Cultural sightseeing in Australia

Australia is an extraordinary country, occupying a whole continent, including several islands. The largest and oldest city in the country is Sydney, standing on the shore of the Tasman Sea bay. Walking along it can take several days, which is not surprising: the city has the most famous and amazing tourist sites in Australia. Among them is the Sydney Opera House. This symbol of the country is the creation of the Danish architect Jorn Utzon. The Structure stands on stilts right in the water. Its massive roof, reminiscent of flying sails or giant shells, is supported by metal cables. The unusual design of this masterpiece of modern architecture symbolizes the frozen image of music.

In Sydney, is situated the national shrine of Australia – the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. Its Neo-Gothic building was erected from golden sandstone in place of the former, destroyed by fire in the second half of the 19th century. The architecture of the Cathedral is characteristic of the English Gothic Renaissance. The interior is decorated with magnificent stained-glass windows, and masterpieces of painting. One of Australia’s most interesting attractions is Fort Denison, built on the site of a prison for dangerous criminals. Today, the fortress is part of the Sydney Harbor National Park complex. There is an artillery museum on its territory. One of the most unusual constructions of the country is the Sydney Tower. High-speed elevators bring tourists to the observation deck, located at an altitude of more than two hundred meters, from where amazing views of the metropolis with its skyscrapers, ships in the bay, and the azure ocean openings are seen.

The capital of Australia is Canberra, the largest city in the interior of the country. It is here that all the sights of national importance are located. One of them is the old house of Parliament on the Metropolitan Hill. In the building of architectural value, there is today the Museum of Political History of Australia. In the premises of the Parliamentary Library there is the Museum of Australian Democracy. In Acton, the suburbs of the capital, is located the National Museum of Australia, built in a postmodern style. Part of the Museum’s exposition is devoted to the culture of Aboriginal people, among them drawings on tree bark, and stone tools. Here you can also see the prototype of the first Australian car and the exhibits devoted to the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Canberra is famous for its memorials, the most interesting of which is the Australian War Memorial. A strict monumental structure of light brick is crowned with an impressive bronze dome. On the walls of the memory hall and on the slabs behind the arches, are carved the names of the places where the Australian soldiers fell in battles, and the names of the dead. In other parts of the memorial are dioramas of battles, samples of military equipment, and battle paintings. Nearby you can see a Japanese submarine flooded off the coast of Australia. The memorial to Captain James Cook was built in honor of the bicentenary of the first voyage of the famous pioneer. It is a composition from a fountain and a huge globe with the trajectory of the Pacific voyage of Cook passing along it on the Australian shores.

Art enthusiasts should visit the Melbourne Arts Center – a grand complex consisting of several sites. One of them is the National Theater, where theatrical and opera performances are staged. Nearby are situated the Concert Hall “Hamer Hall”, and the open concert stage “Sydney Mayer Music Bowl”, where world famous music festivals are held. Sports fans can go to the Olympic Park, dedicated to the Summer Olympics in Melbourne in 1956. It is this event that made the city the sports center of Australia. The Park has preserved the atmosphere of the previous years. Today it unites arenas, swimming pools, tennis courts, and the “Melbourne Park” Sports Complex with the cricket stadium “Melbourne Cricket Ground”, basketball courts, and a skating rink.

Melbourne is home to the large Anglican Cathedral of Saint Paul. This Majestic Building attracts tourists with its unusual decoration and beautiful architecture. One of the largest Organ of the 19th century is played in the cathedral. Traveling in Australia, it is worth taking a ride on the most scenic route of the world – the Great Ocean Road, stretching for more than two hundred miles along the coast of Victoria. Along the way, opens up a good overview of some natural attractions. On the beautiful island of Tasmania is located one of the sinister places of detention for convicts – the prison of Port Arthur. In the perfectly preserved building today is a museum that reliably reproduces the conditions of detention of prisoners. On its territory there is also a church and a chapel.