Districts

Melbourne, Australia's second largest city, spreads southwards along the shoreline of Port Phillip Bay, east towards the Dandenong Ranges, westwards towards the city of Geelong and northwards towards the plains of central Victoria.

Like any large city, Melbourne is divided up into many suburbs - not all will be of interest to travellers.

The Melbourne city centre is a beautiful and interesting mix of the old and the new. You can't miss the Eureka Tower and the Rialto stands out as well but look closely and you will notice some intricate buildings from a bygone era.

Inner city

City Centre- Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) and historical core north of the Yarra River, including the Southbank district immediately south of the Yarra and the new Docklands precinct to the west.
Albert Park- Home of Melbourne's F1 Grand Prix circuit
Brunswick- Inner northern suburb. The "new" Fitzroy.
Carlton- Traditional home of Melbourne's Italian community and the University of Melbourne.
Collingwood- Working class suburb with funky shopping on Smith Street.
Fitzroy- The Bohemian quarter filled with interesting restaurants and trendy boutiques.
Prahran- Favourite shopping district with Chapel Street as its main attraction.
Richmond- North Richmond is Melbourne's Little Vietnam while the southern part of the district, Bridge Road, is famous for low price fashion outlets.
South Melbourne- Home of the shopping strip known as Clarendon Street, South Melbourne also has the popular South Melbourne Market, which first opened in 1867 and features food, clothing, footwear and much more.
South Yarra- South of the river, with high-end shopping and dining, it covers South Yarra and Toorak.
St Kilda- Suburb on Port Philip Bay with its famous Sunday art market, and home to many backpacker hostels and cafes.
Williamstown- Old, maritime-styled suburb with many cafes situated along the foreshore.
Yarraville- Quiet, inner-western suburb with well-preserved Victorian architecture and a funky, artsy vibe.

Middle and Outer suburbs

Eastern suburbs- Stretching from almost inner suburbs of Kew, Hawthorn and Camberwell to the outer areas like Belgrave, Lilydale, Ringwood, Glen Waverley and the Dandenong Ranges.
Northern suburbs- Covering suburbs like Tullamarine, Broadmeadows, South Morang, Epping, Bundoora and Eltham.
Southern suburbs- Spread along the coast of Port Philip Bay and covers areas like Brighton, Elwood, Sandringham and Frankston. Its main attraction is the beach along the bay.
Western suburbs- Includes areas like Altona (home to Julia Gillard, the first female Prime Minister of Australia), Williamstown, Point Cook, Footscray, Werribee, Caroline Springs, Sunshine, Melton, Keilor and Sydenham.