City with Drive
Cars and trams roar above our heads, while Murray slips our helmets on under the bridge with an encouraging "No worries! The mountain bike tour of Melbourne begins at Federation Square - on the "wrong side", as the guide announces with a grin. "You'll be amazed at how green this city is," says Murray, and off we go. The path along the banks of the Yarra River carries us away from the hustle and bustle into a world of calm and quiet movement: Joggers overtake us, rowers launch their skiffs, lovers cuddle on the riverbank wall. Melbourne was founded on this river 175 years ago, and here it meanders peacefully through the city of millions.
Federation Square. Melbourne Visitor Centre, www.thatsmelbourne.com.au; Real Melbourne Bike Tours: day tour approx. 80 euros, www.rentabike.net.au
Beauty between charm and practicality - the architectural mix in Belgrade
A Captivating Stay Near Regent Theatre Melbourne: Hotels in Victoria
For those seeking a blend of entertainment, culture, and convenience, the Regent Theatre in Melbourne is a true gem. To fully indulge in the city's vibrant arts scene, consider staying in hotels in Victoria near Regent Theatre Melbourne. These accommodations not only provide easy access to the theatre but also offer a comfortable and stylish stay.
One option that captures the essence of Melbourne's charm is the Maruve Guesthouse 12 min from Melb airport. This guesthouse offers not only a convenient location but also a warm and inviting atmosphere that makes you feel right at home.
Staying at the Maruve Guesthouse allows you to experience the best of both worlds. You can easily explore the captivating performances at Regent Theatre Melbourne and then return to the peaceful ambiance of the guesthouse. With its proximity to the airport, Maruve Guesthouse is an excellent choice for travelers seeking a seamless journey.
Victoria is brimming with diverse accommodations that cater to various preferences and needs. Whether you're drawn to the allure of cultural venues like Regent Theatre Melbourne or prioritizing proximity to transportation hubs like Melbourne Airport, you'll find hotels in Victoria that align with your travel aspirations. Embrace the dynamic energy of Melbourne while enjoying a comfortable and inviting place to stay.
Read more about hotels. Find and Book Top Rated Guest-houses in Australia at tophotels.com
The southernmost metropolis in the world.
In 1835, timber traders from Tasmania bought this swampy piece of land on the Indian Ocean from the Aborigines. Without the gold discoveries around 1850, Melbourne would be a provincial backwater today. Within a short time, the population multiplied from 10 000 in 1840 to 500 000 in 1900, to one million in 1930. In the meantime, four million people live here, Melbourne is growing. We stand on a bridge, hear the machines widening the road to the highway, smell tar, see the cranes pulling the Docklands skyscrapers into the sky down by the river. What makes Melbourne so worth living in? Is it the cleverness of the city planners who have not given away their old town but have declared it the untouchable centre of the city? Is it the green spaces that take the harshness out of the Central Business District with its office skyscrapers? Is it the proximity to the ocean, which can be reached by tram? Murray claims it is the sport and invites us to follow him.
City circle Tram. For a first impression, it's worth taking the free city circle tram ride, www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au.
On your marks! By the sports guns.
Around the bowl of the Melbourne Cricket Ground stand deserving players - man-high in bronze. Elsewhere, generals or poets are put on a pedestal, here sportsmen are honoured. It's actually absurd to visit a stadium where there's nothing going on. And if it were played here, you wouldn't get it, because cricket is not only the most boring sport in the world, but also the most incomprehensible. But Murray says you have to see places like this "to understand the city. To understand Australia!" It's a sport-crazy country. And Melbourne is its stage. For the Australian Open tennis tournament, the Formula One run for the Australian Grand Prix or the horse race for the Melbourne Cup, where the hats of the spectators are as important as the races themselves. We look into the round of the stadium. "It's the biggest in the southern hemisphere," Murray claims. A superlative we will encounter more often. It counts for something here when Melbourne is at the top of the podium - and not Sydney.
Melbourne Cricket Ground. Sports Lovers Tours, tour approx. 70 euros www.melbournesportstours.com.au
Urban jungle: The parks.
From the stadium in Docklands we cruise along finely paved paths to Fitzroy Gardens. Bunya-bunya trees and red-flowering flamboyants line the lawns. Children have thrown away their satchels and are chasing each other across the grass in their school uniforms. Mothers squat on spread blankets, babies crawl across patchwork. The parks in Melbourne, which calls itself Australia's garden city, all show their own character: the Fitzroy Gardens were laid out in Victorian style, with wide and straight paths. In Carlton Gardens, all paths lead to the dominant Royal Exhibition Building: a white building with a domed roof, serene like a summer residence. Walkers sit by the fountain drinking coffee bought from the kiosk and served to themselves. Murray stops short. "The Exhibition Building is part of the Melbourne Museum," he says and adds in a meaningful voice: "It's the biggest museum in the southern hemisphere."
Melbourne Museum. Nicholson Street, admission approx. 6 euros.
Food and shopping
Foodie Town.
It is certainly also due to the taste of our guide that we always end up in cafés and restaurants that offer unusually good cuisine. But in the "culinary capital of Australia", the probability of getting excellent food is naturally high: Melbourne is, after all, nestled between the wine-growing regions of the Yarra Valley and right by the sea. The immigrants also brought their best recipes with them to the south. While Asian influences are strong in Sydney, European culinary art shapes Melbourne's cuisine. With "Vue de Monde", "Rockpool Bar & Grill" and "Koko", Melbourne has three of the ten best restaurants in the country, according to www.australiatop.com. Among the still affordable stars of the gourmet sky is the Pearl (the scallops are divine). Pearl. 631 Church St., www.pearlrestaurant.com.au. We cyclists - a little underdressed - prefer to choose Brigitte Hafner's "Enoteca". She is from Germany and welcomes her guests on the first floor at the long table in front of the open kitchen, serving Italian starters, French main courses and Austrian cakes.
Enoteca. 229 Gertrude St., www.getrudestreetenoteca.com
In the neighbourhood.
We cycle through the alternative district of Fitzroy, past fashion shops, pubs and tattoo studios. It's cool and easy to ride, and we have long since overcome our fears about the traffic. We lock up the bikes in front of Young & Jackson, a microbrewery. I try the "Naked Ale". When the landlord finds out that I'm from Germany, he almost apologises for the drink. But it tastes fresh and drinkable. Pleased with my praise, the landlord pours a porter. "And this is nice too," he says and refills it.
Young & Jackson. Swanston corner Flinders St., www.youngandjacksons.com.au
The shopping maze.
Through narrow streets we roll into the city centre, called the grid. The grid is the basic grid of Melbourne laid out by Robert Hoodle in 1837. You can hardly make it out when you're stuck in the arcades and alleys, the laneways. Murray takes us to the Eureka Tower. The 297-metre tower, Murray says in his die-superlative-Australia voice, is one of the tallest residential buildings in, we guessed it, the southern hemisphere. It's going to be a suicide mission: the lift whizzes up to the 88th floor in 40 seconds to the viewing platform, a dark room. Suddenly the cabin moves. From somewhere it sounds as if glass is shattering. And then we are standing in the air: The Edge is the name of this adventure in a cube of high-tech glass that is hydraulically moved out of the building and then made transparent.
From above we can see the layout of the city: Central Business District, Docklands, the Yarra, the parks. In the distance, the sea over which Melbourne's founders came - to paraphrase Murray: the fathers of one of the Southern Hemisphere's most must-see cities. Eureka Tower. Riverside Quay 7, tel. 03-96 93 88 88, www.eurekaskydeck.com.au