Carlton

Carlton is one of Melbourne's most dynamic and diverse suburbs, and it's where you will find major educational institutions such as the University of Melbourne and RMIT University, the Melbourne Zoo, the historic Melbourne Cemetery, parks and gardens and several major hospitals.

Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum
The Royal Exhibition Building was the first non-Aboriginal cultural site in Australia to be added to the World Heritage List. It was built in 1879–1880 and is set within the Carlton Gardens, one of Melbourne's finest public parks. Melbourne Museum, the proud custodian of the Royal Exhibition Building, was constructed in the gardens and opened in 2000. It houses a permanent collection in eight galleries, including one just for children.

Lygon Street
Carlton is the Italian centre of Melbourne and Lygon Street is Melbourne's own Little Italy. It is the place where the city's famous cafe culture was born, and the street's double-storey Victorian terraces are crammed with endless cafes and restaurants serving steaming bowls of pasta, coffee and delicious gelati. There's lots of pizza too and old favourites like Tiamo, the University Cafe and Brunetti are as warm and welcoming as ever.

Shopping
Further down Lygon Street you'll find bookshops, galleries and plenty of stores selling the latest European and Australian fashions. The crowd here is mixed with students and the literary set buying up big at Readings bookstore and older Italian men just watching the world go by.

How to get there
By tram: Number 1 or 8 heading north from Swanston Street.

By bus: Number 200, 201, 203, 205, 207 or 253 from Melbourne Central.