Melbourne

Melbourne is widely regarded as Australia's cultural capital, a stylish and eminently liveable city famous for its hidden laneways strung with cafes and vivid street art, its world-class coffee culture, and its buzzing food, arts and sporting scene. Grand Victorian arcades and gardens sit beside a modern riverside, and its love of sport, from cricket to the Australian Open, and its multicultural food make it endlessly rewarding.

History

Aboriginal people have lived in the area for at least 40,000 years, and when the British came up to 20,000 people of the Kulin nation, Wurundjeri, Bunurong and Wathaurong, lived here, in an important meeting place and source of food and water. The first British settlement in what is now Victoria, at Sullivan Bay near Sorrento in October 1803, moved to Van Diemen's Land the next year, and in May and June 1835 John Batman of the Port Phillip Association explored the area and claimed to have bought 600,000 acres from eight Wurundjeri elders, a treaty much disputed, since neither side spoke the other's language and the elders probably saw the exchange as a tanderrum ceremony granting temporary use of the land; he chose a site on the north bank of the Yarra for a village, and another party of settlers from Van Diemen's Land arrived that August (Wikipedia, Melbourne).

What you'll find

• The laneways - the hidden lanes of cafes, bars and street art.
• The coffee and food scene - the celebrated coffee and multicultural dining.
• The arcades and gardens - the Victorian arcades and leafy parks.
• The sporting culture - the MCG, cricket and the tennis Open.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the most pleasant weather, though Melbourne is famous for changeable weather with four seasons in a day, so come prepared. Summer brings the Australian Open tennis and cricket; the arts and food are year-round.

Things to know

Melbourne's weather is famously fickle, swinging through several seasons in a day, so pack layers. It is a city of atmosphere, coffee and culture rather than blockbuster sights, so its rewards come from wandering, eating and soaking up the vibe rather than ticking off monuments. It is spread out, though the free city-centre trams help.

Nearby

The Great Ocean Road, the Yarra Valley wineries and the Mornington Peninsula are within reach.

Key facts