city, from the elegant South Yarra St Kilda, on the beach, up to alternative Fitzroy, the bohemian heart of the city, where you will see bikers who drink a cappuccino closely with entrepreneurs and second hand shops to the side of high-end boutiques.

In the daily grind of the modern world, a trip to the Yarra Valley will offer a magical way to stop time. By car it will take less than an hour from Melbourne to reach the vineyards, the villages and the high misty forests of the region. You can taste wine in Yarra Glen where design, art, tradition and open spaces are mixed in these realities totally new for our wine culture and sip tea in Devonshire hills of the Dandenong Ranges or hold back at the table for a long lunch in the restaurant's wine cellar or take a picnic of local products alongside a waterfall.

For spa treatments Daylesford and Macedon Ranges, offer plenty of choice in terms of modern and equipped facilities. Another attraction is that of romantic Venice on the Yarra where you can get carried away by the gentle waters of the Yarra River on board a gondola for a memorable view of the city. Or you could go up in a balloon and soar into the light of the sunset over the skyline of Melbourne.

Once left behind the grid of streets that forms the centre of the city, you will never know what awaits you in the maze of Gothic alleys behind it. Even the locals find surprises here, including small and hidden restaurants; clothing stores and art galleries. You can discover a jazz bar open late, and watch the passersby at the table of a small restaurant, or visit the boutiques and modern art galleries. These streets will unveil the most intimate secrets of Melbourne.

The locals use the spaces of their city to visit in the summer, the bars, cinemas and restaurants located on the roofs of buildings where you can let your sight wander to the four corners of the sky while listening to live music, relaxing in a bar or watching a movie under the stars. These rooms located on the roofs blend perfectly with innovation and elegance of a bygone era and are the ideal places to spend a relaxed afternoon or summer evening.

And then in the area, so close to the capital, the opportunities for romance certainly is not lacking where you can linger on your glass of wine in a cellar extending your gaze on extensive vineyards or give in to the powerful and unique landscapes of the Great Ocean Road. The Great Ocean Road turns the romance of the classic road trip in an enchanting love story.

In the city you can immerse yourself in the local culture, explore stadiums and sports centres, and titillate the taste buds in the dynamic local food and wine, dancing until dawn or stroll in the parks and along the green avenues.

4. Southern Star

The first Ferris wheel in Australia, Southern Star, is the latest and must-see attraction located in Docklands. One of the most ambitious projects of the city of Melbourne that focuses on the Ferris wheel, one of the major tourist attractions of the city, as well as an important element of urban outfit. The wheel over 120 meters high, equivalent to a 40-story building provides a vantage point to Port Phillip Bay and even beyond.

The city of Melbourne has made the tram iconic where with the City Circle Tram you can have a free tour, with the possibility of up and down in different and crucial points of the city, through its romantic tracks. And to stay on topic, indeed on board, there is the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant to experience the thrill of a dinner for two on board a tram, while the lights, the streets of Melbourne whizz around you.

The choice for luxurious accommodation in Melbourne is wide with the Intercontinental Melbourne The Rialto, located inside The Rialto, the historic building in the central Collins Street. The 5-star welcomes guests in the two towers that flank the Rialto Towers Observation Deck, one of the tallest buildings in the city and is equipped with restaurants, lobby, lounge and wine bar, as well as meeting rooms and a ballroom.

The Grand Hyatt Melbourne offers a design and taste of Australian and Greek marbles with a facade completely restored to its former glory with an arch dedicated to upscale shopping.

5. Grampians National Park

You can just move away slightly from Melbourne to be greeted by the virgin land, as well as the Grampians National Park, just 3 hours drive from the city. This area, strongly wild, is characterized by high peaks that stand out on the horizon and a particular floral wealth during the summer season (November to February).

But it is the contact with the animals, here that is truly extraordinary; to make the area particularly attractive with thousands of species of birds, 300 of which nest only here along with marsupials, present everywhere, and mammals such as the platypus and echidna.

6. Phillip Island

Another absolute must for those who love wildlife, unspoiled landscapes and oceans is Phillip Island where you can easily and immediately meet with penguins, koalas and seals and if you want privacy and solitude, just take refuge in one of the many quiet corners that the island offers. Do not miss the scenic helicopter rides that will leave lasting memories of your visit.

The whole of Australia stops to follow the Melbourne Cup, but the fun in Melbourne is never interrupted for the duration of the Spring Racing Carnival. This extraordinary event includes horse racing, fashion and entertainment, and starts in September ending only in mid-November. Flemington Racecourse is the main protagonist: here you have important races like the Derby Day, the Melbourne Cup and Oaks Day, but the event affects all racetracks in the state.

7. Albert Park

In Melbourne, nobody misses the tennis grand slam, Australian Open in January or the Australian Grand Prix, which for four days in March invades Albert Park. You can hear the distinctive roar of Formula 1 cars throughout the city and watch the fastest riders in the world speeding at 300 km per hour on tracks built for the occasion. You can see a showdown between Australia's V8 Supercars or check out luxury models such as Ferrari, Porsche and Lotus in shape. As an alternative to the events on the slopes, you can take a tour of the bars, let loose during a music festival or a rock concert at the end of the races.

Discover Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, a dynamic centre that will thrill you for its lifestyle, its culture, gastronomy and its sports.