Visiting historic Melbourne tourist attractions gives you the opportunity to glimpse into Melbourne’s passionate past.

Melbourne had its heydays from the 1850s as a result of the biggest gold rush the world has seen. For three decades, it was a fast growing and reckless town with more immigrants arriving than in any other place in the world.

While the boom was inevitably followed by the bust, the next Melbourne high points were the Bohemian heydays in the late nineteen thirties and early forties.

Today, Melbourne is again a passionate and growing Australian city – rich in cultural variety and celebrating at almost any opportunity. It is shopping capital, centre for entertainment and the arts, a sports lover’s haven…

Here are some Melbourne sightseeing tips that take you to the monuments of Melbourne’s high times, present and past.

1. Lanes and arcades: Flinders lane is one of the most interesting lanes to visit. It is the hub for Melbourne’s art galleries around its west end. Between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets, Flinders Lane and the lanes around Centre Way make up the heart of Melbourne’s city cafe culture. From Centre way, across Collins Street, you can enter the historic Block Arcade and then Royal Arcade that connects right through to Bourke Street mall. These are Melbourne’s most famous arcades and lavish edifices from Melbourne’s golden days.
2. China Town gives you another glimpse into the Melbourne gold rush days. Established in 1954, it is the oldest Australian Chinatown. It houses numerous Asian restaurants and shops, the world’s largest Chinese Dragon, over 100m long, and a Chinese Museum.
3. The Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens is another relic from the heydays. It is one of the world’s oldest remaining exhibition pavilions and used to be the showcase for Melbourne’s riches and expansion. It is still used as an exhibition hall today, providing many opportunities to admire its beautifully decorated halls.
4. Near the Carlton Gardens is the famous Lygon Street precinct that originated with early Italian immigration. It has become a Melbourne tourist attraction with an amazing number of Italian restaurants and cafes, offering footpath wining and dining, interlaced with shops and boutiques.
5. The Royal Botanical Garden was also established in the gold rush days and has over the last 160 years developed into the finest botanical gardens in the world. It’s only a short walk from the city and a great place to relax among lakes, mature trees and ambient corners.

These are some of the historically significant Melbourne tourist attractions, which are fascinating to explore.

Then there are the arts and music scenes, and all sorts of activities that make a visit to Melbourne a captivating and rich experience.