Travel

There Are Many Good Reasons to Visit the World’s Most Liveable City

By: Joseph Akintaju on March 1, 2013 @ 2:16 am.

If someone mentions the world’s most liveable city to you, you might think of some great European capital, or even perhaps one of the major metropolitan cities in the United States, but you’d be wrong. The honour in recent years has consistently gone to one of Australia’s great assets, the city of Melbourne. The second-largest city in this fascinating country, with a population which exceeds 4 million people, it offers a wide variety of sights, entertainment and cultural enrichment, in a mix that is difficult to duplicate any place else.

No wonder some people who go there on temporary work assignments, or even to study, decide to stay, adding to the incredible cultural mix and the city’s vibrant lifestyle. Although originally home to three distinct aboriginal tribes, the Wurundjeri, the Boonwurrung and the Wathaurong, who from archaeological remains seem to have lived in the area for more than 30,000 years, Melbourne really rose to prominence over 150 years ago, when the Victorian gold rush made Melbourne the major seaport for shipping the discovered gold out to its final destination.

This led to a large influx of people from all over the world, especially Europe, and the beginning of a building boom which produced such modern-day landmarks such as Parliament House, the Treasury Building, and the Melbourne Town Hall, among others. Gold was certainly good to Melbourne, and in a few short years it had become the richest city in the world and the second largest city in the British Empire after London. Not bad for a city that had only been founded a few decades earlier!

Come and take it all in!

There are countless reasons to come and visit this amazing city, and with inexpensive flights to Melbourne, you can be here in no time at all. And once here, you feel you don’t have time to take it all in, there is so much to see and do:

  • Come see some of the latest urban renewal projects that have been achieved in the last few decades, and have transformed Melbourne into the great city it is today. Explore Southbank, Port Melbourne, South Wharf and Melbourne Docklands. Linger in some of the new trendy cafés, or visit the uniquely Australian central business district
  • Enjoy a wide variety of festivals, which occur all year-long. How about the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, a perfect opportunity for a good laugh. Or the Melbourne International Arts Festival, which as the name implies, will expose you to wonderful objects, not only from the surrounding area, but from all over the world. If you’re a movie buff, you’ll want to catch the Melbourne International Film Festival, and see some of the latest cinematic productions from various countries
  • If it’s culture you crave, you’ve come to the right place. Attend wonderful performances at the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, or even famous productions brought to you by the Australian Ballet
  • Casually explore many of the artist galleries, and even special objects made by street vendors, who are scattered throughout the downtown area. Melbourne is known for its highly diverse arts scene, and there are also many museums which can be visited at one’s leisure.

With so much going on, you shouldn’t hesitate to come and see for yourself what this amazing city has to offer.

Guest post contributed by Chris Harlepp a US-based travel writer covering vacations and exotic destinations worldwide, describing various travel options, including Flights to Melbourne. He writes on a freelance basis for many of the major travel blogs.

Image credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wikiwill/3589147180/

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