When it comes to burning some calories and taking in the best of marvellous Melbourne, you'd be hard pressed to find a better way than the
Capital City Trail.
Consisting almost entirely of smooth, flat pavement, this
29 kilometre circuit makes the ideal lazy cycle. Or, if you're feeling intrepid, you could even walk it.
The fun begins at
Southbank. Heading counter-clockwise, you follow the Yarra past landmarks such as the
Victorian Arts Centre, the
Royal Botanic Gardens, the
MCG,
Melbourne Park and
Como House, while also encountering
Herring Island Environmental Sculpture Park,
Burnley Gardens,
Dights Falls and
Yarra Bend Park.
For the second half of the Capital City Trail, you follow the old
Inner Circle Railway through
Royal Park, hug
Moonee Ponds Creek as it flows towards
Docklands, pass by the
Polly Woodside Maritime Museum and then the
Exhibition Centre, before making it back to Southbank.
What makes the route so wonderful is that besides taking in many of the city's highlights, it contains plentiful shops, cafes, restaurants and parks in which you can refuel and recharge. Bring a friend, bring your partner or bring the family and you're guaranteed to have a wonderful day.
