Nº3 · Melbourne CBD
Laneway crawl
Street art and bluestone lanes in the heart of the CBD.
Draft trail. We haven’t walked this one yet to check every detail. Opening days, prices and paths can change, so check before you go.
1 / 6Melbourne’s lanes were service alleys for the Victorian city. Today they’re its living room: arcades with mosaic floors, café lanes and walls that are repainted every week. Everything here is outdoors and free, and the whole walk takes an hour or two.
- Getting there
- Start at the Block Arcade on Collins Street, a short walk from Flinders Street station. Trams along Collins, Swanston and Elizabeth Streets are free here (Free Tram Zone).
- How long
- About 1½ hours, 1.5 km on foot (1 h 15 min at the stops)
- Cost
- Free
- Best time
- Late morning on a weekday, before the lunchtime crowds.
The stops
- 1Block Arcade · Culture · 15 min
An 1890s shopping arcade with a mosaic floor and glass canopy.
Directions - 2Centre Place · Culture · 10 min
A narrow lane of tiny cafés and paste-ups.
Directions - 3Degraves Street · Culture · 15 min
The classic café lane, leading down to Flinders Street station.
Directions - 4Hosier Lane · Culture · 20 min
Melbourne’s best-known street-art lane, opposite Federation Square.
Directions - 5AC/DC Lane · Culture · 15 min
Renamed after the band in 2004; rock murals and live-music venues.
Directions
On the map
Tips
- Street art changes constantly; what you see won’t be in anyone else’s photos.
- Be considerate in narrow lanes where people live and work.
Collect this trail’s stamp in your Passport by checking in at each stop.